Perspectives of patients, caregivers and health care practitioners on heart failure management: a narrative review with lessons for Ghana

Aba A. Folson, Florence Koryo Akumiah

Abstract

Heart failure is a worldwide pandemic that has seen major advancements in pharmacotherapeutic and device care therapies over the past decade contributing significantly to holistic, evidence-based care. The perspectives of patients with heart failure, their caregivers and healthcare practitioners on current heart failure management, remain unexplored in Africa. These perspectives, where studied, have provided invaluable information on communication, readmission, decision-making in heart failure, mental and psychosocial stress and cost implications of optimal heart failure care. It is believed that lessons from what has been documented may serve as a guide for further studies in this area in Ghana and Africa. This literature review highlights other aspects of heart failure management relevant to patients, their caregivers and healthcare practitioners and which need to be further studied in our setting, guiding evidence-based but population-specific heart failure care.