A qualitative study exploring the perceptions and motivations of patients with heart failure who transitioned from non-adherence to adherence.

Background: Management of heart failure (HF) involves complex self-care recommendations. Many patients have difficulty adhering to these recommendations, and mechanisms that support behavior change are poorly understood.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions and motivations of individuals with HF who became adherent to HF treatment recommendations after being non-adherent.

Methods: This was a qualitative descriptive study. Participants were recruited from cardiology clinics and completed a semi-structured interview on their experiences and motivations for self-care behavior change. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The sample size (n = 8) was sufficient to achieve saturation.

Results: Five themes were identified: experiencing mortality, optimism and hope, making connections between behavior and health, self-efficacy, and the role of the clinician. The temporal chronological sequence of these themes across participants varied.

Conclusions: This study adds to our current understanding of HF self-care by suggesting mechanisms that may enhance existing self-care interventions, and demonstrating the important role of the clinician.