A convenience sample of patients with either HF or COPD
was recruited through bi-weekly screening of hospital
admission records and hospital and community-based disease-
specific support programmes. Patients were considered
eligible if they: were aged over 55 years and living in the
community, had had a recent exacerbation of their illness
(either requiring hospital admission or additional home visits
by the staff of specialty disease-specific support programmes),
were primarily responsible for their own disease management
and activities of daily living, were able to understand, give
consent and respond to surveys in spoken or written English,
and had moderate severity of illness. The eligibility criterion
relating to those aged more than 55 years was used, as
statistics show that 25% of Australians aged over 55 years
have been diagnosed with a serious or profound chronic
condition(s), with this population accounting for 62% of all
hospital bed days for investigation and/or treatment of these
conditions (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
[AIHW] 2008). Moderate severity of illness was classified
in individuals with HF as a New York Heart Association
Class II or III using the Specific Activity Scale (Goldman et al.
1981), and in individuals with COPD as a total score of 10 to
34 on a modified version of the St George’s Respiratory
Questionnaire (Jones et al. 1991). Patients were excluded
from the study if they had been admitted to hospital with
either HF or COPD on more than one occasion in the three
months prior to the commencement of the study or had a
major psychiatric illness.