Work

Structured Teach-Back Discharge Education and Heart Failure Self-Care

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Heart failure readmissions remain high, often driven by poor understanding of discharge instructions and suboptimal self-care behaviors. PROJECT RATIONALE: Inconsistent discharge communication, limited patient understanding of discharge instructions, and suboptimal self-care behaviors were identified as key contributors to heart failure readmissions. PROJECT SUMMARY: A quasi-experimental pre-post quality improvement project assessed the implementation of structured teach-back discharge education in 57 hospitalized patients with heart failure. Self-care behaviors were measured using the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale-9 scale. Improvements were observed across all self-care behaviors (P < 0.001), with large effect sizes (Hedges' g = 2.16). At 30 days, 1 of 57 patients (1.8%) was readmitted. TAKE-HOME MESSAGE: Structured teach-back discharge education is a simple, scalable strategy that may improve patient understanding of discharge instructions, strengthen heart failure self-care behaviors, and support safer transitions of care.

Source: JACC Case Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2026.109234

Author: Sara E. Bierschenk

Institution: John F. Kennedy Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Heart Failure Treatment and Management

Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $850