Patient recovery and transitions after hospitalization for acute cardiac events: an integrative review.

Despite increased attention to providing seamless transitions after hospitalization, patients often feel unprepared, lack knowledge, and may be confused by what to expect during recovery at home after a cardiac event. Care transition after hospital discharge could be improved by informing and counseling patients more specifically about expected recovery after a cardiac event. Therefore, an integrative review of research was conducted to evaluate cardiac patients' trajectory of recovery after hospitalization. A total of 61 studies were included in this review. Studies included were those of cardiac patients who had been hospitalized for significant cardiac events and those focused on acute coronary syndrome (n = 18), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (n = 12), cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass surgery and valve surgery; n = 25), and heart failure (n = 6). Studies included quantitative, mixed-methods, and qualitative designs, with sample sizes ranging from 4 to 2121 participants. Notwithstanding the limitations of this review, findings demonstrated that patients' perceptions of their cardiac event evolved over time from uncertainty, fears, anxiety, and depression, which were often associated with a lack of knowledge of their cardiac condition, to a phase of self-management of their cardiac condition. Furthermore, patterns of commonly occurring symptoms and changes in functioning abilities during recovery after hospitalization were apparent among the different cardiac groups. These findings may be useful to both patients and clinicians to inform them about the recovery trajectory after a cardiac event to improve preparation for the transition from hospital to home.

Rural Versus Urban Comparison: Physical Activity and Functioning Following Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this sub-analysis was to compare the early recovery of elderly patients following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) by geographic location (urban/rural) on physical functioning and physical activity. METHODS: The sample was 124 subjects who had been in the usual care group (or control group) of a randomized controlled trial. Subjects were categorized into geographic locales using Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes: urban n=35, large rural n=17, small rural n=23 and isolated rural n=33. Measures included the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 and the RT3® accelerometer. Mixed linear models were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: No significant differences were found for physical functioning by RUCA group. However, there was a statistically significant difference for physical activity, for average kcals/kg/ per day (F = 3.01, p < .05) and average daily activity counts (F = 3.95, p <.01), with the subjects in large rural communities having significantly (p < 0.05) more average kcals/kg per day than urban subjects (M = 29.04 and M = 27.25 respectively). Subjects in the large rural also had significantly (p < .005) more average daily activity counts than urban (M = 216635 and M = 161221 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to compare early recovery functioning and activity outcomes of CABS subjects by rural/urban locations. Additional study is warranted to evaluate why these differences exist and the potential need to tailor interventions for CABS based on geographic location.

Gender differences in recovery outcomes after an early recovery symptom management intervention.

BACKGROUND: Despite known gender differences in recovery, few studies have examined symptom management (SM) interventions or responses by gender after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this subanalysis was to describe and evaluate differences in response by gender to an SM intervention on the presence and burden of symptoms, physical activity, and physical functioning in elderly CABS patients during the early discharge period (3 and 6 weeks after CABS, and 3 and 6 months after CABS). METHODS: The parent study whose data were analyzed to examine gender differences involved a two-group, randomized clinical trial design. The 6-week early recovery SM telehealth intervention was delivered by the Health Buddy. Measures included the Cardiac Symptom Survey, a Modified 7-Day Activity Interview, an RT3 accelerometer, an Activity Diary, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36. This study was not powered for a gender × group analysis, and we used descriptive statistics, χ(2) tests, t tests, and analysis of variance for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Subjects (n = 232) included 192 men and 40 women, with a mean age of 71.2 SD, 7 years. The intervention group consisted of 86 men and 23 women, and the usual care (UC) group consisted of 106 men and 17 women. Data trends suggest that the SM intervention exerted greater impact on women than on men for symptoms such as fatigue, depression, sleep problems, and pain. Again, men exhibited higher levels of physical activity than did women. However, women in the SM group generally had higher scores than did women in the UC group. CONCLUSION: Although the parent study found no effect of an early recovery SM intervention, this exploratory secondary analysis indicated that women in the intervention group demonstrated more improvement in measures of physical activity than did those in the UC group. Further study, using a larger sample, is necessary to test these preliminary results.

Symptom management strategies used by elderly patients after coronary artery bypass surgery.

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to describe symptom management strategies used by elderly patients (n = 236) 3 and 6 weeks after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS). Three weeks after surgery, the most frequently used strategies were rest to manage shortness of breath (53%) and fatigue (53%), medications for incision pain (24%), and repositioning for swelling (35%) and sleep disturbance (18%). Overall, fewer patients experiencing sleep disturbances (39%), incision pain (39%), swelling (46%), and appetite problems (17%) reported using a strategy to manage their symptom. Nurses must assist patients in symptom identification and problem solving to accomplish effective symptom management.

