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Biomedical subjects

T Jaarsma

Publications and source records attributed to T Jaarsma.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Quality of life in older patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure.

AIMS: To get insight into the quality of life of a clinical practice sample of patients with heart failure that are admitted to the hospital. Secondly to determine differences between patients with systolic and diastolic dysfunction and finally to describe factors relating to quality of life. METHODS: Three dimensions of quality of life (functional capabilities, symptoms and psychosocial adjustment to illness) were assessed during interviews of 186 patients with chronic heart failure. In addition, data on demographic, clinical and self-care characteristics were collected and patients completed a 6-min walk. RESULTS: On average patients walked 172 m in 6 min and reported functioning in daily life at a mean level of 4.5 MET. Patients experienced four different symptoms of heart failure. Most of them described dyspnea, fatigue, sleep disturbance and ankle oedema. Problems with psychosocial adaptation occurred mostly in social and vocational domains. Overall well-being of patients was rated as 6.4 on a 10-point scale. In regard to quality of life, the only differences between patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure was the occurrence of ankle oedema and health-care orientation. The variance in components of quality of life were partly explained by demographics and clinical characteristics. All three dimensions of quality of life were related to ability for self-care. CONCLUSION: Patients with heart failure seen in clinical practice are often not comparable to patients described in major clinical trials or patients that are admitted for transplant evaluation. Their functional capabilities are more compromised, but they may have fewer problems with psychosocial adjustment. Patients with normal systolic dysfunction also report a low quality of life. It could be important to enhance self-care abilities of patients to improve psychosocial adaptation to illness.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Effects of education and support on self-care and resource utilization in patients with heart failure.

AIMS: To test the effect of education and support by a nurse on self-care and resource utilization in patients with heart failure. METHODS: A total of 179 patients (mean age 73, 58% male, NYHA III-IV) hospitalized with heart failure were evaluated prospectively. Patients were randomized to the study intervention or to 'care as usual'. The supportive educative intervention consisted of intensive, systematic and planned education by a study nurse about the consequences of heart failure in daily life, using a standard nursing care plan developed by the researchers for older patients with heart failure. Education and support took place during the hospital stay and at a home visit within a week of discharge. Data were collected on self-care abilities, self-care behaviour, readmissions, visits to the emergency heart centre and use of other health care resources. RESULTS: Education and support from a nurse in a hospital setting and at home significantly increases self-care behaviour in patients with heart failure. Patients from both the intervention and the control group increased their self-care behaviour within 1 month of discharge, but the increase in the intervention group was significantly more after 1 month. Although self-care behaviour in both groups decreased during the following 8 months, the increase from baseline remained statistically significant in the intervention group, but not in the control group. No significant effects on resource utilization were found. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive, systematic, tailored and planned education and support by a nurse results in an increase in patients' self-care behaviour. No significant effects were found on use of health care resources. Additional organisational changes, such as longer follow-up and the availability of a heart failure specialist would probably enhance the effects of education and support.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Developing a supportive-educative program for patients with advanced heart failure within Orem's general theory of nursing.

Recovery from heart failure and coping with the effects of this serious condition has a major impact on the self-care demand of patients with heart failure. To prevent potential self-care deficits, education and support are important issues in nursing care. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a supportive-educative program that is designed to enhance self-care abilities of patients with heart failure. To structure nursing care for these patients and their families in a consistent systematized way, Orem's general theory of nursing is used as a frame of reference.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1997

'Maintaining the balance'--nursing care of patients with chronic heart failure.

Nurses in different settings are involved in caring for patients with heart failure. In the clinic, hospital, nursing home or patients' home, the nurse has a role in detecting, identifying and treating heart failure. In order to provide optimal care, literature on possible and effective interventions should be available to nurses. This study gives an overview of nursing care for patients with heart failure as described in practice, literature and standard nursing care plans. Based on interviews of 45 nurses, a review of all pertinent literature published between 1983 and 1993 and a review of standard nursing care plans used in the Netherlands to care for patients with heart failure, four composite themes emerged; namely, basic nursing care, assessment and observation, symptom-relieving interventions, and patient education. Caring for patients with heart failure is very complex and is often aimed at keeping a very delicate balance between, e.g. rest and activity, fluid intake and elimination, and therapeutic cost and benefit. Treatment strategies for optimizing care for these patients are described.

Heart Failure↗
PubMed1997

Recovery and quality of life one year after coronary artery bypass grafting.

In order to study recovery and quality of life after bypass surgery, both objective and subjective data were collected during structured interviews. A total of 56 patients participated in the study. Data were collected during hospital admission and during two home visits at 6 and 12 months after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). Patients reported improved state of health and quality of life. Most of the changes occurred within the first six months after discharge. However, for most patients life had more or less returned to normal one year after CABG. It was also found that few of the patients changed their risk behaviour after surgery.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1997

[Education and guidance of a patient with chronic heart failure. A case study].

The number of patients with heart failure is growing. To optimize care for these patients in hospital and at home, a supportive-educative intervention is developed. The intervention is guided by a standard nursing care plan which is developed from literature, existing standard nursing care plans, and interviews with nurses. A case study is used to explain and illustrate the intervention and to review the importance of the standard nursing care plan.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Readmission of older heart failure patients.

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the literature on factors associated with hospital readmission of older heart failure patients. Important factors reported to be related to rehospitalization are sociodemographic and medical factors, premature discharge, failing support system, medication-related problems and noncompliance. To prevent readmission, interventions in the area of discharge planning, patient education and follow-up are recommended.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Problems of cardiac patients in early recovery.

