LAUSR

Introduction Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantations are increasing across the country as a treatment modality for patients with end-stage heart failure. With the increasing prevalence of patients with these devices, there is an urgent need for improved education addressing lifestyle considerations and concerns. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of various concerns among patients with an LVAD and evaluate the effect of a short educational video intervention on reducing those concerns in a single-center adult LVAD population. Hypothesis We hypothesize that through the implementation of a short, educational video focused on specific device-related concerns, patients will report lower levels of these device-related concerns. Methods A 15-point LVAD Concerns Scale was created to evaluate the prevalence of specific device-related concerns. An educational video was created to address the concerns presented in the LVAD Concerns Scale. Data collection took place from November 2018 to February 2019. A cross-sectional, pre-test post-test study design was used to both identify various device-related concerns that exist among patients with an LVAD and examine the effectiveness of an educational intervention on reducing patients’ device-related concerns. Results Of the available patients with an LVAD who met inclusion criteria, 30 were enrolled to participate. The highest concerns were related to the LVAD abruptly malfunctioning, being a burden to their partner or family, and having no warning the device may malfunction. The average total score pre-video was 22 ± 14, and post-video the mean total score was 17 ± 13 (p-value = 0.002). Six individual questions saw statistically significant reductions in scores post-video. Conclusions Implementation of an educational intervention tailored to address patients’ specific LVAD related concerns resulted in a statistically significant decrease in those concerns. With the disparity between the number of patients awaiting heart transplantation and the number of available donor hearts, LVADs are being used with increased frequency to treat advanced heart failure. Use of the educational intervention we developed may improve important patient outcomes.