Protocol for a block randomised controlled trial of an intervention to improve heart failure care

Abstract

Aim: To describe the design of a randomised controlled trial conducted to evaluate a culturally tailored, nurse-led educational intervention.

Background: Self-care strategies are critical to improving health outcomes in heart failure. The family unit is crucial in collectivist cultures, but little is known about involving the family in the self-care of patients with heart failure.

Discussion: Involving the family in the self-care of heart failure is a novel approach. To the authors' knowledge, no one has evaluated it using a randomised controlled trial.

Conclusion: A valid comparison of outcomes between the control group and the intervention group involved in the study was provided in this trial. The chosen design, randomised controlled trial, enabled the assessment of the intervention.

Implications for practice: The application of a family self-care intervention in a collectivist culture was shown to improve clinical and quality outcomes of patients with heart failure. Considering the individual and the community needs is vital in improving these outcomes.

Keywords: culture; family; heart failure; nursing; protocol; randomised controlled trial; readmission; trial.