Comparing Interventions in Older Unpartnered Adults after Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: Older adults after myocardial infarction (MI) are a vulnerable group who may benefit from interventions to improve health outcomes. The use of a peer advisor or an advanced practice nurse (APN) to provide a self-efficacy intervention is a promising method of improving health outcomes after MI. AIMS: The purpose of this paper was to compare the effect of two self-efficacy interventions, a peer advisor and an APN, to a group who received standard care after MI. METHODS: The study was a three-group randomized clinical trial with a peer advisor intervention group, an APN intervention group, and a standard care group. Outcome data were collected in the hospital after MI and by telephone at 12 weeks after hospital discharge, after the interventions were completed. RESULTS: At 12 weeks after MI, there were no significant differences between the 3 groups in health outcomes. There were similar changes in self-efficacy for performing recovery behaviors, the actual performance of recovery behavior, physical and mental health across both intervention groups and the standard care group. CONCLUSIONS: Although the data did not validate the benefits of these self-efficacy interventions, future efforts at identifying changes in health outcomes may need to use more discrete measurements that are more sensitive to changes in the older unpartnered adult after an MI.