Preliminary report on left-ventricular assist devices: are patients' and caregivers' psychosocial needs adequately addressed?.

Patients implanted with a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) constitute a new population of chronic heart failure (HF) patients requiring continuous medical support and representing heavy costs - both direct and indirect - for the healthcare system. If there is consensus about the increased survival, the psychosocial outcomes, in terms of psychological wellbeing, behavioral and social functioning of both patients and caregivers, are still...