‘I think my body has become addicted to those tablets’. Chronic heart failure patients’ understanding of and beliefs about their illness and its treatment: A qualitative longitudinal study from Uganda

摘要

BackgroundPatients with heart failure in Uganda present for health care with advanced structural heart disease, have repeated hospitalizations and poorly controlled disease symptoms. The reasons for these are unclear. Literature from other settings shows that patients’ understanding of their illness and their beliefs influence their health related behaviour. The study aimed to explore the beliefs of patients with heart failure, their understanding of their illness and its treatment, and how this influenced their health related behaviour to inform future health education programs, information and palliative care services.