Table 2.
Participant Characteristics
| Patients (n=33) | Informal caregivers (n=19a) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age, median [IQR], years | 64 [51, 77] | 59 [51, 74] |
| Women, n (%) | 10 (30.3) | 18 (94.7) |
| Race, n (%)b | ||
| Black | 7 (21.2) | |
| White | 17 (51.2) | |
| Other | 8 (24.2) | |
| Comorbid conditions, n (%) | ||
| Hypertension | 22 (66.7) | |
| Diabetes | 14 (42.4) | |
| Atrial fibrillation | 20 (60.6) | |
| Stroke | 4 (12.1) | |
| COPD | 11 (33.3) | |
| NYHA class, n (%) | ||
| II | 11 (33.3) | |
| III | 13 (39.4) | |
| III | 4 (12.1) | |
| Ejection fraction, median [IQR] | 31.0 [23.0, 42.5] | |
| BNP, median [IQR], pg/mL, n=32 | 354 [117, 525] | |
| Ischemic etiology, n (%) | 13 (39.4) | |
| Time since diagnosis, median [IQR], n=25 | 5 [3, 13] | |
| Health status, median [IQR], n=29c | 54.2 [43.8, 69.3] | |
| Current therapies, n (%) | ||
| Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator | 16 (48.5) | |
| Biventricular pacemaker | 9 (27.3) | |
| Ventricular assist device | 1 (3.0) | |
| ACE inhibitor or ARB | 28 (84.9) | |
| Beta-blocker | 24 (72.3) | |
| Loop diuretic | 28 (84.9) | |
| Antidepressant | 14 (42.4) | |
| Opioid | 7 (21.2) | |
| Relationship to patient, n (%) | ||
| Wife or partner | 9 (47.4) | |
| Daughter | 6 (31.6) | |
| Other (relative, ex-spouse, son) | 4 (21.1) | |
| Lives in the same household, n (%) | 12 (63.2) | |
| Hours per week caring for patient, n (%)d | ||
| <1 | 2 (11.1) | |
| 1–5 | 4 (22.2) | |
| 6–8 | 3 (16.7) | |
| >8 | 9 (50.0) | |
| Attend medical appointments with patient, n (%) | ||
| Occasionally | 6 (31.6) | |
| Often | 5 (26.3) | |
| Almost all of the time | 8 (42.1) | |
a
20 completed interviews; 19 completed surveys.
b
A patient could select more than one racial/ethnic category.
c
Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, scale range 0–100.
d
N responding=18.
IQR, interquartile range; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; NYHA, New York Heart Association functional class; BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker.