What matters to patients with heart failure? The influence of non-health-related goals on patient adherence to self-care management.

Objective: To describe the life goals of heart failure (HF) patients and to determine whether adherence is influenced by the extent to which these priorities are perceived as compatible with HF self-care regimens.

Method: Forty HF outpatients identified their top-five life goals and indicated the compatibility of HF self-care regimens (diet, exercise, weighing) with these priorities. HF knowledge, self-efficacy and reported adherence were also assessed.