Trajectory of health-related quality of life during and after hospitalisation due to worsening of heart failure

• Published in: Quality of Life Research
• Main Author: Kuan W.C.; Lim K.K.; Chee K.H.; Kasim S.; Dujaili J.A.; Lee K.K.-C.; Teoh S.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85208023786&doi=10.1007%2fs11136-024-03818-6&partnerID=40&md5=19b4aab5454b37c06ab54184a7e0d396

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the trajectory in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during and after hospitalisation for worsening of heart failure (HF) in Malaysia. Methods: 200 patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) admitted into two hospitals in Malaysia due to worsening of HF were surveyed using the EQ-5D-5 L questionnaire. The primary outcomes were utility values at admission, discharge and 1-month post-discharge (1MPD). Secondary outcomes included the visual analogue scores (VAS) and the proportion of patients reporting each EQ-5D-5 L dimension levels. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation, and generalised linear mixed models were fitted. Results: At admission, the unadjusted mean utility values and VAS scores for HFrEF patients in Malaysia were as low as 0.150 ± 0.393 and 38.2 ± 20.8, respectively. After a median hospital stay of 4 days, there was a significant improvement in utility values and VAS scores by 0.510 (95% CI: 0.455–0.564) and 28.8 (95% CI: 25.5–32.1), respectively. The utility value and VAS score at 1-month post-discharge were not significantly different from discharge. The proportion of HFrEF patients reporting problems and severe problems in mobility, self-care, usual activities, and anxiety/depression, pain/discomfort reduced at varying degree from admission to discharge and 1MPD. Conclusion: HF is a progressive condition with substantial variation in HRQoL during the disease trajectory. During hospitalisation due to worsening of HF, HFrEF population has unfavourable HRQoL. Rapid and significant HRQoL improvement was observed at discharge, which sustained over one month. The study findings can inform future cost-effectiveness analyses and policies. © The Author(s) 2024.