Family stress management following acute myocardial infarction: an educational and skills training intervention program

An exploration of the information needs of spouse/partner following acute myocardial infarction using focus group methodology

This study aimed to explore spouse/partners' experience of the information received and required in the acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in-hospital recovery period. A dearth of information exists that uncovers the information needs of spouse/partners following AMI. Although information needs, emotional reactions, support and information provision are prevalent themes within the literature, there are few studies that specifically address these issues in this population. While survey methods abound, with more recent qualitative interviews apparent, focus group methodology is underused. The study employed a qualitative descriptive design. Using focus group techniques, 15 partners were interviewed. Emerging themes included: reactions to the event, feeling like a burden on the health service, the need for information and pulling apart - pulling together. Spouse/partners play a critical role in helping patients recover from acute cardiac events thus information and support for the latter are crucial. While spouse/partners commonly seek information as a problem-solving coping strategy, in an effort to regain personal control, spouses often lack information. This study identifies spouse/partner isolation and suggests that additional supports need to be in place to adequately deal with the challenges that AMI brings to family life. Suggested support mechanisms to enhance current provision are inclusion of spouse/partner in cardiac rehabilitation programs and hospital-based care, self-help groups supported and attended by professionals and telephone support systems.

Stress among allogeneic bone marrow transplantation patients

BMT (bone marrow transplantation) is acknowledged as one of the most stressful treatments in modern cancer care. When investigating the impact of BMT on patients it is crucial that the analytic method employed captures direct patient perceptions, allowing the patient to define the domains under investigation. In this study, a multivariate analytic method, concept mapping (CM), was used to identify perceived stressors among 109 allogeneic BMT recipients. CM employs multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses to empirically identify the structure underlying the investigated conceptual domain. The analyses of the BMT stress data resulted in an eight-cluster solution. The stress clusters, ranked from the most severe to the least severe, were identified as: Change of life and impact of long-lasting treatment; Side-effects; Distress related to treatment outcome and physiological status; Family-related stress; Fear of death and depressive thoughts; Other concerns; Negative social support; and Stress related to lack of information and the medical staff. A number of stressors generated by the patients were quite novel, and identified important information likely to be useful in clinical settings as well as subsequent research with this high-risk population.

Patient satisfaction and nurses' perceptions of quality in an inpatient cardiology population

Cardiology patients have important learning needs. A 21-item patient satisfaction questionnaire was mailed to 384 cardiology patients 1 week after discharge. Satisfaction ratings indicated that the 161 respondents were satisfied with their care: however, they wanted more information regarding the management of their symptoms and activity level at home. Nurses' interviews revealed that they assessed the availability of follow-up care upon discharge. The results suggest that patients are not satisfied with the information they receive before discharge. Also, nurses and patients have different perceptions about the information patients need. These differences need to be taken into consideration when designing discharge teaching interventions.