DOI: 10.5176/2251-3833_GHC17.25
Authors: Keung sum
Abstract: Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major and escalating public health problem that affects millions of people in both developed and industrialized countries. HF is a major disease among older people and is becoming more prevalent, particularly in aging societies such as Hong Kong. HF affects patients’ functional capacity that lead to considerable emotional distress and low quality of life. The psychological impact of heart failure contributes to patients’ feelings of poor self-esteem, powerlessness, hopelessness, pessimism, depression and despair. Instilling hope to HF patients was found to be effective in managing their psychological distress and promoting their QOL. Exploring the meaning of hope in Hong Kong Chinese HF patients could add or extend the body of knowledge of the meaning of hope from different cultural perspectives. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the meaning of hope from the perspectives of Chinese patients with heart failure in Hong Kong. Method: A qualitative approach was employed to explore the meaning of hope among patients with HF using in-depth interviews. Content analysis was used to extract significant themes and sub-themes. Results: The qualitative findings indicated that Chinese patients’ meaning of hope included a sense of normalcy, reconciling with having heart failure, a sense of control and cultural belief and practice. Conclusion: The qualitative study explained the meaning of hope from the perspectives of the Chinese patients with heart failure. It provided essential information for developing a tailor-made hope-inspiring intervention for improving the quality of life among patients with HF appropriate for the local context.
Keywords: Chinese, Hope, Congestive heart failure, Qualitative research.
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