Knowledge, self care behaviors, and hospital readmission rates for congestive heart failure patients receiving a self care enhanced rehabilitation program

Congestive heart failure (CHF) patients must employ self care behaviors in conjunction with prescribed medical regimes to prevent hospital readmission. The purpose of this study is to examine differences in knowledge, self care behaviors and hospital readmission rates in two groups of CHF patients, one group that receives traditional CHF patient discharge education in the acute care setting and one group that receives traditional CHF patient discharge education and enrolled in a self-care enhanced rehabilitation program. Orem's Self Care Deficit Theory is the theoretical framework. This sample will include 150 CHF patients selected from an acute care facility in a Midwestern community. Instruments will be the Heart Failure Knowledge Test, The Revised Heart Failure Self Care Behavior Scale, a demographic tool, and examination of readmission rates to the acute care setting with an admitting diagnosis of CHF from medical records. Permission will be obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the acute care facility. The rights of patients will be protected. Findings will provide information for healthcare professionals about teaching self care behaviors for CHF patients to prevent readmission to the hospital.School of NursingThesis (M.S.