Home-based nursing interventions improve knowledge of disease and management in patients with heart failure

Objective: to assess patient knowledge of heart failure by home-based measurement of two NOC Nursing Outcomes over a six-month period and correlate mean outcome indicator scores with mean scores of a heart failure Knowledge Questionnaire. Methods: in this before-and-after study, patients with heart failure received four home visits over a six-month period after hospital discharge. At each home visit, nursing interventions were implemented, NOC outcomes were assessed, and the Knowledge Questionnaire was administered. Results: overall, 23 patients received home visits. Mean indicator scores for the outcome Knowledge: Medication were 2.27 +/- 0.14 at home visit 1 and 3.55 +/- 0.16 at home visit 4 (P<0.001); and, for the outcome Knowledge: Treatment Regimen, 2.33 +/- 0.13 at home visit 1 and 3.59 +/- 0.14 at home visit 4 (P<0.001). The correlation between the Knowledge Questionnaire and the Nursing Outcomes Classification scores was strong at home visit 1 (r=0.7, P<0.01), but weak and non significant at visit 4. Conclusion: the results show improved patient knowledge of heart failure and a strong correlation between Nursing Outcomes Classification indicator scores and Knowledge Questionnaire scores. The NOC Nursing Outcomes proved effective as knowledge assessment measures when compared with the validated instrument.