Title : Positive relationship quality is associated with better heart failure self-care in female patients and patients having a non-spousal relationship with their family caregivers
Abstract:
Introduction: Engaging in self-care is important to prevent rehospitalizations for patients with heart failure. Family caregivers can provide essential support for patients’ self-care. Because patients and family caregivers are in an interdependent relationship, it is important to understand how patients’ perceived quality of the relationship with their family caregivers affects their self-care behaviors. However, there is limited knowledge of whether the gender of patients and type of relationship with caregivers affect the relationship between the perceived quality of the relationship and self-care.
Purpose: To determine whether gender or relationship type (spousal vs. non-spousal) moderates the association between relationship quality and self-care behaviors in patients with heart failure.
Methods: In this cross-section study, outpatients with HF at an academic medical center completed the Dyadic Relationship Scale, which consists of the positive dyadic interaction and negative dyadic strain subscales (perceived quality of relationship with caregivers), and the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale (heart failure self-care). Two hierarchical regression model analyses were used to accomplish the purpose of the study.
Results: A total of 92 patients with heart failure (mean age 62 years, 59% male, and 77% with spousal caregiver) were included in the analyses. Positive dyadic interaction was significantly associated with HF self-care in female patients (B= -1.29, p<.01) while there was no such association in males (B= -.054, p= .868). In addition, positive dyadic interaction was significantly associated with HF self-care in patients who had a non-spousal family caregiver (B= -1.23, p<.01) with no such association existed in patients with a spousal caregiver (B= -.20, p= . 525). However, there was no significant association between negative dyadic strain and self-care, and this association was not moderated by gender or relationship type of caregivers.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of developing interventions targeting patient-caregiver relationship quality to improve HF self-care. These interventions should be tailored according to the patients’ gender and relationship type with caregivers.
Audience Take Away:
- Relationship Quality and Self-Care: Understanding how the quality of patient-caregiver relationships impacts heart failure patients' self-care behaviors.
- Moderating Effects: Insight into how gender and caregiver relationship type (spousal vs. non-spousal) affect this relationship.
- Specific Findings: Positive dyadic interactions significantly influence self-care in female patients and those with non-spousal caregivers, but not in male patients or those with spousal caregivers.
- Negative Dyadic Strain: Negative dyadic strain does not significantly affect self-care behaviors, regardless of gender or relationship type.
- Tailored Interventions: Importance of developing gender- and relationship-type-specific interventions to improve heart failure self-care.
Practical Applications:
- Enhanced Care Strategies: Incorporate relationship dynamics into care plans for better patient outcomes.
- Targeted Interventions: Develop interventions focusing on improving patient-caregiver relationships, tailored by gender and relationship type.
- Caregiver Education: Educate caregivers on the importance of maintaining positive interactions and their impact on patient self-care.
Job Benefits:
- Improved Patient Outcomes: Better care plans leading to improved health outcomes for heart failure patients.
- Expanded Research and Teaching: Use findings to enhance research and education on caregiver-patient dynamics.
- Practical Solutions: Clear guidelines for designing interventions that improve patient-caregiver relationships.
- Accurate Models: Refine healthcare models to include relational factors for more accurate patient assessments.
- Holistic Care: More comprehensive patient care that considers relational and psychological factors.
