title: Patient and family adjustment to heart transplantation.
abstract: Heart transplantation is an effective treatment for end-stage cardiac disease and a major stressor to patients and their families. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on patient and family adjustment to heart transplantation during the stages from pre-transplantation to post-transplantation. Most authors indicate that patients and families adjust well to heart transplantation. Support groups are a positive resource for heart transplant patients and their families.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology