Creation of standardized tools for therapeutic education specifically dedicated to chronic heart failure patients:: The French I-CARE project

Aim: To develop educational programs in chronic heart failure (CHF), creation of standardized tools for therapeutic education specifically dedicated to CHF patients was performed as a part of the French I-CARE project. Methods and results: A working group was constituted of cardiologists, nurses and dieticians, specialized in both therapeutic education and CHF. The personal patient's document consisted of a ring binder with dividers containing index cards for 5 units. The unit "Educational diagnosis" comprised a guide for the user and an auto-questionnaire for the patient. The unit "Knowledge of the disease" comprised a whiteboard for explaining cardiovascular physiology, a 3D-model of heart, and a glossary. The unit "Diet control" was composed of posters, a food-card game with a game mat figuring the different meals of a day, a low-salt recipe book, and I-g salt spoons. The unit "Physical activity and daily life" comprised recommendations for physical activity and questionable real-life situations, and a card game for evaluation. The unit "Medical treatment" consisted of index cards for different cardiovascular drugs. Conclusion: These educational tools should help multidisciplinary teams to develop therapeutic education dedicated to CHF in order to improve self-management, morbidity and quality of life in CHF patients. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.