Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
PLoS One. 2024 Oct 24;19(10):e0310600. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310600. eCollection 2024.
Heart failure is a serious chronic medical condition that negatively impacts daily living. Living with heart failure can be challenging due to the physical symptoms, unpredictable nature of the disease, and lifestyle changes required. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of people living with heart failure and how it affects their health-related quality of life in Ethiopia.
A qualitative descriptive design was employed to explore the experience of people living with heart failure, guided by the Theory of Symptom Management. A purposive sample of 14 participants was recruited from the cardiac outpatient clinics at two tertiary-level public hospitals in Ethiopia. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview. The recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim in Amharic, translated into English, and entered NVivo statistical software for analysis. An inductive-deductive hybrid thematic analysis method was used to analyse the data.
Three themes were identified deductively, while an additional three themes emerged inductively:-"Journey from diagnosis to daily life with heart failure"; "Symptom experience"; "Impact of heart failure on health-related quality of life"; "Perception of health-related quality of life and influencing factors"; "Symptom management and coping strategies"; and "Challenges faced in the journey of living with heart failure". Fatigue, and depression were the most frequently reported symptoms. Participants described how their condition affected their overall physical functioning. Participants utilized consistent follow up-care, adhered to their medications, ensured adequate rest, made dietary modifications, sought social support and engaged in spiritual activities to manage their symptoms and cope with their condition. Challenges they faced included financial difficulties, unavailability of medications, and a lack of continuity of care.
People living with heart failure in Ethiopia experience various symptoms. The impact of heart failure on various aspects of their lives, combined with the challenges they face while living with heart failure, significantly affect their health-related quality of life. Health care providers caring for these people need to understand their experiences and the impact on their daily life. Effective multimodal interventions are needed to reduce the impact of heart failure and improve health-related quality of life in this population.
心力衰竭是一种严重的慢性疾病，会对日常生活产生负面影响。由于身体症状、疾病的不可预测性以及生活方式的改变，心力衰竭患者的生活可能会很艰难。本研究的目的是探讨并描述埃塞俄比亚心力衰竭患者的体验，以及心力衰竭对他们健康相关生活质量的影响。
采用定性描述设计，以症状管理理论为指导，探讨心力衰竭患者的体验。从埃塞俄比亚两家三级公立医院的心脏门诊诊所招募了 14 名符合条件的参与者作为研究对象。使用半结构化访谈收集数据。记录的访谈用阿姆哈拉语逐字记录，翻译成英语，并输入到 NVivo 统计软件中进行分析。采用归纳演绎混合主题分析法对数据进行分析。
通过演绎法确定了三个主题，同时通过归纳法又出现了三个主题：“从诊断到心力衰竭日常的旅程”、“症状体验”、“心力衰竭对健康相关生活质量的影响”、“对健康相关生活质量的认知和影响因素”、“症状管理和应对策略”以及“在心力衰竭的生活旅程中面临的挑战”。疲劳和抑郁是最常报告的症状。参与者描述了他们的病情如何影响他们的整体身体功能。参与者通过持续的随访护理、坚持用药、确保充足的休息、调整饮食、寻求社会支持和参与精神活动来管理症状和应对病情。他们面临的挑战包括经济困难、药物供应不足和医疗服务连续性差。
在埃塞俄比亚，心力衰竭患者经历了各种症状。心力衰竭对他们生活各个方面的影响，以及他们在心力衰竭生活中面临的挑战，极大地影响了他们的健康相关生活质量。照顾这些患者的医疗保健提供者需要了解他们的经历及其对日常生活的影响。需要采取有效的多模式干预措施，以减轻心力衰竭的影响，提高这一人群的健康相关生活质量。
