Exploring partners' perspectives on participation in heart failure home-care - a mixed method design

• Introduction: Previous research has shown that partners and other family members are involved in the care for patients with heart failure, and have an important role regarding outcomes in chronic illness. This involvement included support, both emotionally and practically, and partners often contributed to self-care activities. Partners quality of life may be negatively affected when caring for a person with heart failure, and worse mental health have also been reported. Partners have described both positive and negative experiences of involvement in care, but there is a lack of knowledge of how partners of patients with heart failure view participation in care when the patients receive home-care.Purpose: The aim of this study was to gain a broader understanding of the partners’ perspectives on participation in the care for patients with heart failure receiving structured home-care.Methods: A convergent parallel mixed method design was applied with data from interviews analysed with qualitative content analysis, and questionnaires statistically analysed (n=15). Initially results were analysed separately and thereafter merged in a final interpretation with regard to whether they were comparable and convergent, expanded the understanding, or were inconsistent.Results: Partners scored that they were satisfied with most aspects of participation, information and contact. Qualitative findings revealed four different aspects of participation; adapting to the caring needs and illness trajectory, coping with caregiving demands, interacting with health care providers, and need for knowledge to comprehend the situation. Combining the two datasets showed both confirmatory results that were convergent and also gave expanded knowledge that broaden the understanding of partner participation in this context.Conclusions: The results revealed different levels of partner participation, with most partners being satisfied with their participation in care, but some partners expressed a fear of demands to come in the future. Heart failure home-care included good opportunities for both participation and contact during home visits, necessary to meet partners’ ongoing need for information to comprehend the situation.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

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