Table 1 REACH-HF components

1

The intervention manual is intended to support people with heart failure and their carers. It contains sections about the condition itself and a range of self-management strategies including medication management, wellbeing and a traffic light algorithm for appropriate help seeking. The manual contains a choice of two structured exercise programmes:

a) a chair-based exercise DVD with seven levels of progressively increasing intensity;

b) a walking exercise programme aiming to improve the patient’s fitness over time, by encouraging longer walks and a gradually increasing pace, according to each person’s capacity

Some of the material from the Heart Manual has been developed as self-help exercises and recorded on CD, to help people relax and manage their breathing [30].

2

The Progress Tracker booklet is intended to encourage patients to monitor their own activities. Regular use of the booklet is intended to help people learn from their own experiences and develop a better understanding of how self-management affects their symptoms and wellbeing.

3

The Family and Friends Resource is a companion manual providing information for carers, in relation to caring for the patient as well as caring for themselves

4

Facilitators: A three day training course for facilitators promoted the use of person-centred counselling, individual assessment and tailoring of the REACH-HF intervention resources to the individual needs of patients and their caregivers.