Most studies of the problems and information needs of patients describe these only for the period of hospitalization. In this study, however, the authors focused on the first 6 months after discharge. Eighty-two cardiac patients, admitted to a university hospital with a myocardial infarction (MI) or for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS), were interviewed 6 months after discharge. Questions required them to describe problems they experienced in early recovery and what information they needed. All but one of the 82 patients stated they had experienced problems during the first 6 months after discharge. Most problems described concerned: emotional reactions (59%), their change in physical condition (59%), deleterious effects of treatment (56%) and convalescence (54%). Topics on which most patients needed additional or different information were: deleterious effects of the treatment (26%), physical condition (24%), risk factors (24%), convalescence (24%) and knowledge of the disease (24%).

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

[Information needs and problems of patients with myocardial infarct and coronary bypass. A study of information needs and problems from the viewpoint of Orem's theory].

Problems and information needs of patients six months after myocardial infarction or after coronary artery bypass surgery were assessed in this study. The theoretical framework was provided by the theory of Orem (1991). Data on problems experienced and need for more or other information were collected by semi-structured interviews. Results show that almost all (81) of the 82 patiënts did experience problems the first six months after discharge. Most (60) of the 82 patients stated they had needed more or other information concerning one or more topics. Most information was needed concerning: knowledge of the disease, convalescence, tiredness, risk factors, medication, emotional reactions en deleterious effects of treatment. The relationship between problems, information needs, health condition and character of the topic (affective or cognitive) was also examined.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

The relationship of nursing theory and research: the state of the art.

Recently, the relationship between theory and research has received more attention. It seems that in the past 10 to 15 years more research studies have been published that are more or less conceptualized within (nursing) theories. However, it is not always clear how the theory has been used. The purpose of this study was to analyse the role of theory in nursing practice research. To this end, papers published in six nursing journals between 1986 and 1990 have been studied. It can be concluded that, in comparison with earlier analyses, the use of theories in nursing research studies has increased (from 13% to 21%), but the use of nursing theories has not become more frequent. However, the testing of nursing theories is minimal. On the other hand, research results are being cumulated progressively in regard to theory or to other research.

Models, Nursing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sexual function in patients with advanced heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of low ejection fraction on sexual function and the relation between alterations in sexual function and pertinent clinical, demographic, and psychosocial variables in patients with advanced heart failure. DESIGN: This study was descriptive and correlational in design. SETTING: The setting was an outpatient clinic of a university-affiliated hospital. SUBJECTS: Sixty-two male (82%) and female (18%) patients with advanced heart failure (New York Heart Association [NYHA] class III or IV) were studied. MEASURES: Exercise tolerance and symptom severity were assessed by the 6-minute walk and NYHA classification. Ejection fraction was measured by echocardiography. Alterations in the patients' emotional, social, and sexual function were assessed with the self-report version of the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale. RESULTS: Approximately three quarters of the patients reported a marked decrease in sexual interest and in the frequency of sexual relations caused by illness, with one quarter having ceased all sexual activity. Half the patients described having experienced marked reductions, after heart failure developed, in the pleasure or satisfaction they normally experienced from sex. Few patients had arguments with their spouses about sex or reported significant marital problems as a result of their illness. A significant relation was documented between patients' sexual function and the results of the 6-minute walk (r = 0.32, p < 0.005), as well as between sexual function and NYHA functional class (r = 0.21, p < 0.05). Sexual function was also related to the patient's social environment (r = 0.59, p < 0.001), psychologic distress (r = 0.38, p < 0.001), and domestic environment (r = 0.29, p < 0.05). No significant differences in sexual function were noted when patients were compared on the basis of differences in ejection fraction, medications, gender, or age. CONCLUSION: Advanced heart failure results in marked changes in libido and in the ability to perform sexually. These changes do not affect the marital relationship negatively, at least in the view of the patient. As patients' symptoms of heart failure become increasingly more severe, physicians and nurses need to counsel patients and their spouses about the changes they may experience in their sexual relationships. Attention needs to focus on ways to cope with the decreasing physical status that accompanies advanced heart failure to minimize negative changes in sexual functioning.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Self-care and quality of life in patients with advanced heart failure: the effect of a supportive educational intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine the effects of a supportive educational nursing intervention on self-care abilities, self-care behavior, and quality of life of patients with advanced heart failure. DESIGN: The study design was an experimental, random assignment. SETTING: The study was located at the University Hospital in Maastricht, The Netherlands. PATIENTS: The study included 179 patients (mean age 73 years, 58% men, New York Heart Association classification III and IV) admitted to a university hospital with symptoms of heart failure. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included self-care abilities (Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale), self-care behavior (Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale), 3 dimensions of quality of life (functional capabilities, symptoms, and psychosocial adjustment to illness), and overall well-being (Cantril's ladder of life). INTERVENTION: The intervention patients received systematic education and support by a nurse in the hospital and at home. Control patients received routine care. RESULTS: Self-care abilities did not change as a result of the intervention, but the self-care behavior in the intervention group was higher than the self-care behavior in the control group during follow-up. The effect of the supportive educational intervention on quality of life was limited. The 3 dimensions of quality of life improved after hospitalization in both groups, with no differences between intervention and control group as measured at each follow-up measurement. However, there was a trend indicating differences between the 2 groups in decrease in symptom frequency and symptom distress during the 9 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: A supportive educational nursing intervention is effective in improving self-care behavior in patients with advanced (New York Heart Association class III-IV) heart failure; however, a more intensive intervention is needed to show effectiveness in improving quality of life.

Adaptation, Psychological↗