Family Health Conversations—A Short-Term Supportive Intervention to Improve Family Well-Being, Functioning, and Involvement in Care After Open-Heart Surgery: A Multicenter, Randomized, Parallel-Group Superiority Trial

In this study, a nurse-led supportive family health conversation intervention delivered through one to three video-conferencing sessions was evaluated for patients undergoing open-heart surgery and their self-selected family members. Based on the Family Systems Nursing framework, the intervention aimed to improve family well-being, functioning, and involvement by fostering shared understanding and challenging limiting beliefs. Patients and family members were randomized into two groups. Both received usual surgical care, while the intervention group also participated in digital family health conversations before and after surgery. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and at 30 and 90 days after discharge. The analysis included 101 patients (control = 54, intervention = 47) and 99 family members (control = 52, intervention = 47). The intervention was not superior to usual care for the primary outcome, family well-being. Most secondary outcomes showed no effect, although some aspects of quality of life improved. Further research should examine long-term effects, feasibility, and appropriate outcome measures. Clinical trials register number and URL: NCT05045196, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05045196?cond=NCT05045196