Effect of Family-centered Education on Hope in Patients with Heart Failure

Background and purpose: Cardiac failure is a disabling disease affecting all aspects of life and many patients may feel frustrated due to reduced abilities. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of family-centered education on hope in patients with heart failure. In a randomized controlled trail, 110 patients with heart failure were selected by objective sampling and randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. The control group received only hospital routine care and the experimental group, including the patient and an active member of his/her family, attended three 60-minute sessions for three days during hospital stay. The experimental group received face to face trainings and an educational booklet. Data was collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Miller Hope Scale before and three months after the intervention. Data analysis was done in SPSS V20. The mean values for hope in experimental and control groups before and after the intervention were 147.52 ± 33.15 and 151.63 ± 23.5 and 173.05 ± 37.45 and 134.05 ± 33.15, respectively. There was no significant difference in the mean score for hope between the two groups before the intervention (P= 0.193). But, after the intervention significant difference was seen in the mean score for hope between the experimental group and controls (P= 0.0001). Training cardiac patients and their families by nurses significantly increased their levels of hope. This low-cost intervention in family members could be of great benefit in controlling and preventing heart failure.