Everyday life activities in patients with heart failure

Abstract Background People with heart failure (HF) may experience symptoms such as shortness of breath or fatigue leading to avoiding physically demanding activities and becoming sedentary. Engaging in everyday life activities significantly enhances the quality of life and promote physical and emotional well-being. Yet little is known about the performance of everyday life activities in patients with HF. Purpose The aim is to identify important everyday life activities for patients with HF and assess ability to perform the activity and satisfaction with the performance Method This is a cross-sectional study on the baseline data in the "Heart eXg-study," an ongoing randomized controlled trial. Performance of everyday life activities was assessed with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). In COPM activities perceived important to perform are identified and the ability to perform and satisfaction with performance are self-assessed. The ratings are made on a ten-point scale, from one "=not able to do/not satisfied at all" to ten "= able to do it extremely well/extremely satisfied". To describe the patient group, demographic data was extracted from the medical file (age, gender, NYHA-class), mobility was measured with the Times Up and Go (TUG) test, and frailty was assessed with the Clinical Frailty scale. Results In total, 24 patients were included, 67% male (n=16), mean age 78±9, 56% NYHA II, 44% NYHA III/IV. In total 19% of the patients were considered fit or managing well, 46% were living with very mild to mild frailty and 4% were living with moderate frailty. The mean distance on the 6-minute walk test was 338±100 meters and 32% (n=8) of the patients had impaired mobility (>12 seconds in TUG). Walking was a key activity that participants wished to improve. They expressed a desire to walk their dogs, walk longer without experiencing shortness of breath. Social activities for example playing with grandchildren, maintaining contact with friends, dancing and participating in volunteer activities were perceived important. Household chores, such as preparing food, cleaning kitchen cabinets, vacuuming, cleaning the car, and gardening, were also significant. Most patients felt not able to perform these activities (66% scored <6), and 88% were dissatisfied with their performance of everyday life activities (scored <6). Conclusion Patients with HF in this study have challenges in performing activities such as walking, household chores, and social interactions, leading to a high level of dissatisfaction with their performance. The results highlight the need for multidisciplinary interventions to enhance the functional abilities and satisfaction of HF patients in their daily lives. By focusing on the specific activities that patients find important and challenging, healthcare providers can develop more personalized and effective rehabilitation programs. The role of an occupational therapist in the HF team should be further explored

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