Influence of a symptom management telehealth intervention on older adults' early recovery outcomes after coronary artery bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to examine the effect of a symptom management (SM) telehealth intervention on physical activity and functioning and to describe the health care use of older adult patients (aged > 65 years) after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) by group (SM intervention group and usual care group). METHODS: A randomized clinical trial design was used. The study was conducted in 4 Midwestern tertiary hospitals. The 6-week SM telehealth intervention was delivered by the Health Buddy (Health Hero Network, Palo Alto, CA). Measures included Modified 7-Day Activity Interview, RT3 accelerometer (Stayhealthy, Inc, Monrovia, CA), physical activity and exercise diary, Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36, and subjects' self-report and provider records of health care use. Follow-up times were 3 and 6 weeks and 3 and 6 months after CABS. RESULTS: Subjects (N = 232) had a mean age of 71.2 (+4.7) years. There were no significant interactions using repeated-measures analyses of covariance. There was a significant group effect for average kilocalories/kilogram/day of estimated energy expenditure as measured by the RT3 accelerometer, with the usual care group having a higher estimated energy expenditure. Both groups had significant improvements over time for role-physical, vitality, and mental functioning. Both groups had similar health care use. CONCLUSION: Subjects were able to return to preoperative levels of functioning between 3 and 6 months after CABS and to increase their physical activity over reported preoperative levels of activity. Further study of those patients undergoing CABS who could derive the most benefit from the SM intervention is warranted.

Relationships between fatigue and early postoperative recovery outcomes over time in elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND: Despite successful coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, some patients continue to experience fatigue after their surgery. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this secondary analysis study was to examine the relationships of fatigue and early recovery outcomes (psychosocial and physiologic functioning, and physical activity) over time (6 weeks and 3 months) among older adult subjects, age 65 years and older, after CABG surgery. Comparison groups were those subjects who had fatigue at 3 weeks after surgery and nonfatigued subjects. DESIGN: A prospective, comparative design was used for this secondary analysis study. SAMPLE: Subjects in this study were drawn from the control group of subjects enrolled in the larger parent study. Subjects (N = 119) were dichotomized into fatigue (n = 66) and nonfatigued (n = 53) groups on the basis of their 3-week self-reports of postoperative fatigue. RESULTS: At 6 weeks after surgery, fatigued subjects had significantly (P < .05) more impaired psychosocial functioning (role-emotional [t = 1.9], social [t = 2.6], and mental [t = 1.9] functioning) on the basis of the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36. They had significantly (P < .005) higher mean hospital anxiety (t = -3.6) and depression (t = -2.9) subscale scores, respectively. Anxiety (t = -2.3, P < .05) remained significantly (P < .05) impaired at 3 months. At 6 weeks, role physical functioning, measured by the Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36, was significantly impaired (t = 2.4, P < .01). There were no significant differences in physical activity variables as measured by an RT3 accelerometer (Stayhealthy, Inc., Monrovia, CA) and self-report diary. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent fatigue can hamper early recovery after CABG surgery. Tailored interventions are needed to address fatigue management and improve patient outcomes.

Development and content validity testing of the Cardiac Symptom Survey in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: Patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting often experience numerous symptoms after surgery. There is a need for a symptom tool for this population that is disease-specific, comprehensive, and responsive to change. AIMS: The aims of this study were to describe the development and preliminary content validity testing of the Cardiac Symptom Survey (CSS), assess further content validity of the CSS through an expert panel, and assess responsiveness of the CSS to change. METHODS: The original development of the CSS is described. An expert panel of four judges was used to rate the clarity of the items (content validity) and the relevance of the symptoms and items to the domain. Responsiveness to change of the CSS was assessed in a sample of 90 subjects who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. RESULTS: Percent agreement and content validity index coefficients ranged from .90 to 1.00. Repeated measures analyses of variance showed significant changes over time as hypothesized in some of the symptom evaluation and symptom response scores. CONCLUSION: Support is documented for both content validity and responsiveness of the CSS.

The effects of a symptom management intervention on symptom evaluation, physical functioning, and physical activity for women after coronary artery bypass surgery.

The purpose of this subset analysis was to examine the effect of a symptom management (SM) intervention on postoperative symptom evaluation, physical functioning, and physical activity among the female participants (N = 40) of the larger parent study of coronary artery bypass graft patients aged 65 years and older. The intervention group (n = 23) had significantly lower fatigue scores at 6 weeks (Z = 1.96, P < .05) and higher levels of physical activity (Z = -1.71, P < .05) reflected in the expended kcal(-1) x kg x d(-1), as measured by the activity diary at 3 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. At 6 weeks and 3 months after surgery, there were significant correlations between cardiac surgery-related recovery symptoms (shortness of breath, fatigue, depression, incision pain, and sleep problems) and physical functioning (physical, vitality, and bodily pain functioning subscale scores), with correlations ranging from 0.31 to 0.46. Given that this was a subset analysis of a larger study, significant differences were not expected for all variables. Study findings support the need for a targeted (women-focused) and tailored (self-management recovery) intervention to assist females in recovering from coronary artery bypass graft surgery to improve symptom management, thereby enhancing physical functioning and physical activity outcomes.

