Effects of attending phase II cardiac rehabilitation on patient versus spouse (proxy) quality-of-life perceptions.
OBJECTIVE
Little has been published about the differences or similarities in patient and spouse views of the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQL) related to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation. This study described patient versus spouse (proxy) ratings of patient HRQL prior to (T1) and after 6 weeks (T2) of phase II CR.


METHODS
A nonprobability sample of patients referred to phase II CR and their spouses were recruited (42 pairs). The Short Form 36 v.2 (SF-36) instrument was used to measure HRQL. Differences between group means were tested with paired-samples t tests (P < .05).


RESULTS
Improvements in patient self-report of HRQL from T1 to T2 were noted in physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional (all P <.001), mental health (P < .01), and both physical and mental component summary (P < .001). Spouse reports of patient HRQL improved in physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning, mental health (all P < .001), role-emotional (P < .01), and the physical (P < .001) and mental component summary (P < .01). Differences between patient and spouse were found at T1 in vitality and mental health (both P < .01). At T2, differences between patient and spouse were found in vitality (P < .001), physical functioning, mental health (both P < .05), and the mental component summary (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Improvement of patient HRQL is mirrored by spouse viewpoint of patient HRQL. This unique finding has not previously been reported in the literature.
Fast
Yvonne J
YJ
School of Nursing, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, USA. Yvonne.Fast@wichita.edu
Steinke
Elaine E
EE
Wright
David W
DW
D000328:Adult; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life