Fluid status assessment in heart failure patients: pilot validation of the Maastricht Decompensation Questionnaire.

ABSTRACT:

Background

eHealth products have the potential to enhance heart failure (HF) care by identifying at-risk patients. However, existing risk models perform modestly and require extensive data, limiting their practical application in clinical settings. This study aims to address this gap by validating a more suitable risk model for eHealth integration.

Methods

We developed the Maastricht Decompensation Questionnaire (MDQ) based on expert opinion to assess HF patients' fluid status using common signs and symptoms. Subsequently, the MDQ was administered to a cohort of HF outpatients at Maastricht University Medical Centre. Patients with ≥ 10 MDQ points were categorised as 'decompensated', patients with < 10 MDQ points as 'not decompensated'. HF nurses, blinded to MDQ scores, serve

SUBMITTER: Gingele AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11695504 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature