[Protocolo para la evaluación de una intervención de alfabetización en salud sobre morbimortalidad y calidad de vida en pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca.].

Objective: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome that impairs the ability to achieve proper filling or ejection, in which patients have typical symptoms and signs. It is a major Public Health problem with a high incidence and prevalence associated with high morbidity and mortality. The management of the patient with HF is complex, requiring in its treatment the work of specialized multidisciplinary teams in which the management of cardiac-healthy habits and self-care will play a leading role. Knowing the health literacy (HL) level of patients is a fundamental piece that will help us to provide a holistic attention, based on individual needs, promoting in this way the empowerment of the patient. Our aim will be to evaluate the effectiveness of an HL intervention for improving quality of life and decreasing morbidity/mortality.

Methods: A two-arm randomized controlled clinical trial will be conducted, with concealment of randomization. Patients with diagnosis of HF attended in cardiology and internal medicine consultations of 5 hospitals in Spain will be included.