The psychological effects of a videotape educational intervention on cardiac catheterization patients

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death and morbidity worldwide, and cardiac catheterization plays an essential role in its diagnostic evaluation. This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of an educational intervention with the use of videotape and pamphlet among the Chinese patient undergoing the cardiac catheterization, and explored the relationship between anxiety, uncertainty, and other psychological variables. One hundred and thirty two Chinese patients of diagnosed or suspected CAD preparing for the first-time catheterization were recruited. Anxiety level (the Chinese State Anxiety Inventory) and uncertainty (the Chinese version of Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale) were measured before the intervention and within 2 hours before receiving cardiac catheterization; while patients' satisfaction and perceived knowledge gain were measured at 20-24 hours after it. The mean age of the participants was 61.3 and 64.8% of them were male. The findings indicated that the use of videotape to prepare patients for the cardiac catheterization is effective in reducing the level of anxiety (p < 0.001) and the uncertainty (p < 0.001), as the patients experienced higher satisfaction and knowledge level after the educational intervention. Therefore, videotape education is suggested for cardiac catheterization care on top of the usual pamphlet education.