Engaged patients, engaged partnerships: singles and partners dealing with an acute cardiac event

Abstract

A few studies examine patients’ (and partners’) individual and relational functioning after an acute cardiac event and no research focuses on the individual and relational factors associated with the patient’s engagement in his/her disease management. The present study aimed at exploring these variables in male and female patients as well as their partners. We pursued our objectives by taking advantage of a dyadic research design that involved both partners in the data collection, when present, and by including women patients in the sample. Findings showed that patients in a couple, compared to single patients, perceive that their illness had less serious consequences for their life and they were more engaged in their health care; that patients and partners showed comparable levels of distress; and that less depressed, more confident, and better informed patients were more likely to actively engage in their treatment. Findings are discussed in light of their implications for clinical practice.

Keywords:

• cardiac illness
• couple relationship
• patient engagement

Notes

1. The New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification (Criteria Committee of the New York Heart Association, 1994) classifies the extent of heart failure, by placing patients in one of four categories representing increasing limitations of physical activity.