Patient and caregiver education levels and readmission and mortality rates of congestive heart failure patients

Background: Despite evidence that effective family support improves health behaviour and outcomes, the nature of the correlation between congestive heart failure (CHF) outcome and caregiver contribution has not been well studied. Aim: This single centre pilot study aimed to determine epidemiological correlations between education level and hospital readmission and mortality rates of CHF patients in a nonwestern country population. Methods: The study was performed in King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia from February 2015 to February 2016, and included 167 consecutive patients enrolled in a CHF management registry. Data on the education levels of patients and their caregivers were collected, and patient outcomes in high education level (HEL) and low education level (LEL) groups were compared. Results: Of 167 patients, 101 completed 12 months of follow-up. The mean age was 58 (13.4) years and 80% were men; 87% were Saudi nationals. The HEL group comprised 42 (42%) patients. There were no significant differences in the mortality (3 vs 2%) or readmission rate (18 vs 19%) between the LEL and HEL patients, and 29.6% of LEL patients had caregivers with an LEL. Conclusion: The education levels of CHF patients and caregivers were not correlated with readmission or mortality rates.