Are there meaningful longitudinal changes in health related quality of life--SF36, in cardiac rehabilitation patients?
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to observe changes in quality of life and minimal clinical important differences of quality of life over time in cardiac rehabilitation patients and to compare these with published normal data.


METHODS
In this non-randomised study, SF36 questionnaires were completed by 187 patients recruited to a Phase III cardiac rehabilitation multidisciplinary outpatient programme. Data was collected at beginning, end and six months after Phase III cardiac rehabilitation programme.


RESULTS
There were significant improvements in physical functioning, role limitation due to physical function, pain and general health perception scales, over the above time frame, from both a statistically and a mean clinical important difference point of view. These improvements occurred mainly during the cardiac rehabilitation programme phase.


CONCLUSIONS
These improvements meant that patients six months post-cardiac rehabilitation were only 5% below the quality of life for an aged matched normal group. However patients still had significant deficits in physical role and emotional role limitations. Suitable measurement of quality of life on an individual basis, supported by normal values is needed. This would facilitate the identification of shortfalls in patient quality of life and the subsequent tailoring of care to address these individualised patient needs.
McKee
Gabrielle
G
Trinity College Dublin School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies in collaboration with Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, St. James Hospital Dublin, Ireland. gmckee@tcd.ie
D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*