Impact of Tele-nursing on adherence to treatment plan in discharged patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A quasi-experimental study in Iran

Abstract

Background and aims: Coronary artery bypass graft is a major surgery and has complications that require professional and long term follow-up and nursing care that if do not properly handled, could reduce the quality of life and increase post-operative complications. On the other hand Tele-nursing is a cost-effective way to educate and follow-up of patients. This study aimed to assess the impact of Tele-nursing on adherence to treatment plan in discharged patients after coronary artery bypass graft.

Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out at Ekbatan Therapeutic and Educational Center of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences at Hamadan, Iran, in 2013. In this study, 71 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery and had inclusion criteria were randomly divided into two experimental group (n=36), and control group (n=35). They completed questionnaire before discharging from Therapeutic and Educational Center. In the experimental group on days 2, 4, 7, second week (day 11), third week (day 18) and fourth week (day 25) after discharge, follow-up interventions and nursing education with Tele-nursing was done, but in the in the control groups, patients received only routine interventions. After completion of the intervention period, both groups completed the questionnaire and the results were compared.

Results: Adherence of treatment plan in both groups did not have significant difference before intervention (P=0.696), but had a significant difference with regard to baseline after intervention in aromatherapy group (P< 0.01) and with control group after intervention (P<0.01). Adherence to treatment plan in the aromatherapy group was better in compared to control group (P<0.01).

Conclusion: Tele-nursing is a convenient way, cost effective training and follow-up care for patients after coronary artery bypass surgery, which can improve patients' adherence to treatment plan in developing countries such as Iran.

Keywords: Adherence to treatment plan; Coronary artery bypass graft surgery; Tele-nursing.