Fatigue in patients with chronic heart failure
Fatigue is a persistent, highly distressing exhaustion that many patients suffer from. We investigate fatigue in the context of chronic heart failure.
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Health Professions
- Institute(s) Academic-Practice-Partnership Insel Gruppe/ BFH
- Strategic thematic field Thematic field "Caring Society"
- Funding organisation BFH
- Duration (planned) 01.09.2023 - 31.07.2024
- Head of project Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Schmitt
- Project staff Gesche Sabrina Gleichner
- Partner Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern
- Keywords fatigue, heart failure, mixed methods
Situation
In Switzerland, around 200,000 people are affected by heart failure and up to 20,000 new cases are added each year. Heart failure often leads to an impairment of the health-related quality of life of those affected, as the associated symptoms can impair the ability to carry out everyday activities. Fatigue in particular has a negative impact on the quality of life of those affected. Fatigue describes a lack of energy and strength that is not alleviated by conventional recovery methods. It represents an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion that leads to a considerable impairment of everyday and professional activities. The corresponding symptoms are also often the main reason for people to seek medical assistance.
Course of action
At the Cardiovascular Centre at Inselspital, fatigue in chronic heart failure is addressed by specialists, but on an individual basis without a standardized process. To be able to optimize clinical processes, it is necessary to understand current practice in more detail. Therefore, an analysis of the current situation was carried out in the inpatient and outpatient areas of the Cardiovascular Center. The extent to which the symptom of fatigue is consciously perceived, addressed and recorded by professionals was examined. In addition, the experiences and needs of those affected were explored. This as-is analysis was conducted as a cross-sectional study in a parallel mixed-methods design.
Result
The results indicate that dealing with the symptom of fatigue in chronic heart failure depends on the individual level of knowledge and awareness of the respective specialist. Of 32 healthcare professionals, 90% stated that they had basic knowledge related to fatigue. The severity of fatigue in patients was mainly assessed as moderately severe, with only a few (6.9%) using an assessment tool. Interviews with those affected showed that fatigue is an omnipresent burden that not only affects their physical well-being, but also their social and cognitive abilities. There was a clear need for specialist information and practical recommendations for action, particularly with regard to energy management in order to find a balance between rest and activity.
