The Family Heart Study is a prospective randomizd clinical trial of individual and family behavioral interventions of the first-time and repeat cardiac surgery patients and family members designed to: 1) monitor and enhance recovery at home, 2) reinforce inpatient teaching on risk factor reduction, and 3) provide support to the family as primary caretaker. Family stress and coping theory and social learning theory (self-efficacy) provide the theoretical basis. Baseline (preoperative) measures of family functioning, family coping, demands of illness and cardiac status are compared with those at three and six months post-surgery, along with self-reports of recoery, self-efficacy, quality of life and physician appraisal of patient recovery. Specific study aims are: 1. to test the efficacy of nursing interventions designed to facilitate posthospital recovery and rehabilitation of the cardiac surgery patient and his family; 2. to describe the impact of cardiac surgery on the family over time; and 3. to document care needs and differences in recovery for the older (ages 70-80) cardiac surgery patient and family. Long term objectives are to mobilize family coping and personal efficacy in recovery from surgical treatment for heart disease, in ways that maximimze the surgical benefit for patients and promote families.
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