Impact of an early recovery management intervention on functioning in postoperative coronary artery bypass patients with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 30% of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures have diabetes and, as such, are at increased risk for postoperative complications and a lengthy recovery. OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility of an in-home early recovery management intervention to improve physical and psychosocial functioning in the diabetic CABG population. METHODS: This pilot study was a 2-group, randomized, experimental study. The 6-week in-home early recovery intervention was delivered by way of a device called the Health Buddy (Health Hero Network, Redwood City, CA). Subjects were 49 diabetic patients who had undergone a first-time CABG procedure. RESULTS: Although no statistical differences between groups were found, descriptively, the intervention group's baseline means on Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 subscales measuring physical functioning were lower but improved to levels comparable with that of the control group. Improvements in psychosocial functioning were comparable between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: This in-home telehealth intervention may have promise for improving functioning outcomes in high-risk CABG patients with diabetes. However, weaknesses of the intervention and the need for a more focused, directive intervention were identified.

Longitudinal field comparison of the RT3 and an activity diary with cardiac patients.

This study investigated reliability and validity of two methods of measuring patients' physical activity following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Sixty-five patients wore an RT3 accelerometer and recorded activity in a diary at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months postsurgery. Generalizability coefficients greater than .80 required approximately 2 to 4 days of data, fewer than reported elsewhere. Energy expenditure estimates correlated .77, .72, and .57 (p < .01), with mean RT3 estimates higher, especially when overall energy expenditure was low. Changes from 3 to 6 weeks correlated only moderately (r = .37-.46) across methods. The methods produce reliable but differing estimates of physical activity in this population. Although no method bias is evident in assessing change over time, correlations support the importance of using multiple methods.

Usefulness of RISKO Heart Hazard Appraisal to Quantify CAD risk factor burden on the preoperative functioning of coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients.

The preoperative status of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgical patients is often evaluated as a means to assess operative risk for mortality and morbidity and to inform how preoperative status influences or predicts outcomes following CABG surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factor burden on CABG patients' preoperative functioning (functional status and functional capacity). A convenience sample of 152 subjects, 65 years and older, who had been consecutively enrolled in a larger randomized clinical trial, was evaluated. The RISKO Heart Hazard Appraisal was used to quantify CAD risk factor burden of the subjects. There were significant differences by CAD risk factor burden group, with subjects in the highest CAD risk factor burden group having poorer general health functioning (F2,147=3.45; P<.05) and functional capacity (F2,147=5.43; P<.01). These findings elucidate the potential usefulness of evaluating CABG patients' preoperative CAD risk factor burden status.

Impact of a telehealth intervention to augment home health care on functional and recovery outcomes of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study examined the effect of a home communication intervention (HCI) to augment home health care (HHC) on functioning and recovery outcomes of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft. DESIGN: A randomized, experimental two-group (N = 50) repeated-measures design was used. Both HCI and control subjects received HHC, and the HCI group also received the 12-week HCI delivered by a telehealth device, the Health Buddy (Health Hero Network). The Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 measured physiologic and psychosocial functioning at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 months after surgery. Follow-up subject interviews ascertained self-report of postoperative problems and health care use. SAMPLE: Subjects had an average age of 75.3 years and included males (56%) and females (44%). RESULTS: By using repeated-measures analyses of covariance, covariating for the total number of HHC visits, HCI subjects, compared with the HHC group only, had a significantly higher adjusted mean general health functioning score (F = 8.41 [1, 36], P < .01). There were significant time effects on physical, role-physical, and mental health functioning, indicating that both groups improved over time. The groups reported similar postoperative problems; however, the control group had more emergency department visits than the HCI group. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate the potential benefit of using an HCI to further augment outcomes of high-risk patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery referred to HHC after hospitalization.

Patterns of recovery following percutaneous coronary intervention: a pilot study.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the most common type of cardiac revascularization performed. However, there has been limited research examining the recovery of PCI patients after their hospital discharge. This descriptive, longitudinal study examined patterns of recovery (cardiac symptoms experienced, impact of cardiac symptoms on physical functioning and enjoyment of life, postprocedure problems experienced, and functioning) of 37 PCI patients at 2, 4, and 6 weeks following PCI. Fatigue was the most frequent and persistent symptom, and significantly, F(2, 26) = 3.6, p < .05, it impacted physical functioning at 4 weeks following PCI. Both physical and psychosocial functioning improved over time. Coronary restenosis and heart rhythm disturbance were the most common self-reported heart-related problems. Understanding normal variation in recovery patterns can assist clinicians in developing interventions to facilitate optimal outcomes.

