The Illness Perception among Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases Following the Needs-Based Education Intervention

Objective: To examine the effects of needs-based education on the illness perception among patients with acute and chronic heart diseases. Methods: This experimental study was conducted on ۱۰۰ patients with acute and chronic heart diseases. After assessing the educational needs of the patients by using the cardiac patients learning needs inventory, the patients were divided into the intervention and control groups by using block randomization. The intervention group received two sessions of individual face to face education and two sessions of telephone follow-up. Their illness perception was assessed using the brief illness perception questionnaire before and four weeks after the intervention. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.Results: After the intervention, the patients in the intervention group perceived their illness as more chronic and had an increased self-control. The integration of the disease and their concerns of the disease was significantly reduced. No significant changes regarding consequences and emotional representations were reported (P<۰.۰۵).Conclusion: Assessment of the educational needs of patients with chronic and acute cardiovascular diseases provides nurses with the opportunity to improve the patients’ illness perceptions and enhance their adherence to the treatment process.

Keywords:

“Needs-Based Education” , “Illness Perception” , “Cardiovascular Diseases” , “Nursing Intervention”