Mutuality and heart failure self-care in patients and their informal caregivers

Abstract

Mutuality in patient-caregiver dyads is associated with patient self-care and caregiver burden and may be an important intervention target to improve self-care and reduce hospitalizations.

A systematic review of heart failure dyadic self-care interventions focusing on intervention components, contexts, and outcomes

“…However, components confirmed as important in qualitative, observational and intervention studies, such as assessing mutuality in patient-carer dyads, receiving joint but individualized education, having long-standing formal and informal social support throughout the illness trajectory should be emphasized.(H. G. Buck, Hupcey, J., Watach, A. , 2017;Hooker, Schmiege, Trivedi, Amoyal, & Bekelman, 2017;Liljeroos, Agren, Jaarsma, & Stromberg, 2014b) All studies (complete and ongoing) were judged to be of low to moderate quality. Each study had some methodological limitations, such as weak linkages to theoretical frameworks, small sample sizes, paucity of reported intervention detail, choice of outcome variables known to have floor and ceiling effects, and mixed intervention effects.…”

A body of work, a missed opportunity: Dyadic research in older adults

“…Dyadic effects while managing multiple conditions have also been previously examined. In the work most closely aligned with Riffin et al, degree of relational mutuality, disagreement or incongruence, and dyadic contributions to self‐care are well documented (see Supplemental material for further dyadic studies). We acknowledge that this work has been primarily carried out in heart failure.…”

We told you so: ‘knowledge is not enough to improve heart failure self‐care behaviour’

“…15 Mutuality in patient-caregiver dyads is associated with patient self-care and caregiver burden and may be an important intervention target to improve self-care and reduce hospitalizations. 16 In summary, this study by Vidan et al 1 clearly underlines that many patients with heart failure struggle with all the important aspects of heart failure self-care. A structured multi-disciplinary follow-up, innovative and interactive methods for patient education and a stronger emphasis from the health care to asses self-care needs and involve caregivers in supporting patients' self-care are advocated.…”

“…Dyadic self‐care interventions should be delivered to the dyad with the expectations that both dyad members will be actively engaged in the patient's heart failure self‐care . Mutuality in patient–caregiver dyads is associated with patient self‐care and caregiver burden and may be an important intervention target to improve self‐care and reduce hospitalizations …”