Table 4.
Comparison of heart failure participants’ self-care behavior at hospital discharge and 30 days later at the outpatient clinic as assessed with the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale (European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale-9 comprises 9 items scored on a Likert scale of 1-5, with a higher score indicating better adherence to the given behavior; N=10).
| Behavior | Discharge, median (IQR) | 30 days, median (IQR) | P value |
| I weigh myself every day | 4.5 (1.8-5) | 5 (4.8-5) | .04 |
| If my shortness of breath increases, I contact my doctor/nurse | 2.5 (1-5) | 5 (3-5) | .07 |
| If my feet/legs become swollen, I contact my doctor/nurse | 3.5 (1-5) | 5 (3.8-5) | .08 |
| If I gain 2 kg in 1 week, I contact my doctor/nurse | 2.5 (1- 4.3) | 4.5 (2.8-5) | .14 |
| I limit the amount of fluids I drink (<1.5 to 2 L per day) | 3.5 (2-5) | 4.5 (4-5) | .06 |
| If I experience increased fatigue, I contact my doctor/nurse | 2.5 (1.8-3.3) | 5 (1.8-5) | .07 |
| I eat a low-salt diet | 3.5 (2-5) | 5 (4-5) | .03 |
| I take my medication as prescribed | 5 (4.8-5) | 5 (5-5) | .18 |
| I exercise regularly | 2 (1-3) | 3.5 (2-5) | .01 |
| European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale, 9 items, total standardized scorea | 56 (22-75) | 81 (72-98) | .007 |
| Consulting behavior | 55 (38-79) | 88 (58-100) | .049 |
aStandardized or summed scores on the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale, 9 items, ranged from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better self-care behavior.