Effects of web-based training and telephone follow-up on symptom management and quality of life in patients with heart failure

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of web-based education and telephone follow-up on symptom management and quality of life in patients with heart failure. Method: This study was conducted with the participation of 32 intervention and 32 control, a total of 64 patients who have heart failure, in Akdeniz University Hospital Cardiology Clinic, between April 2018 and July 2019. Data were collected using the Patient Information Form, Left Ventricular Dysfunction Scale and Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Heart Failure, Website Analysis and Measurement Inventory. Patients in the intervention group were given web-based education and were followed up by telephone at the first, fourth, eighth and 12th weeks after discharge. The scale data were collected before the patient was discharged from hospital and at the third month of discharge. Results: A statistically significant correlation was found between the mean symptom burden scores of the intervention and control groups at the third month after discharge (p<0.05). When the life quality of the patients was examined, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the patients in the intervention and control groups (p<0.05), and the life quality increased as the symptom burden decreased. Waist circumference, systolic blood pressure was found to be statistically significant difference between groups in terms of re-hospitalization variables (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, it was concluded that web-based education and telephone monitoring improved the quality of life of the patients, reduced symptom burden and repeated hospitalizations, and positively affected waist circumference and systolic blood pressure. In this respect, web-based education and telephone monitoring can be used as an appropriate method in post-discharge follow-up of patients with heart failure. Key words: nursing, heart failure, web-based education ve telephone follow-up, symptom assessment, quality of life