Effect of Continuous Care Model on the Self-Efficacy of Patients with Myocardial Infarction in Controlling Disease Complications

Background and Objective: Improving the self-efficacy of chronic patients is necessary to achieve self-management and behavioral changes. Thus, the present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of the continuous care model on the self-efficacy of patients with myocardial infarction.

 Materials and Method: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2014 on patients with myocardial infarction referring to Valiasr Hospital of Birjand, Iran. The 70 participants were selected using convenient sampling method and randomly assigned to two groups of control and intervention. Due to loos of subjects, the study was performed on 60 subjects. The continuous care model was implemented in intervention group. The control group received routine care. Patients' self-efficacy was assessed using the Chronic Disease Self-Efficacy Scale. The obtained data were analyzed using paired t-test, Student's independent t-test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), one-way ANOVA, and SPSS software version 16. All P values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

 Results: The 2 groups showed no significant differences in terms of gender, marital status, education, and time since diagnosis of illness. The mean self-efficacy scores of control group subjects before and after the intervention were 5.90 ± 1.79 and 5.27 ± 1.79, respectively. The mean self-efficacy scores of the intervention group subjects were 5.98 ± 1.36 and 6.81 ± 0.19 before and after the intervention, respectively. The intervention group subjects reported higher mean scores of self-efficacy than control group subjects after the intervention (P < 0.001). 

Conclusion: Regarding the chronic nature of myocardial infarction and its complications, continuous care model is an important step to enhancing self-efficacy and making behavioral changes among patients with myocardial infarction. Therefore, patient education by nurses can be an effective factor in improvement of patients’ performance and community health and indicative of the importance of nurses’ role. Thus, the use of this model in order to increase self-efficacy in patients with myocardial infarction is recommended.