Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Problem/Project Report

Degree Type

DNP

College

School of Nursing

Department

Anesthesiology

Committee Chair

Katherine Atassi

Committee Member

Laurel Miner

Committee Member

Laura Doxakis

Abstract

Video-Based Heart Failure Education: A Feasibility Study

Avery Pivont

Background:  Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization in the U.S., contributing to high readmission rates and significant healthcare costs. Many of these readmissions are preventable and often stem from inadequate patient education. Effective patient education is a critical component of HF management; however, many healthcare facilities lack specialized HF nurse educators, resulting in inconsistent patient education.

Problem Statement: A quality improvement team at a large academic hospital identified increased heart failure (HF) readmission rates across an entire health system, largely attributed to inconsistent discharge education and limited availability of qualified HF nurse educators.

Literature Review to Support Planned Intervention: A review of articles from CINAHL and PubMed highlighted studies using HF video-based education (VE), alone or in conjunction with verbal teaching and patient handouts, which consistently improved patient knowledge and demonstrated the potential to reduce hospital readmissions.

Project Aim: The aim of this quality improvement project was to assess the feasibility of integrating VE into the inpatient HF education workflow to support nurse educators, improve patient knowledge, and potentially reduce hospital readmission rates.

Methods: The project employed the PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) framework. Practice Change: The practice change involved incorporating standardized HF educational videos into routine nurse-led HF education sessions using iPads and the Emmi® educational platform available through UpToDate.

Plan for Implementation: HF patients completed the Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test (AHFKT) before and after the educational intervention. HF nurse educators completed feasibility surveys following implementation. Thirty-day HF readmission rates were tracked through the electronic medical record and compared with baseline facility data.

Evaluation: Thirty HF patients participated, with 27 completing both pre- and post-intervention knowledge assessments. Findings demonstrated a marginally statistically significant improvement in patient knowledge following the intervention. Nurse educators reported that VE was feasible, accessible, and supportive of workflow integration. Readmission rates among project participants were lower than baseline rates. Overall, VE demonstrated potential as a feasible and scalable strategy for standardized HF patient education across healthcare facilities lacking dedicated HF educators.

Keywords: heart failure, video patient education, self-care, health literacy

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