What does the lay public know about heart failure? Findings from the Heart Failure Awareness Day Initiative

Abstract

Aim & Methods One critical factor enhancing the implementation of successful diagnostic and therapeutic strategies into clinical practice is awareness among the lay public. We describe awareness in a contemporary, multinational convenience sample of subjects attending the Heart Failure Awareness (HFA) Day Initiatives in 2013. Results We analysed 2,438 subjects (Germany 33%, Lithuania 42%, Romania 8%, Slovenia 17%) : 53% were female, 58% were aged >60 years, 11% (had) worked in the medical sector, 82% heard about HF before. Shortness of breath and tiredness were correctly identified as symptoms of heart failure in 71% and 61%, but only 52% recognized swelling of feet and legs as a clinical sign; 31% considered heart failure a normal symptom of old age, and only 38% realized the particularly poor prognosis after a heart failure related hospitalization. Subjects who had heard about heart failure before had a lower prevalence of common misbeliefs about HF. Conclusion In subjects participating in the HFA Day initiative 2013, the level of awareness was unsatisfactory, and important misconceptions remain. The educational and awareness activities for both the population at large and also for decision makers should be broadened and intensified.

Heart failure awareness survey in Germany: general knowledge on heart failure remains poor

“…These results were comparable to earlier studies,2, 4 although the percentage of respondents, who knew all three main symptoms of HF, has strongly increased from only 3% reported for the 912 Germans from the population‐based survey study SHAPE conducted in 20022 to 39% in our study. This huge increase in percentage may also partially stem from a selection bias, as people in the present study can be suspected to be interested in health issues and were picked on a health information event at a university.…”

“…The SHAPE study reported an overall poor HF awareness in Europeans with one-third of respondents believing that HF was a natural consequence of aging. 2,4 Not having asked the exact same question, still one-third of our population thought that people under 50 years were mostly affected by HF. On the other hand, 57% knew this is actually true for people older than 65, and 67% knew that HF is one of the most common diseases in internal medicine.…”

“…Although Störk et al have very recently shown that hearing about HF may lower the ‘prevalence of common misbeliefs’,4 it would seem that greater health literacy does not automatically translate into better perception about the natural course of HF and the associated high mortality risk.…”

“…Heart failure (HF) is the fourth leading cause of death and the most common diagnosis leading to hospitalization in Germany. 1 However, according to representative surveys, although 76-85% of the German population had heard of HF and many were able to identify symptoms of HF when presented separately (50-70%), [2][3][4][5] only about 3% could identify it from a description of typical symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, and swollen ankles) and showed better awareness about other severe diseases such as angina/myocardial infarction and transient ischemic attack/stroke. 2 Furthermore, most respondents thought it had a better prognosis than cancer, and roughly 30% thought it was a natural part of the aging process.…”

Heart failure in patients with coronary heart disease: Prevalence, characteristics and guideline implementation – Results from the German EuroAspire IV cohort

“…The low awareness of previously documented HF, assessed in the context of an interview, in our study sample is in line with the findings of a contemporary, multinational convenience sample of subjects attending the HF Awareness Day Initiatives in 2013 revealing low awareness of HF and its typical signs and symptoms in the lay public as well as important misconceptions regarding the importance and the prognostic implications of HF [45]. The German National Disease Management Guideline “Chronic Heart Failure” [27] as well as the Guideline on HF of the German Society of Primary Care [46] highlight the importance of information about and acceptance of the own disease for therapy adherence.…”