Adherence to heart failure self-care among Hispanic population in a Southern California private cardiology practice

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a syndrome that occurs when the heart muscle becomes weak and loses its ability to pump blood efficiently to the rest of the body. Management of HF includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy.;PURPOSE: Poor adherence to lifestyle modifications is the leading cause of HF exacerbation and hospitalization. The purpose of this quality improvement study was to evaluate the adherence levels to recommended self-care therapy among Hispanics patients with HF and to inquire if cultural practices had an impact on HF self-care in a private Southern California cardiology practice.;PARTICIPANTS: Twenty Hispanic patients with Systolic dysfunction heart failure with NYHA class III-IV and are currently enrolled in the private cardiologist office in San Bernardino.;METHODS: Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, SASH questionnaire and EHFScBS-9 questionnaire. A semi-structured interview was conducted to help give meaning to the adherence level to HF recommended self-care therapies.;FINDINGS: The mean age of participants was 66.93. There were no significant difference between male and female when it comes to acculturation and adherence level. For the qualitative data eight themes emerged. Qualitative data revealed that Hispanic patients were slightly non adherent to HF self-care. Hispanics with HF were less likely to adhere to sodium restriction and prefered Spanish speaking healthcare provider.