Qualitative Exploration of Spirituality in Heart Failure Patients

Background. Heart failure (HF) is a severe, progressive disease that afflicts large numbers of individuals around the world. One significant factor affecting quality of life in persons with HF is the extent to which spiritual needs are met. Developing an understanding of spirituality in the HF patient is essential in order for the healthcare professional to provide the highest quality care possible. This study focused on examining spirituality in HF patients by means of conducting in-depth interviews with individuals diagnosed with HF and completing a descriptive analysis of the responses. The goal of this study was to gain insight into how spirituality affects the healthcare professional-patient relationship in regards to HF. Methods. This project was a qualitative descriptive study in which six people with established diagnoses of HF were interviewed in-depth utilizing a reliable spiritual assessment tool, FICA (Faith, Importance, Community, Address in care), as a base accompanied by follow up questions. The data were transcribed and critically analyzed. Results. Five of six participants in this study verified important spiritual beliefs and described various ways these impact their day-to-day lives, relationships, and healthcare practices. One participant denied spirituality or religion to be significant in her life. Conclusion. The findings of this study support the premise that spirituality is unique to each individual. By inquiring into a patient’s spiritual beliefs, one can access a wealth of information regarding the individual’s background, personality, psychological state, ideals, and more. The possible positive impact addressing spirituality could have for both patients and providers will remain unknown until further research is conducted