Assessing health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in heart failure patients attending an outpatient clinic - a pragmatic approach
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Gallagher, AM
Lucas, R
Cowie, MR
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Aims
Improving quality of life (QoL) in heart failure patients is a key management objective. Validated health‐related QoL (HR‐QoL) measurement tools have been incorporated into clinical trials but not routinely into daily practice. The aims of this study were to investigate the acceptability and feasibility of implementing validated HR‐QoL instruments into heart failure clinics and to examine the impact of patient characteristics on HR‐QoL.
Methods and results
One hundred and sixty‐three patients attending heart failure clinics at a UK tertiary centre were invited to complete three HR‐QoL assessments: the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ); the EuroQoL 5D‐3L (EQ‐5D‐3L); and the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) in that order. Data on patient demographics, co‐morbidities, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP), renal function, and left ventricular ejection fraction were recorded. 94% of patients attending clinic were willing to participate. The EQ‐5D‐3L had all questions answered by 92% of patients, compared with 86% and 51% for the MLHFQ and KCCQ, respectively. HR‐QoL significantly correlated with NYHA class using each tool (MLHFQ, r = 0.59; KCCQ, r = −0.61; EQ‐5D‐3L, r = −0.44, all P < 0.01). However, within each NYHA class, there was a widespread of HR‐QoL scores. There was no association between patient demographics, left ventricular ejection fraction, plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide, or renal function with HR‐QoL using any tool.
Conclusions
Health‐related QoL assessment by validated questionnaire was acceptable to patients and feasible to perform in routine practice. Although NYHA class correlated significantly with HR‐QoL scores, there was high variability in HR‐QoL within each NYHA class, highlighting its limitation as the sole assessment of HR‐QoL. Clinicians should encourage the assessment of HR‐QoL to facilitate patient‐centred care and make more specific use of HR‐QoL measurement tools.
Improving quality of life (QoL) in heart failure patients is a key management objective. Validated health‐related QoL (HR‐QoL) measurement tools have been incorporated into clinical trials but not routinely into daily practice. The aims of this study were to investigate the acceptability and feasibility of implementing validated HR‐QoL instruments into heart failure clinics and to examine the impact of patient characteristics on HR‐QoL.
Methods and results
One hundred and sixty‐three patients attending heart failure clinics at a UK tertiary centre were invited to complete three HR‐QoL assessments: the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ); the EuroQoL 5D‐3L (EQ‐5D‐3L); and the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) in that order. Data on patient demographics, co‐morbidities, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP), renal function, and left ventricular ejection fraction were recorded. 94% of patients attending clinic were willing to participate. The EQ‐5D‐3L had all questions answered by 92% of patients, compared with 86% and 51% for the MLHFQ and KCCQ, respectively. HR‐QoL significantly correlated with NYHA class using each tool (MLHFQ, r = 0.59; KCCQ, r = −0.61; EQ‐5D‐3L, r = −0.44, all P < 0.01). However, within each NYHA class, there was a widespread of HR‐QoL scores. There was no association between patient demographics, left ventricular ejection fraction, plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide, or renal function with HR‐QoL using any tool.
Conclusions
Health‐related QoL assessment by validated questionnaire was acceptable to patients and feasible to perform in routine practice. Although NYHA class correlated significantly with HR‐QoL scores, there was high variability in HR‐QoL within each NYHA class, highlighting its limitation as the sole assessment of HR‐QoL. Clinicians should encourage the assessment of HR‐QoL to facilitate patient‐centred care and make more specific use of HR‐QoL measurement tools.
Date Issued
2019-02-01
Date Acceptance
2018-08-30
Citation
ESC Heart Failure, 2019, 6 (1), pp.3-9
ISSN
2055-5822
Publisher
Wiley Open Access
Start Page
3
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
ESC Heart Failure
Volume
6
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2018 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Cardiovascular System & Cardiology
Heart failure
Heath-related quality of life (HR-QoL)
New York Heart Association (NYHA) class
Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ)
EuroQoL 5D-3L (EQ-5D-3L)
Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)
TASK-FORCE
QUESTIONNAIRE
VALIDITY
EuroQoL 5D-3L (EQ-5D-3L)
Heart failure
Heath-related quality of life (HR-QoL)
Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)
Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ)
New York Heart Association (NYHA) class
Aged
Ambulatory Care Facilities
Feasibility Studies
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Heart Failure
Humans
Male
Quality of Life
Retrospective Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Ventricular Function, Left
Humans
Retrospective Studies
Follow-Up Studies
Feasibility Studies
Ventricular Function, Left
Quality of Life
Aged
Ambulatory Care Facilities
Female
Male
Heart Failure
Surveys and Questionnaires
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-10-11