Understanding help-seeking decisions in people with heart failure: a qualitative systematic review.

Objective: To understand the process of help-seeking among heart failure patients from the perspectives of patients, caregivers and health professionals.

Design: Systematic review using qualitative meta-synthesis.

Methods: A systematic search (20th May 2011) was conducted to identify studies published in English as full papers ≥1995 reporting primary qualitative data with extractable heart failure-specific data or themes related to help-seeking in patients, caregivers or health professionals.

A meta-review of evidence on heart failure disease management programs: the challenges of describing and synthesizing evidence on complex interventions.

Background: Despite favourable results from past meta-analyses, some recent large trials have not found heart failure (HF) disease management programs to be beneficial. To explore reasons for this, we evaluated evidence from existing meta-analyses.

Methods: Systematic review incorporating meta-review was used.

What is the strength of evidence for heart failure disease-management programs?

Heart failure (HF) disease-management programs are increasingly common. However, some large and recent trials of programs have not reported positive findings. There have also been parallel recent advances in reporting standards and theory around complex nonpharmacological interventions.

The potential of nursing to reduce the burden of heart failure in rural Canada: what strategies should nurses prioritize?

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is an increasingly common condition in high-income countries that has a large and negative impact on life quality and expectancy, and is associated with high financial costs. In Canada, CHF has an especially large impact on rural settings because of the higher proportion of older adults (aged >65 years) in these settings, and because care and outcomes tend to be more adverse in rural parts of the country compared to urban settings. Much can be done to reduce these burdens in terms of pharmacological, behavioural and health service strategies.