The Development and Testing of the Hippocratic Heart Failure Self-Care Scale.

BACKGROUND

The adoption of self-care behaviors among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) is essential for the management of their health condition. However, there is a lack of tools for estimating self-care in CHF patients. We aim to develop and validate the Greek version of the Hippocratic heart failure self-care scale (HHFSCS).

METHODS

The scale includes 22 items which are reviewed by a committee of experts. Individuals indicate the frequency at which they follow each self-behavior on a five-point Likert scale. Adult patients with CHF (n = 250) from a General Hospital in Athens participated in the study from June 2020 to March 2021. Reliability coefficients and an explanatory factor analysis (EFA), using a Varimax rotation and the principal component method, were used to assess the psychometric measurements.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the HHFSCS was 0.807. The exploratory factor analysis identified two domains that accounted for 88.44% of the variance in the scale items; however, each sub-scale could not be used as an independent scale. Finally, the test-retest showed a significant and strong correlation (r = 0.973, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The HHFSCS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing self-behaviors in CHF patients. Health professionals can use it in their clinical practice to improve the management of a patient's health conditions.