Areas for quality improvements in heart failure care: quality of care from the patient's perspective

BackgroundHeart failure is a serious condition with high mortality and a high symptom burden. Most patients with heart failure will be taken care of in primary care but the knowledge of how the quality of care is perceived by patients with heart failure is limited. ObjectiveThe aim was to explore how patients with heart failure report quality of care, in an outpatient setting. MethodsSeventy-one patients with a confirmed diagnosis of heart failure and who were cared for in an outpatient setting were included in this cross-sectional study. Quality of care was assessed with a short form of the Quality from the Patient's Perspective questionnaire. The items measured four dimensions, and each item consists of both perceived reality of the received care and its subjective importance. ResultsInadequate quality was identified in three out of four dimensions and in items without dimension affiliation. In total, inadequate quality was identified in 19 out of 25 items. Patients reported the highest level of perceived reality in my family member was treated well' and the lowest perceived reality in effective treatment for loss of appetite'. Effective treatment for shortness of breath was of the highest subjective importance for the patients. ConclusionImportant areas for improvement in the quality of care for patients with heart failure in an outpatient setting were identified, such as symptom alleviation, information, participation and access to care.