Self-Care in Congenital Heart Disease Patients

Self-care is the process of maintaining health through health promoting practices and managing illness. Self-care is very important for patients with CHD, due to its link with medication taking, symptom monitoring, dietary adherence, fluid restriction, alcohol restriction, physical exercise, smoke cessation, all-cause hospitalization, cost of care, and quality of life. However, little research is currently available on CHD patients’ self-care. This chapter offers a portrait of what selfcare is, and why it is so important.