Does a 6-month supportive-educative caring rehabilitation programme improve physical health recovery in myocardial infarction patients?
A 6-month supportive-educative rehabilitation program significantly improves both subjective physical health and objective outcomes, including reducing reinfarctions at 12 months post-MI.
Summary The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a supportive–educative caring rehabilitation programme involving interdisciplinary efforts to improve the physical health of myocardial infarction patients (MI‐patients). MI‐patients chosen at random participated either in a 6‐month programme or normal medical follow‐up. Instruments designed for both subjective and objective measuring of recovery of physical health were used. Subjective capacity showed significant differences ( P 0·05‐0·001) concerning: (i) reported pain and exertion 5 weeks and 6 months after MI during physical exercise, (ii) perceived breathlessness, chest pain, fatigue, physical fitness 6 and 12 months after MI, and (iii) reported callisthenics and coitus 6 and 12 months after MI. Significant differences ( P 0·05‐0·001) in objective capacity were indicated concerning: (i) a symptom‐limited submaximal physical exercise test 5 weeks and 6 months after MI, and (ii) reinfarctions 12 months after MI. The strength of the study rests on the fact that the improvements of physical health could be statistically verified, regarding both subjective and objective capacity of the MI‐patients. The described caring efforts are simple, easy to carry out and take little time for the MI‐patients and their next‐of‐kin as well as for the health‐care personnel.
Fridlund et al. (Fri,) studied this question.