Effects of a transitional care nursing intervention on anxiety level in family caregivers after coronary artery bypass surgery

Abstract

Background: Now, heart diseases are the main cause of death globally. According to the official figures, around 20 percent of Chinese adults suffer from a form of Heart disease. Among the diseases related to the heart, coronary artery disease is reported to account for slightly more than one-third of deaths in the Chinese population and is estimated to be one of the chief contributing agents in the mortality of Chinese people.

Objective: To verify the effectiveness of online transitional care intervention through WeChat to reduce post-discharge anxiety in caregivers of patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).

Methods: In this prospective trial, we recruited the caregivers for patients who underwent robotic CABG at Chinese PLA General Hospital from 2015 to 2019. The 110 family caregivers were added to the study group or the experimental group, whose anxiety scale will be rated after and before discharge.

Results: The groups did not differ in mean anxiety score at baseline (P > 0.05). While one month after discharge, the SAS scores of the intervention group were lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Transitional nursing interventions to provide recovery guidance to caregivers of patients who underwent CABG are effective in reducing anxiety.