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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• self-care
• self-management
• heart failure
• validation
• scale development