Learning needs of hospitalized heart failure patients in Singapore: A descriptive correlational study S. F., Ong1; P. P. M., Foong1; J., Seah1; L., Elangovan1; S. W. C., Chan2; W., Wang2. 1Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Alexandra Health, Singapore; 2 Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore Introduction Literature review Heart failure (HF) is one of the most common and deadly cardiovascular diseases in most parts of the world (Murphy et al., 2004), and is the most common cause of hospitalization among older people (Bundkirchen & Schwinger, 2004). Majority of studies that investigate the learning needs of HF patients was conducted in Western countries (Boyde et al., 2009; Harding et al., 2008; Wehby & Brenner, 1999). Asian studies highlighted differences in levels of learning needs, which suggests the influence of sociocultural differences (Kim et al., 2012; Yu et al., 2012). In Singapore, HF is the most common cardiac cause for admission to hospitals (Richards et al., 2011). Patient education is an essential component for the successful management of HF (Yu et al., 2006). Direct adaptation of findings from Western population in Singapore is problematic due to significant differences in social and cultural backgrounds. Understanding patients’ perceived learning needs can improve HF education intervention effectiveness (Boyde et al., 2009), and potentially reduce HF-related hospital readmissions. Objectives (1) To investigate the learning needs of patient with HF in Singapore; (2) To identify the relationship between patients’ leaning needs and their social-demographic and clinical characteristics. Methodology Study Design: A descriptive correlational study Data collection with questionnaire survey Settings and sample: A convenience sample of 100 patients will be recruited from an acute tertiary hospital in Singapore. Inclusion criteria (1) Clinically diagnosed with HF, NYHA class I to IV; (2) > 18 years of age; (3) Able to communicate in English and Mandarin. Exclusion criteria (1) known history of major psychiatric illness, terminal illness other than HF (2) impaired bilateral hearing or vision. Data collection procedure Instrument: 48 items, and 8 subscales encompassing: general HF information, psychological factors, risk factors, medications, diet, activity, prognosis, and signs and symptoms. A 5 point Likert scale is used with higher score representing more important needs as perceived by HF patients. English Chinese (Wehby & Brenner, 1999) (Yu et al., 2010) 1 2 • Researchers identify eligible subjects from study settings •Depending on participants’ preferred spoken language, either the English or Chinese questionnaire is used • 3 Demographic and clinical data are collected through questionnaire and reviewing participants’ medical charts. Data analysis Cronbach’s α 0.96 Cronbach’s α 0.96 SPSS 20.0 for total scale and for total scale and > 0.87 for all 0.77 and 0.89 for  Descriptive statistics subscales subscales  Bivariate correlation between learning needs and socio-demographic and clinical + socio-demographic and clinical data sheet. variables. Clinical significance • Study findings can provide practical suggestions on development of HF-related educational materials and enhance HF management programs. • Contribute to improved health outcomes for HF patients, and reduce HF-related hospital readmissions in Singapore. References: Boyde, M., Tuckett, A., Peters, R., Thompson, D., Turner, C., & Stewart, S. (2009). Learning for heart failure patients (The L-HF patient study). Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18, 2030-2039. Bundkirchen, A., & Schwinger, R. H. G. (2004). Epidemiology and economic burden of chronic heart failure. European Heart Journal Supplements, 6(supplement D), D57-D60. 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