Table 1. Activities involving the study groups.

Stages	Groups	Groups	Description
Stages	Intervention	Control	Description
1	Enrollment	Enrollment	During the first month of the research, the informed consent is signed and sociodemographic and clinical data are collected.
2	Measuring of self-care behaviors	Measuring of self-care behaviors	For all patients, baseline self-care behaviors were measured upon enrollment. In the intervention group, the second measurement happened before the start of the second educational meeting (8th month) and, in the control group, before the only meeting (9th month).
3	Home visit	No	Home visits take place in months 1 and 8, during which the patient’s basic social conditions for health care are evaluated. The family and patient receive indications from the nurse to improve self-care.
4	Telenursing	No	In months 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 self-care was evaluated by phone, using a guide to monitor the nursing plan recommended during the previous contact.
5	Educational meeting at the start of the research	No	This took place during the first month. Patients and their families share experiences and knowledge about what heart failure is, care for the disease, importance of physical exercise, and stress management techniques. A workshop on healthy cooking is offered afterwards.
6	Educational meeting at the end of the research	Educational meeting at the end of the research	This took place in month 8 in the intervention group, returning to the self-care behavior aspects observed during telenursing that caused most difficulties; before the educative activity, self-care behaviors are measured. In the control group, this activity took place in month 9, involving the same activities as during the first educational meeting with intervention group patients.
7	Distribution of educational brochure during the first educational meeting	Distribution of educational brochure at the end of the research	The brochure didactically describes how to plan activities to avoid fatigue, general aspects like diet, and alarm signs of Heart Failure Decompensation, when to ask for help, adaptation to the therapeutic regime, weight control and ingested and eliminated fluid. In addition, the brochure contains a contract for patients to sign to take care of themselves. This brochure also contains tables to control weight, ingested and eliminated fluids, and medication administration.