(P183) THE EFFECT OF AN INFOGRAPHIC COUNSELLING AID ON PATIENT TREATMENT SATISFACTION AND UNDERSTANDING IN HEART FAILURE WITH REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE-ARM BEFORE-AND-AFTER STUDY

Background: Pharmacotherapy for heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) reduces hospitalizations and mortality. Patients’ understanding and satisfaction of HFrEF pharmacotherapy remains variable, yet is critical for self-care and informed decision-making. Infographic counselling aids are effective tools for improving knowledge translation and may improve patient understanding of medication risks and benefits.

METHODS AND RESULTS: This prospective, single-centre, single-arm before-and-after study included patients with HFrEF on their initial visit to a multidisciplinary HF clinic (December 2022- February 2023). We developed an evidence-informed infographic describing HFrEF pharmacotherapy risks and benefits to be used as a counselling aid by a clinical pharmacist in adult patients with HFrEF for whom quadruple therapy per the Canadian Cardiovascular Society HF guidelines was intended. Questionnaires were administered pre- and 1-month post infographic counselling. The primary outcome was change in the Treatment Satisfaction with Medicines Questionnaire (SATMED-Q) score, while secondary outcomes were change in Treatment Knowledge Questionnaire scores and qualitative feedback on the infographic. Comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We included 20 patients (median 65 years, 70% class New York Heart Association class II). Median SATMED-Q did not change from baseline to 1 month (61.5 to 56, p=0.13), but median knowledge score improved (from 4 to 6, p=0.003).

Conclusion: The infographic counselling aid did not change patient treatment satisfaction, but resulted in a significant improvement in patients’ knowledge of their HFrEF pharmacotherapy regimen. This tool represents an effective, low-burden knowledge translation tool.