Non-compliance factors of congestive heart failure patients readmitted in cardiac care units

Non-compliance of cardiac patients is one of the most challenges in controlling the cardiac diseases and readmission in cardiac care units. This study was accomplished to explore the compliance concept and effective factors on occurring non-compliance in readmitted patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).

Using qualitative research, 42 CHF patients with readmission during 6 months (November 2007 until April 2008) were interviewed in two educational hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data were analyzed based on content analysis method.

Doing any unscientific action for establishing "well feeling" is the meaning of compliance in patients; whereby the patients applied it as a strategic variable for resolving their main concern "running about providing comfort in daily living". Primary codes revealed three themes of "preventive factors related to the patient and his/her family", "preventive factors related to medicament and medical team" and "preventive factors related to socioeconomic problems as effective factors on occurring incompliance" which were the main causes of non-compliance in CHF patients.

By applying qualitative research, the compliance meaning and the non-compliance predisposing factors extracts more completely. Exploring the meaning of compliance and effective factors on non-compliance in patients should be considered before discharging to prevent hospital readmissions.