The RVH Heart Function Clinic is a nurse practitioner-led program providing comprehensive care for patients with heart failure, focusing on assessment, education, and treatment. While the clinic tracks quantitative metrics such as readmission rates and length of stay, patient and caregiver perspectives on the adequacy of information provided during appointments have not been formally evaluated. Effective communication is essential to improving patient outcomes, self-management, and overall satisfaction.

This study aims to assess whether patients feel they receive clear and useful information,and identify potential gaps in communication, and inform quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient- centered care.

Expected Outcomes & Deliverables:

Objectives:

1. Evaluate patient and caregiver satisfaction with the information shared by nurse practitioners regarding diagnosis, treatment, and disease management.

2. Identify areas where communication can be improved.

3. Gather patient and caregiver recommendations for enhancing the quality of information provided during visits.

The results of this project will inform proposed changes to the way HF education is provided to patients and their caregivers. Findings will be reported to our patient and family advisory committee (PFAC) for co-creation of materials and teaching strategies.

This project will provide students the opportunity to meet with HF patients and families, reduce barriers to participation in qualitative research and quality improvement, and may be exposed to qualitative research methods and reporting, if interested.

Student Involvement:

During their visit to the HFC, NPs will inform patients and their caregivers about the upcoming survey that will assess their satisfaction with the information shared during the visit. NPs will notify them that a summer research student will approach them before their follow-up appointment to administer the survey.

The student will meet the patient and caregiver outside the clinic door, offering the opportunity to participate in the study. The student will provide a written informed consent form for review and ensure that there is time for any questions or clarifications. Verbal consent will be obtained by the student before administering the survey.

The student will then present the survey, which will be a written paper version on a clipboard with a pen, to the patient and caregiver. They will be directed to a quiet area of the waiting room to complete the survey. If assistance is needed to fill out the responses, the summer student can provide help.

Once the survey is completed, the student will collect the paper surveys and store them securely. At the end of each day, the student will scan the completed surveys as a package and upload them to a password-protected,

dual-authenticated cloud folder for storage. Once uploaded, the paper surveys will be shredded. The data will be transcribed into REDCap for analysis.

Resources Required (if any):

Meeting IPAC and immunization requirements to interact with patients and families on-site at the RVH and Innisfil

(Rizzardo) HF Clinic sites.

Additional Comments:

This project is seeking REB approval for future publication.

Support Offered

- Weekly to biweekly meetings with student.

- Mentorship according to learners’ goals and interests.

- Shadow opportunities in our HF Clinic and related cardiac services (e.g. cardiac rehab, echocardiography, pharmacy).