The Effectiveness of the Transitional Care Program Among People Awaiting Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial.

Purpose: This study examined the effectiveness of the Transitional Care Program (TCP) on the anxiety, depression, cardiac self‐efficacy, number of hospitalizations, and satisfaction with care among people awaiting elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Design: The study design was a randomized controlled trial. Methods: The participants with coronary artery disease who met the study criteria (n = 104) were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 52) receiving the TCP plus routine care, or the control group (n = 52) receiving routine care only. The TCP, developed based on the Transitional Care Model, comprised hospital discharge planning and six weekly home telephone follow‐ups to provide health education, counseling, monitoring, and emotional support tailored to the individual's needs. Data were collected at baseline, and then at weeks 1, 6, and 8 after program enrollment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated‐measures analysis of variance, and the Z test. Findings: The intervention group had lower anxiety and depression than did the control group at weeks 1, 6, and 8 after program enrollment. At weeks 6 and 8, the intervention group exhibited higher cardiac self‐efficacy and satisfaction with care than the control group. Further, the intervention group had a significantly lower number of hospitalizations than the control group at week 8. Conclusions: The TCP can reduce anxiety, depression, and number of hospitalizations, while increasing cardiac self‐efficacy and satisfaction with care among people awaiting CABG. Clinical Relevance: Nurses are in a pivotal position to make care transitions safer. Provision of discharge education and regular telephone contacts could enhance positive outcomes regarding patients awaiting elective cardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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