The Effect of a Family-Centered Care Intervention Model on the Health Literacy of Family Caregivers of Heart Failure Patients.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is considered a chronic and debilitating condition that, in addition to imposing heavy costs on the individual and society, creates many problems and has numerous consequences for patients and their families. Caregivers face challenges in patient control and care due to insufficient awareness and knowledge. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of the family-centered care (FCC) intervention model on health literacy in family caregivers of HF patients. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental, two-group study with a pretest-posttest design was carried out on 100 people assigned to the experimental and control groups. The study population included caregivers of HF patients admitted to the medical teaching centers of Shahrekord, Iran, in 2022. Data were collected using the Health Literacy for Iranian Adults scale. Data analysis also carried out using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mean health literacy scores were not significantly different between the intervention and control groups before the intervention. However, the mean health literacy score and its dimensions were significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group (t = 30.12, degrees of freedom = 98, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The FCC program, as a simple, practical, and efficient program, can reduce the challenges of family caregivers and support them more by improving their level of health literacy.