Gender differences in recovery after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

This study examined the effect of gender on symptom evaluation, symptom response, and physical functioning following coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Symptom evaluation and symptom response were measured at baseline and 2, 4, and 6 weeks and 3 months following surgery, and physical functioning was measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 months. The sample included 46 men and 19 women randomly assigned to the routine care group of a larger study examining symptom management intervention influence on recovery outcomes in elderly coronary artery bypass graft patients. No significant differences were found in symptom evaluation, symptom response, or physical functioning by gender over time. Women reported consistently higher symptom evaluation scores for shortness of breath, fatigue, depression, sleep disturbance, swelling, and anxiety and lower mean physical and vitality subscale scores than men at every time point. Gender-specific symptom management strategies should be developed and tested to address the differences in the reporting of symptoms by men and women.

Symptom management intervention in elderly coronary artery bypass graft patients.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the impact of a symptom management intervention (using a device called the Health Buddy) on recovery outcomes (symptom evaluation and response and postoperative problems) of elderly coronary artery bypass graft patients at time of discharge, at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after surgery, and at 6 months after surgery. While there were no statistically significant differences found for many of the study variables, there were trends in the intervention group of more improvement for many of the outcome variables, supporting the need for a randomized clinical trial.

Impact of a home communication intervention for coronary artery bypass graft patients with ischemic heart failure on self-efficacy, coronary disease risk factor modification, and functioning.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of a home communication intervention (HCI) for ischemic heart failure Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) patients >/= 65 years of age on self-efficacy, coronary artery disease risk factor modification and functioning posthospitalization. DESIGN: A randomized clinical trial with repeated measures was used. SAMPLE: A subsample of ischemic heart failure CABG surgery patients (n = 35) was drawn from the parent study of 180 CABG patients. RESULTS: HCI participants (n = 18) had significantly higher adjusted mean self-efficacy scores [F(1, 29) = 6.40, P <.05] and adjusted mean levels of functioning (physical, general health, mental, and vitality functioning) compared with the routine care group (n = 17), using repeated measures analysis of covariance with baseline scores as covariates. There were also significant effects of time on bodily pain and role emotional functioning. Significantly higher exercise adherence (t = 3.09, P <.01) and lower reported stress (t = 3.77, P <.01) at 3 months after surgery was reported by HCI subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this pilot study can be used to strengthen the HCI intervention with more tailored strategies for vulnerable subgroups of CABG patients.

Comparison of recovery patterns for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass in the early discharge period.

The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the postoperative problems, evaluation and response of symptoms, and functional status (physiologic and psychosocial functioning) during the early recovery period (2, 4, and 6 weeks after surgery) in 35 individuals who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (n=24) or minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (n=11). The most frequent postoperative problem reported by the coronary artery bypass grafting group was an incisional infection (either sternal or leg); 26% reported infection at 2 and 4 weeks, and 21% at 6 weeks after surgery. Respiratory problems (pleural effusion, pneumonia) were the second most frequently reported problem, reported by 10% of the subjects at 2 and 4 weeks and by 16% at 6 weeks. Other, less frequent problems were severe nervousness, rhythm problems, and pericarditis. Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass patients reported fewer postoperative or cardiac-related problems, as only 5% indicated a problem with heart failure at both 2 and 4 weeks, and 36% reported being very nervous or having emotional problems at 4 weeks. Unlike postoperative problems, there were numerous similarities in postprocedural symptoms between these two groups. Fatigue, shortness of breath, and pain were the major symptoms reported postdischarge by both groups in this study. In addition, sleeping problems were also fairly prevalent in the coronary artery bypass grafting group, which is understandable, considering the fatigue ratings. Physiologic and psychosocial functioning varied minimally between the two procedures. While there were many similarities in the recovery patterns of both groups, the occurrence of postprocedural problems and symptoms of these two patient groups should be considered by clinicians to further tailor patient education.

Development of a self-efficacy instrument for coronary artery bypass graft patients.

Research related to self-efficacy has demonstrated that measures of this concept need to be specific to the behavior of interest. Self-efficacy is the degree of confidence one has to perform an activity. This article describes the development and testing of the Barnason Efficacy Expectation Scale (BEES). The instrument is a 15-item tool that uses a Likert scale to determine the coronary-artery-bypass-graft (CABG) patient's self-efficacy related to the risk-reduction-related aspects of recovery and lifestyle adjustment following CABG surgery (physical functioning, psychosocial functioning, coronary artery disease risk factor modification and self-care management). Internal consistency reliability of the instrument was 0.93, and principal components analysis revealed a single factor (Eigenvalue = 10.59, percent variance = 70.61%). Three phases of tool development are described in the article that document satisfactory reliability and validity (face, content, criterion, and construct).