Perceptions of the Intensity of Heart Failure Medications among Hospitalized Older Adults: A Pilot Qualitative Study

Ten patients were enrolled in the study. Six major themes were identified in the perception of challenges of HF medication utilization. The most common themes were experiencing adverse drug effects (80%) and psychological distress (80%), followed by problems in logistics (70%), the burden from the number of medications (70%), impact from patient-doctor relations (70%), and burden from the cost (40%). Conclusions: The results from this pilot study provide preliminary insight into the perceived challenges of HF medication utilization and the distinctive ways the treatment burden is experienced by patients. These results will need validation in larger studies and different patient settings.