Objective: To explore the effects of the awareness of illness on the quality of life and re-hospitalization rate of elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods: Elderly patients with CHF receiving standard medical therapy were randomized into 2 groups:(1) experimental group, routine care plus perception intervention (n=87). (2)control group, routine care (n=82). 12 month pre-intervention and post-intervention, questionnaire for illness awareness was finished, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) was used to evaluate the quality of life. Re-hospitalization rate was also investigated 12 months post-intervention. Results: (1) The patients in experimental group displayed improved illness arareness compared with that of control group (P<0.05). (2) MLHFQ quality of life score was higher and readmission rate was reduced in the experimental group than those in the control group (53.9±14.7 vs 47.2±10.1, 19.54% vs 37.80%, P<0.05). Conclusion: Care for illness awareness can improve patients' awareness and the quality of life in elderly patients with chronic heart failure, reduce readmission rate, thus improving the prognosis of heart failure. |