Date of Conferral

2016

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Dr. Marilyn Murphy

Abstract

Congestive heart failure (CHF) affects an estimated 5.1 million Americans over the age of 20. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether there is a difference in the Quality of Life (QOL) for Congestive heart failure patients receiving care through telehealth compared to patients receiving face-to-face care (usual care). Guiding this project was the Self-Care Model of Chronic Illness because the primary outcome of the self-care model is illness stability, well-being, and quality of life. Seventy-seven veterans with Heart Failure (HF) from the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) participated in the project. Forty reported they were receiving telehealth and 37 reported that they were receiving face-to-face care. The average participant age was 67 years with a range of 44 to 93 years. Seventy-five of the participants were male and 2 were female. Sixty-four participants were Black and 12 were White. The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure (MLHF) questionnaire average score for the telehealth group was 49.4 (SD = 28.7) and the face-to-face care group was 37 (SD = 27.9). With equal variance assumed, there was no significant difference between MLHF scores in the telehealth group compared to the usual care group (t = -1.91, p > .05). Thus, opportunities for using telehealth without negatively affecting patient outcomes, such as QOL, are plausible. It can be concluded that providing services using home telehealth for HF patients may produce outcomes that are equivalent to those receiving traditional services.

Download

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

 
COinS