Psychometric Properties of Frailty Instruments in Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Examine psychometric properties of frailty instruments used in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to inform selection of frailty instruments for clinical and research use. METHODS: A systematic review was registered in PROSPERO. Studies measuring frailty in adults with RA published before May 25, 2022, were searched in six electronic databases. Level of evidence of psychometric properties were synthesized and graded for each frailty instrument using Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments methodology. RESULTS: There were 22 articles included in the review, and psychometric properties of 16 frailty instruments were examined. RA cohorts were predominantly female with moderate RA disease activity, mean age was 60.1 years, and frailty prevalence ranged widely from 10% to 85%. Construct validity was the only psychometric property routinely examined for frailty instruments in RA, and nearly all (14/16) performed favorably in this domain. Frailty correlated most frequently with older age, higher RA disease activity, and worse physical function. Internal consistency, measurement error, and content validity were examined infrequently. Reliability and responsiveness data were not reported. Six frailty instruments were rated highest in adults with RA: three adaptations of Fried's Criteria, 32-Item and 45-Item Frailty Indexes, and the Comprehensive Rheumatologic Assessment of Frailty. CONCLUSION: Six frailty instruments possessed the highest-rated psychometric properties in RA. These instruments demonstrated construct validity of frailty with important outcomes in RA. Frailty assessment shows promise to inform risk stratification in RA, but studies are needed to evaluate reliability, responsiveness, and validity to support accuracy of frailty measurement in adults with RA who may have disease-related features that differentially impact outcomes.

Nurse-led heart failure educational interventions for patient and informal caregiver dyads: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a major health problem with significant economic burden in the United States. Educating heart failure dyads (heart failure patient and informal caregiver) is a relatively new domain and is being proposed by providers, policy makers, and third-party payors. Nurse-led dyad education can improve quality of life and reduce hospital admissions in the heart failure population. OBJECTIVES: This integrative literature review focused on evaluating design, delivery content, and outcomes of nurse-led dyadic educational interventions. METHODS: PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases (1999 -2022) were searched for quantitative and qualitative studies that included these search terms: heart failure, dyads, nonmedical caregivers, caregivers, randomized controlled trials, nurse-led education, education. RESULTS: The search yielded 92 articles. The results included seven randomized controlled trials and one pilot study conducted from 2005 to 2017. Sample sizes ranged from 20 to 155 dyads. Dyads who received education interventions had positive outcomes. Face-to-face coaching provided stronger outcomes. Interventions varied in length from baseline to three months, with post-intervention follow-ups from one to 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: A paucity of studies of nurse-led heart failure dyadic educational interventions have been reported in the literature. To advance the science and decrease heart failure readmissions, greater efforts to study and incorporate education and support for heart failure dyads is needed, along with assessment of both patient and caregiver outcomes.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Intervention Description of a Mobile Health Intervention in Patients With Heart Failure.

Mobile health (mHealth) is used to encourage and support self-management skills in patients with heart failure. The purpose of the study was to describe the feasibility, fidelity, usability, and acceptability of mHealth interventions. This pilot study used a randomized 3-group (enhanced usual care, mHealth, and mHealth plus, which included a nurse practitioner and community health worker) repeated-measure design to determine the feasibility of using a self-management behavior app and a Bluetooth-enabled scale for daily self-monitoring of weights and medications. In the 2 mHealth groups, of the 48 patients, 38 (79%) engaged partially in recording daily weights and medications, and of the 74 patients in the sample, we obtained partial to complete data on 63 (85%) of the patients during follow-up outcome phone calls. Most patients found the intervention to be feasible, usable, and acceptable, and (93%) patients in the mHealth group and 100% of patients in the mHealth plus group agreed or strongly agreed that they learned how to self-manage their heart failure using the app. The intervention was reasonable to implement and provided insight for future intervention improvements.

Mobile Health Self-management Interventions for Patients With Heart Failure: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a multifaceted syndrome that requires self-management for adherence to treatment to control symptoms. Symptoms need to be monitored to prevent impending HF exacerbations. Few HF study authors have assessed efficacy of mobile health (mHealth) interventions particularly with virtual visits to evaluate outcomes such as symptoms and healthcare utilization. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the potential effect of mHealth self-management interventions on symptom status and health-related quality of life and describe health care utilization in patients with HF. METHODS: This 3-month pilot study included 74 patients with HF and used a randomized 3-group repeated-measures design (enhanced usual care, mHealth, and mHealth plus [+] virtual visits). Surveys included the Heart Failure Symptom Survey, EuroQol, and a specialized phone application for patients to report weights and medications. RESULTS: The mHealth groups had an overall decrease in most symptom severity and frequency, particularly shortness of breath. Compared to enhanced usual care, both the mHealth+ and mHealth groups showed promise with medium effect sizes (range .55-.60) in relation to shortness of breath and a medium effect (.51) for lower extremity edema for the mHealth+ group. There was a trend toward improvement in health-related quality of life in both intervention groups at month 3. The mHealth+ group had fewer rehospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: In general, both mHealth groups fared better on symptoms and health care utilization. Small to medium effect sizes on selected symptom outcomes warrant this study to be conducted in a fully powered study. Virtual visits may assist in symptom recognition and self-management.

