TY - JOUR TI - Illness representations, treatment beliefs, medication adherence and hospital readmission in elderly individuals with chronic heart failure DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3B56GTR PY - 2014 AB - The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among illness representations, treatment beliefs, medication nonadherence, and hospital readmission in elderly individuals with chronic heart failure (HF). Theoretically derived antecedents to hospital readmission included illness identity, illness consequences, illness timeline, illness control, the difference between specific medication necessity and concern beliefs and medication adherence. The sample was comprised of 96 patients, discharged to home from a medical surgical or cardiac telemetry unit between August 2012 and March 2013. Data were collected during telephone surveys and from electronic medical record reviews. Hypotheses were tested using correlational and regression analyses. Significant correlations indicated that the belief that one has little to no personal control over their HF is significantly related to medication adherence, when medication necessity beliefs were stronger than medication concerns. Subjects were highly adherent to their medications, and individuals who did not believe their treatment was effective in controlling their HF were readmitted within 30 days of hospital discharge. In logistic regression analysis, necessity- concern differential remained a significant predictor of medication adherence while personal control was not a significant predictor. This study contributed to the body of knowledge regarding factors related to 30-day hospital readmission in older individuals with chronic heart failure. Additional investigation is needed to further explore these relationships using objective measures of medication adherence and additional dimensions of illness representations, such as emotional factors. KW - Nursing KW - Heart failure KW - Heart--Diseases--Patients KW - Heart--Diseases--Relapse KW - Heart--Diseases--Treatment KW - Older people--Medical care KW - Older people--Diseases--Treatment LA - eng ER -