TABLE 2.

Suggested Topics for Family and Self-care Research in Heart Failure

■	How do both overall family functioning and components of family functioning (ie, problem solving, communication, and adaptability) affect heart failure (HF) self-care and outcomes?
■	How do marital status and marital quality affect self-care and outcomes in HF? How should these factors be addressed in HF care?
■	What family behaviors should be targeted to achieve the largest effect in improving self-care in HF?
■	What aspects of family and caregiver knowledge and skills are most facilitative of patient self-care and improved outcomes in HF?
■	What family and caregiver characteristics (ie, self-efficacy, caregiver burden, and health literacy) are most important to HF self-care outcomes?
■	Does reducing HF caregiver burden have a positive impact on family outcomes and patient self-care in HF?
■	What is the effect of tailoring self-care interventions in HF based on family variables?
■	How can families best be prepared for HF self-care in the context of complex comorbidities such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and others?
■	What is the impact of technology, telemonitoring, and Web-based interventions on family caregiver outcomes?
■	How does culture influence the key family variables that are important in HF self-care? How should HF family self-care interventions be modified based on these variables for different cultural groups?