PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Madeline R Sterling AU - Ariel F Silva AU - Laura Robbins AU - Savira K Dargar AU - Marilyn M Schapira AU - Monika M Safford TI - Let’s talk numbers: a qualitative study of community-dwelling US adults to understand the role of numeracy in the management of heart failure AID - 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023073 DP - 2018 Sep 01 TA - BMJ Open PG - e023073 VI - 8 IP - 9 4099 - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/9/e023073.short 4100 - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/9/e023073.full SO - BMJ Open2018 Sep 01; 8 AB - Objective To examine the perspectives of adults with heart failure (HF) about numerical concepts integral to HF self-care.Setting This qualitative study took place at an urban academic primary care practice.Participants Thirty men and women aged 47–89 years with a history of HF were recruited to participate. Eligibility criteria included: a history of HF (≥1 year), seen at the clinic within the last year, and a HF hospitalisation within the last 6 months. Non-English speakers and those with severe cognitive impairment were excluded.Methods In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted. Participants were interviewed about numeracy across three domains of HF self-care: (1) monitoring weight,(2) maintaining a diet low in salt and (3) monitoring blood pressure. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using grounded theory and word cloud techniques.Results Five key themes reflecting participants’ attitudes towards numerical concepts pertaining to weight, diet and blood pressure were identified: (1) Communication between healthcare providers and patients is a complex, multistage process; (2) Patients possess a wide range of knowledge and understanding; (3) Social and caregiver support is critical for the application of numerical concepts; (4) Prior health experiences shape outlook towards numerical concepts and instructions and (5) Fear serves as a barrier and a facilitator to carrying out HF self-care tasks that involve numbers. The findings informed a theoretical framework of health numeracy in HF.Conclusion Effective communication of numerical concepts which pertain to HF self-care is highly variable. Many patients with HF lack basic understanding and numeracy skills required for adequate self-care. As such, patients rely on caregivers who may lack HF training. HF-specific training of caregivers and research that seeks to elucidate the intricacies of the patient–caregiver relationship in the context of health numeracy and HF self-care are warranted.