ArticleClinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society2023
Symptom burden, psychosocial distress and palliative care needs in heart failure - A cross-sectional explorative pilot study.
Article in Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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10 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Symptom burden and patient characteristics in specialist palliative care: a descriptive analysis.BMC palliative care · 2026Article
- Article
- In-hospital bioimpedance-derived total body water predicts short-term cardiovascular mortality and re-hospitalizations in acute decompensated heart failure patients.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2025Observational
- Study protocol of sustaining home palliative care for patients with Heart Failure (HF) and their family caregivers in rural Appalachia: a mixed methods randomized clinical trial.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- The chain mediating role of social support and yielding coping style between health literacy and symptom burden in patients with chronic heart failure.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2025Article
- Latent profiles of volume management behaviors and their relationship with symptom distress in patients with chronic heart failure.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2025Article
- Perceptions of Palliative Care Among Patients With Kidney Allograft Dysfunction: A Qualitative Study.Kidney medicine · 2024Article
- Family Caregiving of Patients With Heart Failure and Vascular Dementia in Rural Appalachia: A Mixed-Methods Study.Western journal of nursing research · 2024Article
- Using Latent Class Analysis to Identify Different Clinical Profiles Among Patients With Advanced Heart Failure.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2023Article
- Development of a Heart Failure Palliative Care Educational Program for Nurses: A Multi-Method Approach.Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery researchArticle
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12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBeyond guideline-directed treatments aimed at improving cardiac function and prognosis in heart failure (HF), patient-reported outcomes have gained attention. PURPOSE: Using a cross-sectional approach, we assessed symptom burden, psychosocial distress, and potential palliative care (PC) needs in patients with advanced stages of HF.
methodsAt a large tertiary care center, we enrolled HF patients in an exploratory pilot study. Symptom burden and psychosocial distress were assessed using the MIDOS (Minimal Documentation System for Patients in PC) questionnaire and the Distress Thermometer (DT), respectively. The 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) was used to screen for anxiety and depression. To assess PC needs, physicians used the "Palliative Care Screening Tool for HF Patients".
resultsWe included 259 patients, of whom 137 (53%) were enrolled at the Heart Failure Unit (HFU), and 122 (47%) at the outpatient clinic (OC). Mean age was 63 years, 72% were male. New York Heart Association class III or IV symptoms were present in 56%. With a mean 5-year survival 64% (HFU) vs. 69% (OC) calculated by the Seattle Heart Failure Model, estimated prognosis was comparatively good. Symptom burden (MIDOS score 8.0 vs. 5.4, max. 30 points, p < 0.001) and level of distress (DT score 6.0 vs. 4.8, max. 10 points, p < 0.001) were higher in hospitalised patients. Clinically relevant distress was detected in the majority of patients (HFU 76% vs. OC 57%, p = 0.001), and more than one third exhibited at least mild symptoms of depression or anxiety. Screening for PC needs revealed 82% of in- and 52% of outpatients fulfil criteria for specialized palliative support.
conclusionDespite a good prognosis, we found multiple undetected and unaddressed needs in an advanced HF cohort. This study's tools and screening results may help to early explore these needs, to further improve integrated HF care.
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