Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Hope Among Cardiac Patients After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Abstract

Purpose

Following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, some patients experience psycho-mental problems such as hopelessness. The Phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program is an important element of the secondary prevention program in treating patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The present study aimed to determine the effect of the Phase 2 CR program on the level of hope in cardiac patients after CABG surgery.

Patients and Methods

A clinical trial was conducted from July 2017 to late January 2018 at the Heart Surgery Centre, Al-Zahra Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. The target population was patients who sought CR therapy after CABG surgery. A total of 104 cardiac patients were recruited and equally divided into control and intervention groups. The intervention group received 20 sessions of Phase 2 CR program combined with education and counselling during 8 weeks. The control group only received routine observations and education. The data were collected pre- and post-intervention using a demographic form and the Miller Hope Scale (MHS). Descriptive statistics were expressed as percentages, frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation. Paired t-test and independent t-test were used for statistical inference. Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (version 23.0) and P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

There was no significant difference in the mean score of hope between the control and intervention groups before the intervention. However, a significant difference between the groups was observed post-intervention (P<0.001). The results showed a significant difference in the mean score of hope between pre-intervention (182.36±23.07) and post-intervention (216.94±23.05) in the intervention group (P<0.001), whereas the difference in the control group was not significant (P=0.095). The measured post-intervention effect size was high (1.05).

Conclusion

The Phase 2 CR program combined with education and counseling increased hope in CVD patients after CABG surgery.

Keywords:

• cardiac rehabilitation
• CABG surgery
• hope
• nursing intervention

Acknowledgment

The present manuscript was part of the Master’s degree thesis of the second author. The study was financially supported by the Research Vice-Chancellor of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The authors would like to thank the patients and all those who collaborated in the study for their time and effort.

Data Sharing Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author, [Mahnaz Rakhshan]. The data are not publicly available due to the privacy of research participants.

Ethical Considerations

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran (number: IR.SUMS.REC.1395.204), and registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (code: IRCT 2017041633344N2). This trial was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

The participants of the present study were personally informed about the goals of the research, methodology, and confidentiality of any disclosed information. In addition, sharing of deidentified individual participant data was guaranteed and voluntary participation was assured. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.