Management on Quality of Life - Research Paper Example

The symptom management program described in this chapter is designed with the purpose of testing the effectiveness of a comprehensive symptom management program in reducing hospitalizations and improving quality of life for CHF patients with New York Heart Association Class III & IV Heart Failure. Through a combination of telemonitoring and symptom management aiming to prevent acute exacerbation, this symptom management course is hypothesized to improve resources and optimize hospital financial savings with HF patients.

This program relies heavily on physician acceptance and participation, so the researcher recognizes that physician enrollment in this program is critical to its success. Accordingly, as patients are enrolled, appropriate physician groups and associations will also be informed about the symptom management program. These notifications will be a precursor to contacting individuals or groups of physicians who are treating the selected patients. The researcher will use methodologies that have been designed specifically for this pilot project.

The program described herein involves many of the major features described as fundamental for successful HF symptom management programs: care managed by an experienced cardiovascular nurse with access to a cardiologist for consultation; vigilant and frequent follow-up after hospital discharge; optimization of medical therapy (e.g., appropriate drugs in appropriate doses); intensive and comprehensive patient and family education about HF; early attention to signs and symptoms of fluid overload; supplementation of hospital education with outpatient education; and emphasis on addressing barriers to compliance.

Included in the proposal are the methodology, sample procedures, instrumentation, data collection, data analysis processes, and ethical considerations including IRB approval and standard operating procedures needed to sustain or replicate the changes made.