Survey On The Quality Of Life And Health Needs Of Elderly HF Patients In Rural Inner Mongolia

Objectives:(1)To look into the quality of life of rural heart failure patients aged ≥60years in a banner county in the eastern region of Inner Mongolia;(2)To investigate the health-related needs of rural heart failure patients aged ≥60 years,such as health record management,online expert physician consultation service,medication,diet and exercise guidance,regular physical examination,and home contracted physician and nurse home visit services,in order to establish a frame of reference for further improving and perfecting the medical service system for elderly heart failure patients in rural areas.Methods : In this study,a questionnaire was used to inform the purpose and significance of the study,to obtain cooperation,and to investigate quality of life and health needs using a questionnaire for a sample of chronic heart failure patients aged≥60 years who were permanent residents of a rural area in a banner county in 2022.The survey instruments were a basic information questionnaire,the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire,and a self-administered health-related demands of the aged questionnaire.The data from the surveys were compiled by the investigators on paper and electronic versions of the questionnaires,a template database was built,and the data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 software.Results:1.The survey issued a total of 100 paper questionnaires,86 were collected,79 valid questionnaires,and 358 electronic questionnaires were collected.The number of elderly patients with heart failure in this inquiry was 437,with a mean score of48.68±18.28 on the Quality of Life Scale.The patients’ quality of life differed according to gender,marital status,age,dietary habits,etiology of heart failure,family relationships,NYHA classification,and number of hospitalizations,and was statistically significant(P<0.05).The one-way results showed that the factors associated with the poor perception of quality of subsistence in elderly patients with chronic heart failure were gender,marital status,age,dietary habits,annual household income,etiology of heart failure,NYHA classification,and number of hospitalizations per year.In a multivariate analysis,its results showed that age(70-79 years),education(elementary school),and number of hospitalizations(2 or more)were factors contributing to the quality of viability of elderly chronically heart failure patients.2.The survey showed that the health-related needs of rural heart failure patients over 60 years of age were mainly medication,diet and exercise guidance,health record management,regular physical examination,online expert physician consultation services,and accompanying services.Their proportions were 249 cases(56.98%),100cases(22.88%),97 cases(22.2%),95 cases(21.74%),and 88 cases(20.14%),in that order.3.The differences in demand for health record management,online expert consultation,companion services,regular medical checkups,family doctor,daily caregiver care guidance,psycho-spiritual guidance and emergency call system were statistically significant among different age groups(P values <0.005);patients with different annual per capita household income had statistically significant differences in the needs of health record management,accompanying services,regular physical checkups,family doctor,daily caregiver care guidance,psycho-psychological guidance and emergency call system(P values <0.005);patients with different classifications of cardiac function had statistically significant differences in their needs for health record management,online expert consultation,medication,dietary and exercise guidance,regular physical examinations,family physician,daily caregiver care guidance,psychiatric psychological guidance,and emergency call system(P values<0.005);There were significantly and statistically important differences in the needs of patients with different quality of life in terms of the need for health record management,medication,dietary and exercise guidance,and psycho-psychological support(P values<0.005).Conclusions:1.Age,education,and number of hospitalizations have an impact on the QOL of rural aged person with heart failure.2.The quality of life of patients differed by gender,marital status,age,dietary habits,heart failure etiology,family relationships,NYHA classification,and number of hospitalizations.3.The senior chronic heart failure patient health needs vary by age,income,NYHA classification,and quality of life.4.The health-related needs of chronic heart failure patients aged 60 and above in rural areas of Koyuzian Banner,Xing’an League,Inner Mongolia,are dominated by medication,diet and exercise guidance,health record management,regular medical checkups,online expert physician consultation services,and accompanying medical services.