THE EFFECT OF APPLYING CONTINUOUS CARE MODEL ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN HEART FAILURE PATIENTS

The prevalence and mortality of heart failure is high and progressive. The
incidence and prevalence of this disease is increasing in spite of medical advances. Because of the
poor prognosis of the disease, limitations in physical activity, cessation of social interaction,
psychological distress, increasing dependence and early retirement, it imposes a negative impact on
the quality of life of the patients. The purpose of this study is assessing the effect of applying
continuous care model on the quality of life in patients with heart failure.
Materials & Methods: In the present clinical trial which was carried out in 2013, 60 patients with
heart failure admited in Taleghani and Seyedolshohada Urmia hospitals were selected using
accessible-sampling method, and they were randomly divided into two groups of 30 patients as the
experimental and control groups. To evaluate the quality of life as a dependent variable, the Minnesota
standard quality-of-life questionnaire was used for heart failure patients, including 21 questions on the
three major dimensions of the quality of life (physical, mental and socioeconomic). The intervention
was implemented during three months according to the continous care model in the experimental
group. Data were analyzed by SPSS v.19 software using descriptive statistics (mean, standard
deviation, frequency) ,chi-square, independent and paired t-tests analysis.
Results: At the end of third month, the mean of quality of life reached in the experimental, and
control groups from 65.13±5.39 to 33.83±4.85, and from 65.86±3.7 to 67.43±7.03, respectively. There
was a significant difference between the two groups in all aspects of quality of life including the
physical, psychological, and socioeconomic dimension (p=0.00).
Conclusion: Applying effective care model, training and follow-up with lifestyle changes in patients
with heart failure can improve and enhance quality of life in them.