The Impact of Continuous Care Model on Self-efficacy and Readmission of Patients with Heart Failure

Abstract

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) need continuous medical care, including regular follow-up, training, and information acquisition to increase self-care capacity. Adherence to self-care behaviors reduces patient readmission Objectives: This study examined the impact of the continuous care model (CCM) on self-efficacy and readmission of patients hospitalized with HF. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on patients with HF visiting two teaching hospitals in southeastern Iran in 2021. The participants were 70 patients who were selected using convenience sampling and were placed into two control and intervention groups, each with 35 patients through limited random sampling. The patients in the control group received routine care, but the CCM was performed for the patients of the intervention group in the form of individual training for 6 sessions in the hospital and after discharge and then through telephone follow-up once a week until the end of the twelfth week. The instruments used to collect the data were a demographic information form that assessed patient readmission and their demographic information and Sullivan's Cardiac Self-Efficacy Scale. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS software (version 22) using the chi-square test, independent and paired samples t-test, and analysis of covariance at the significance level of P < 0.05. Results: Analysis of covariance showed that the mean self-efficacy score of the patients with HF was significantly different between the two groups after implementing continuous care (P = 0.001). The results of the independent samples t-test suggested that the mean and standard deviation of readmission frequencies in the control group (1.03 ± 1.01) were significantly higher than the mean readmission frequencies of the patients in the intervention group (0.34 ± 0.68) (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Given the positive and significant effect of the CCM on increasing patient self-efficacy and reducing the frequency of readmissions, and considering the ease, applicability, and low cost of this intervention, relevant authorities need to make effective planning and policies to implement the CCM for patients with HF.