N/A N=57 Health Services Research

Teach-Back Discharge Education to Improve Self-Care and Reduce 30-Day Readmissions in Heart Failure Patients

Heart Failure · Heart Failure Hospitalization · Readmission, Hospital

Bottom Line

View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT07280208 ↗

Enrolled (actual)

Serious AEs

0.0%

Results posted

Feb 2026

Primary outcome: Primary: Change in Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviors (EHFScB-9 Total Score) — -17.89 EHFScB-9 total scores on a scale (9-45) — p=< 0.001

Study Design & Population

Study type: Interventional
Phase: N/A
Interventions: Teach-Back Discharge Education (Behavioral)
Age: Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex: All
Sponsor: Nova Southeastern University
Primary completion: Oct 2025

Outcome Measures

Outcome	Result	p-value
PRIMARY Change in Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviors (EHFScB-9 Total Score)	-17.89	< 0.001 sig
SECONDARY Number of Participants With 30-Day Heart Failure Readmission	1	—

Summary

This study aimed to improve how patients with heart failure understand and manage their condition after leaving the hospital. Many heart failure patients are readmitted within 30 days due to confusion about their discharge instructions and difficulty following self-care routines. The study tested whether a structured discharge education session using the "teach-back" method-where patients repeated instructions in their own words-could help improve their knowledge and self-care behaviors. The goal was to reduce hospital readmissions and help patients feel more confident managing their heart failure at home.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Adults aged 18 years and older
Diagnosed with systolic heart failure with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40%
Classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II, III, or IV
Categorized as American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Stage C or D
Currently hospitalized at the project site
Able to read and understand English at an 8th grade reading level
Have access to a smartphone or tablet capable of scanning QR codes and connecting to the internet
Provide voluntary informed consent via the REDCap platform

Exclusion Criteria

Cognitive impairment
Non-English speaking
Unwilling to participate

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07280208). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.