Experiences of Using a Self-management Mobile App Among Individuals With Heart Failure: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Interventions that focus on the self-management of heart failure are vital to promoting health in patients with heart failure. Mobile health (mHealth) apps are becoming more integrated into practice to promote self-management strategies for chronic diseases, optimize care delivery, and reduce health disparities. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of using a self-management mHealth intervention in individuals with heart failure to inform a future mHealth intervention study. METHODS: This study used a qualitative descriptive design. Participants were enrolled in the intervention groups of a larger parent study using a mobile app related to self-management of heart failure. The purposive, convenient, criterion-based sample for this qualitative analysis comprised 10 patients who responded to phone calls and were willing to be interviewed. Inclusion criteria for the parent study were adults who were hospitalized at Nebraska Medical Center with a primary diagnosis and an episode of acute decompensated heart failure; discharged to home without services such as home health care; had access to a mobile phone; and were able to speak, hear, and understand English. RESULTS: Study participants were middle-aged (mean age 55.8, SD 12 years; range 36-73 years). They had completed a mean of 13.5 (SD 2.2) years (range 11-17 years) of education. Of the 10 participants, 6 (60%) were male. Half of them (5/10, 50%) were New York Heart Association Classification Class III patients and the other half were Class IV patients. The intervention revealed four self-management themes, including (1) I didn't realize, and now I know; (2) It feels good to focus on my health; (3) I am the leader of my health care team; and (4) My health is improving. CONCLUSIONS: Participants who used a self-management mHealth app intervention for heart failure reported an overall positive experience. Their statements were organized into four major themes. The education provided during the study increased self-awareness and promoted self-management of their heart failure. The mHealth app supported patient empowerment, resulting in better heart failure management and improved quality of life. Participants advocated for themselves by becoming the leader of their health, especially when communicating with their health care team. Finally, the mHealth app was used by the participants as a self-management tool to assist in symptom management and improve their overall health. Future research should study symptom evaluation, medication tracking, and possibly serve as a health provider communication platform to empower individuals to be leaders in their chronic disease management.

Intervention Components Targeting Self-Management in Individuals with Multiple Chronic Conditions: An Integrative Review.

Multiple chronic conditions (MCC) are becoming increasingly common and self-management (SM) interventions to address MCC are emerging. Prior reviews have broadly examined SM interventions in MCC; however, interventional components were not thoroughly described. Components of SM interventions that have been delivered to individuals with MCC were identified. A review of CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Embase was completed. This search yielded 13,994 potential studies; 31 studies among those 13,994 studies met inclusion for analysis. The literature is multidisciplinary and describes a wide variety of interventional strategies implementing various combinations of components. A descriptive analysis of the studies' components, application of the components, delivery methods, and primary outcomes demonstrated clear variations between programs. The most common components noted in the 31 studies were education, action planning/goal setting, self-monitoring, and social/peer support. The variation in SM programs limits conclusive evidence for which components are recommended to improve self-management in individuals with MCC.

Health Status and Burden in Caregivers of Patients With Multimorbidity.

Caregivers of patients with multimorbidity are important for improving patient outcomes. This descriptive study examines health status and burden of 22 caregivers of patients with multimorbidity discharged from the hospital who were enrolled in a self-management intervention study. Caregivers did not receive an intervention. Factors that increased caregiver burden were financial issues, caring for others (e.g., family members), and home obligations. Caregivers averaged between 2 and 3 chronic conditions themselves. Perceived caregiver burden remained unchanged over time for the caregiver whether the patient was in the intervention or the usual care group. We recommend rigorous research with larger samples to better understand the caregiver role, needed resources and potential interventions to mitigate caregiver burden in the multimorbid population during and after care transitions. Longitudinal studies that include assessment and interventions for the caregivers of patients with multimorbidity are needed.

Changes in Patient Activation in a Self-Management Intervention.

The purpose of this study was to compare results using individual change in level of patient activation measure (PAM) scores, individual point change scores, and group means in an outcome analysis. We evaluated changes in PAM scores (increase in level or increase of ≥5 points) to mean group PAM scores on patients who completed a self-management intervention compared with usual care on health care utilization and health-related quality of life. The sample was a subset of 91 multimorbid patients with complete data at completion of a self-management intervention. Results indicated that using a change in points allowed for more refined analysis of change compared with level changes; however, both individual measures were more reflective of actual change than group means. When tailoring interventions, we should consider using individual change scores. Further research is needed to evaluate how best to use PAM scores to measure the impact on clinical and health care outcomes.

