Description |
When HF is inadequately managed, it can lead to worse health outcomes for patients and increased costs due to associated comorbidities and hospital readmissions (Buja et al., 2016; Kwok et al., 2020; Lahewala et al., 2019). Frequent hospital admissions can significantly disrupt the lives of HF patients and their families ( Buja et al., 2016). Restricting fluid is one method to help manage HF, but it can still be difficult for patients to adhere to, even with in-depth education and behavioral strategies (Reilly et al., 2015; Woods et al., 2018). This problem can be evaluated using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) of Health as a framework. This model looks at how the health of an individual can be impacted byinterpersonal factors (knowledge, skill, motivation, perceptions), social factors (social support, social-cultural norms, networks), and organizational or community influences (Knickman & Elbel, 2018; McCloskey et al., 2015). A patient's ability to manage a complex disease like heart failure and adhere to medical advice that prevents readmission is a multifaceted issue that can be CHF FLUID RESTRICTION EDUCATION4 influenced by many social determinants of health including age, ethnicity, social support, and education level (Buja et al., 2016; Reilly et al., 2015). Using this approach, health professionals, researchers, and community leaders can assess what is contributing to poor health at each of those levels and decide what meaningful action to take (McCloskey et al., 2015). |