[Social issues of medical outpatient care for elderly patients with chronic cardiac failure].

Aim: To assess efficacy of therapeutic medical education in the field of chronic cardiac failure (CCF) of social workers taking care of old persons on home nursing.

Material And Methods: 87 social workers filled in a special questionnaire before and after training in management of old persons with CCF.

Results: Initial knowledge of the social workers about CCF was insufficient, especially their education was poor in CCF symptoms, medication, diet, regime, hospital and outpatient treatment, possible assistance from social personnel.

[Therapeutic education of social workers: first results].

For the improvement of compliance of old age patients to therapy of chronic heart failure (CHF) we carried out therapeutic training of social workers serving these patients at their homes. Efficacy of training was assessed by means of analysis of questionnaires given to 87 social workers before and after training sessions. It has been established that therapeutic education of social workers significantly elevates level of their awareness of the problems of CHF, promotes more correct understanding of their role in organization of care of old age patients with CHF and interaction with medical institutions.