Outpatient nursing support for self-monitoring in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: Early symptoms of worsening heart failure are difficult for patients to detect and manage, contributing to the high readmission rate for worsening heart failure. Thus, it is important to promote self-monitoring and to support patients in recognizing and interpreting their symptoms. This study aimed to explore the ways in which specialized nurses in the outpatient setting provide support for self-monitoring in patients with chronic heart failure in Japan.

How visiting nurses detect symptoms of disease progression in patients with chronic heart failure.

: Chronic heart failure patients are often rehospitalized because they fail to seek appropriate, timely care. However, both patients and nurses experience difficulties in detecting signs of heart failure exacerbation. We aimed to qualitatively investigate how visiting nurses detect symptoms of disease progression in chronic heart failure patients in their homes.