Consequences of chronic heart failure on the persons social dimension

Type of funding sources: None.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a progressive and disabling illness that affects daily life. Decreased opportunities to participate in social life are among the most common aspects experienced by these patients, leading to reduced social interaction, loneliness, social isolation, and lack of social support to continue their activities of daily living. These experiences, in turn, have significant consequences for the health of patients with CHF, increasing the risk of comorbidities and complications.

This study aimed to identify the consequences of the altered social dimension on the health of those with CHF.

A scoping review was carried out according to the method proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. The search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from January 2010 to November 2021. The following main steps were carried out: (1) the research question was formulated; (2) the most relevant studies were identified; (3) the studies were selected; (4) the data were analysed; and (5) the results were integrated and synthesised. The selection criteria can be found in Table 1.

Ten articles met the selection criteria. Alterations in the social dimension of patients with CHF were identified as influencing several of their health outcomes. In particular, higher rates of depression, higher risk of readmission and death, more visits to the emergency department and outpatient specialist appointments were identified. Along with this, influences on self-care behaviors and treatment adherence were reported.

This study has shown the relevance of deepening the knowledge of each patient with CHF, giving greater importance to assessing their social dimension. This will help detect patients at greater risk of complications due to a lower perception of social support, a more significant perception of social isolation, or a poorer social network.