Perspectives on caregiver-reported outcomes in cardiovascular diseases today and in future healthcare services: a statement of Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP), Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC), the Heart Failure Association (HFA), ESC Council on Stroke, and Global Heart Hub, the International Alliance of Heart Patient Organisations

Irene Lie; Britt Borregaard; Suzanne Fredericks; Annie Costelloe; Angela Durante; Johannes Grand; Loreena Hill; Rani Khatib; Martha Kyriakou; Ekaterini Lambrinou; Angela Massouh; Lis Neubeck; Francois Schiele; Marco Proietti; Jose Miguel Rivera-Caravaca; David R Thompson; Philip Moons

doi:10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf211

Perspectives on caregiver-reported outcomes in cardiovascular diseases today and in future healthcare services: a statement of Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP), Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC), the Heart Failure Association (HFA), ESC Council on Stroke, and Global Heart Hub, the International Alliance of Heart Patient Organisations

Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2026 Mar 31:zvaf211. doi: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf211. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Irene Lie^{1

2}, Britt Borregaard^{3

4}, Suzanne Fredericks⁵, Annie Costelloe^{6

7}, Angela Durante^{8

9}, Johannes Grand^{10

11}, Loreena Hill¹², Rani Khatib^{13

14}, Martha Kyriakou¹⁵, Ekaterini Lambrinou¹⁶, Angela Massouh¹⁷, Lis Neubeck^{18

19}, Francois Schiele^{20

21}, Marco Proietti^{22

23}, Jose Miguel Rivera-Caravaca^{24

25}, David R Thompson²⁶, Philip Moons^{27

28

29}

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Patient Centered Heart and Lung Research, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Kirkeveien 166, Oslo 0450, Norway.
² Department of Health Sciences in Gjøvik, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Teknologivegen 22, Gjøvik 2802, Norway.
³ Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, J.B. Winsløws Vej 4, Odense C 5000, Denmark.
⁴ Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense M 5230, Denmark.
⁵ Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Toronto Metropolitan University, 288 Church Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1Z5, Canada.
⁶ The Global Heart Hub, The International Alliance of Heart Patient Organisations, Croi House, Moyola Lane, Newcastle, Galway H91 FF68, Ireland.
⁷ Croí, The West of Ireland Cardiac & Stroke Foundation, Croí Heart & Stroke Foundation, Croí Heart & Stroke Centre, Moyola Lane, Croí House, Moyola Lane, Newcastle, Galway H91 FF68, Ireland.
⁸ Health Science Interdisciplinary Center, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Piazza Martiri della Liberta, 33 - 56127 Pisa PI, Italy.
⁹ Fondazione Toscana "Gabriele Monasterio", Via Cardinale Pietro Maffi 27, 56126 Pisa PI, Italy.
¹⁰ Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9b, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark.
¹¹ Amager-Hvidovre Hospital Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Kettegårds Alle, Copenhagen 2650, Denmark.
¹² School of Nursing and Paramedic Science, Faculty of Life & Health Sciences, Ulster University, Northland Road, Derry-Londonderry, BT48 7JL Northern Ireland, UK.
¹³ Cardiology Department, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK.
¹⁴ Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine (LICAMM), University of Leeds, Clarendon Way, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
¹⁵ Department of Health Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus 6, Diogenous Str, Nicosia 2404, Cyprus.
¹⁶ Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, 30 Archpishop Kyprianou, Limassol 3036, Cyprus.
¹⁷ Graduate Division, School of Nursing, American University of Beirut, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon.
¹⁸ Centre for Cardiovascular Health, School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, UK.
¹⁹ Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Wroclaw Medical University, Rektorat wybrzeze Ludwika Pasteura 1, Wroclaw 51-618, Poland.
²⁰ Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Besancon, 3, boulevard Alexandre-Fleming, 25030 Besançon, France.
²¹ University of Franche-Comté, 1 Rue Claude Goudimal, 2500 Besancon, France.
²² Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via Commenda 19, Milan 20122, Italy.
²³ Division of Subacute Care, IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Via Camaldoli 64, Milan 20138, Italy.
²⁴ Instituto Murciano de Investigacion Biosanitaria (IMIB-Arrixaca), CIBERCV, Faculty of Nursing, University of Murcia, Avda. Teniente Flomesta, 5 30003 Murcia, Spain.
²⁵ Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, William Henry Duncan Building 6 W Derby St, Reino Unido, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK.
²⁶ School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Rd, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK.
²⁷ KU Leuven Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7 PB7001, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
²⁸ Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Arvid Wallgrens backe 1, Gothenburg 413 46, Sweden.
²⁹ Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Klipfontein Rd, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.

PMID: 41914819
DOI: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf211

Abstract

A rapidly ageing population implies an increasing demand for informal caregivers. Caregiver-reported outcomes (CROs) can provide valuable insights into caregivers' experiences of their own health, the burden of tasks, and the need for support. This scientific statement provides a comprehensive overview of CROs in populations with cardiovascular diseases (CROsCVD). The existing CROs measure impact of caregiving; caregiver skills and preparedness; caregiver emotional and psychological impact; and caregiver support. The integration of CROs into clinical practice, alongside the development of more specific and culturally adaptive tools, will enhance the recognition of caregivers as key stakeholders in CVD management.

Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases; Caregiver burden; Caregiver-reported outcome measures; Caregivers; Health status.

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