Cost-Effectiveness of a Care Transition Intervention Among Multimorbid Patients.

The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of four different doses (based on patients' level of cognition and activation) of a home-based care transitions intervention compared with usual care at 2 and 6 months after hospital discharge to home for 126 adult patients with three or more chronic diseases. Health care utilization was measured, and a cost-effectiveness analysis was used to estimate incremental costs and quality-adjusted life-years associated with each intervention arm. At 6 months, results from this pilot study are very promising and support cost-effectiveness for Group 2-low cognition/high activation, Group 3-normal cognition/low activation, and Group 4-normal cognition/high activation patients. However, Group 1-low cognition/low activation needs a more intensive treatment than what was provided in the intervention, because of their low cognition and activation levels. Our intervention strategies provided to the groups would be scalable to a larger patient population and across different facilities.

Correlates of Patient Activation and Acute Care Utilization Among Multimorbid Patients.

Patient activation and self-management have been associated with improved patient outcomes, including decreased re-hospitalization; however, little research has identified factors that predict patient activation in the multimorbid hospitalized patient. This descriptive correlational study included 200 patients with three or more chronic diseases discharged to home post-hospitalization. Standard multiple regression was used to identify correlates of patient activation. Multimorbid patients with lower activation scores had more acute care utilization (re-hospitalization and emergency department visits) 30 days post-discharge than patients with higher activation scores. Predictors of patient activation were health literacy (p = .013), satisfaction with social role (p = .014), and involvement in chronic illness care (p = .001). Care transition programs focusing on health literacy, role satisfaction, and promoting patient-centered care may improve patient outcomes for multimorbid patients.

Psychometric Properties of the Patient Activation Measure in Multimorbid Hospitalized Patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to document the psychometric properties of the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) in hospitalized multimorbid patients. METHODS: Data from 313 patients were used for psychometric testing. RESULTS: Estimated reliability of the PAM was .88; the content validity index was .91. Convergent and divergent validity with measures of physical functioning, depression, quality of care, severity of illness, and number of multimorbid conditions were confirmed. Confirmatory factor analysis did not support a good fit of the 1-factor model. CONCLUSION: The PAM is a reliable and valid instrument to assess patient activation in hospitalized multimorbid patients. Further study is needed to determine what factors predict activation and how activation can assist in tailoring discharge planning.

Symptom management intervention in elderly coronary artery bypass graft patients.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the impact of a symptom management intervention (using a device called the Health Buddy) on recovery outcomes (symptom evaluation and response and postoperative problems) of elderly coronary artery bypass graft patients at time of discharge, at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after surgery, and at 6 months after surgery. While there were no statistically significant differences found for many of the study variables, there were trends in the intervention group of more improvement for many of the outcome variables, supporting the need for a randomized clinical trial.

Impact of a home communication intervention for coronary artery bypass graft patients with ischemic heart failure on self-efficacy, coronary disease risk factor modification, and functioning.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of a home communication intervention (HCI) for ischemic heart failure Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) patients >/= 65 years of age on self-efficacy, coronary artery disease risk factor modification and functioning posthospitalization. DESIGN: A randomized clinical trial with repeated measures was used. SAMPLE: A subsample of ischemic heart failure CABG surgery patients (n = 35) was drawn from the parent study of 180 CABG patients. RESULTS: HCI participants (n = 18) had significantly higher adjusted mean self-efficacy scores [F(1, 29) = 6.40, P <.05] and adjusted mean levels of functioning (physical, general health, mental, and vitality functioning) compared with the routine care group (n = 17), using repeated measures analysis of covariance with baseline scores as covariates. There were also significant effects of time on bodily pain and role emotional functioning. Significantly higher exercise adherence (t = 3.09, P <.01) and lower reported stress (t = 3.77, P <.01) at 3 months after surgery was reported by HCI subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this pilot study can be used to strengthen the HCI intervention with more tailored strategies for vulnerable subgroups of CABG patients.

Development of a self-efficacy instrument for coronary artery bypass graft patients.

Research related to self-efficacy has demonstrated that measures of this concept need to be specific to the behavior of interest. Self-efficacy is the degree of confidence one has to perform an activity. This article describes the development and testing of the Barnason Efficacy Expectation Scale (BEES). The instrument is a 15-item tool that uses a Likert scale to determine the coronary-artery-bypass-graft (CABG) patient's self-efficacy related to the risk-reduction-related aspects of recovery and lifestyle adjustment following CABG surgery (physical functioning, psychosocial functioning, coronary artery disease risk factor modification and self-care management). Internal consistency reliability of the instrument was 0.93, and principal components analysis revealed a single factor (Eigenvalue = 10.59, percent variance = 70.61%). Three phases of tool development are described in the article that document satisfactory reliability and validity (face, content, criterion, and construct).