The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of comprehensive care programs at improving self-care and quality of life and reducing rehospitalizations in patients with congestive heart failure. A quasi-experimental study design was used. Sixty subjects were recruited from a medical center in Taichung, using purposive sampling. The control group patients (n=30) received the standard form of care, and the intervention group (n=30) received the standard form of care and a comprehensive care program, including healthcare pamphlets, individual health education, outpatient clinic visits and follow-up, and phone consultation. The results showed that the improvements in self-care and quality of life were more significant in the intervention group than in the control group (p<.05). In addition, unplanned rehospitalizations within 30 days and payments in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group (p<.05). These results suggest that this comprehensive care program was effective at improving self care, quality of life, rehospitalization rates and payments. We would therefore expect, comprehensive care programs to be used in clinical practice to improve the quality of life of heart failure patients.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of comprehensive care programs at improving self-care and quality of life and reducing rehospitalizations in patients with congestive heart failure. A quasi-experimental study design was used. Sixty subjects were recruited from a medical center in Taichung, using purposive sampling. The control group patients (n=30) received the standard form of care, and the intervention group (n=30) received the standard form of care and a comprehensive care program, including healthcare pamphlets, individual health education, outpatient clinic visits and follow-up, and phone consultation. The results showed that the improvements in self-care and quality of life were more significant in the intervention group than in the control group (p<.05). In addition, unplanned rehospitalizations within 30 days and payments in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group (p<.05). These results suggest that this comprehensive care program was effective at improving self care, quality of life, rehospitalization rates and payments. We would therefore expect, comprehensive care programs to be used in clinical practice to improve the quality of life of heart failure patients.