Improved Self-management for Patients on Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)

The number of patients with end-stage heart disease requiring the implantation of ventricular assist devices (VAD) is steadily increasing. Living with a VAD exposes the patients to multiple challenges and the need to learn complex self-management skills. Inadequate self-management can lead to serious complications (e.g. bleeding or wound infections) and impair the psychosocial outcome. This study aims to provide multi-centered actual analysis of self-management capabilities as well as analyzing moderating predictors in VAD patients through standardized prevalence assessment. Using a cross-sectional design, this prevalence study will be conducted at four established German heartcenters (Freiburg, Berlin, Bad Oeynhausen, Leipzig). VAD-patients are questioned about their self-management skills using standardized Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures. Secondary PRO measures include health-related quality of life, symptoms of anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, social support, and changed body-image. Relevant complications (bleeding, wound infections, thromboembolic neurological events) are taken from the patient records. Based on a conservative sample size estimation inclusion of 450 patients is envisioned. The expected results may contribute to an improved assessment of the current situation in terms of self-management skills and needs for curricular training concepts and psychosocial concomitant therapy. Long-term, the study results contribute to improve the health care for long-term VAD patients.