Education of the Patients Living with Heart Disease

INTRODUCTION: Patient education can be defined as the process of improving knowledge and skills in order to influence the attitudes and behaviour required to maintain or improve health or health style. AIM: Education of the patients living with heart disease from ambulatory nurse education for the effectiveness on awareness on life style. METHODS: A quasi experimental study was conducted in Specialist Cardiology Ambulance D&D in Pristina among 100 patients. A complete clinical and laboratory measurements before and after the process of patient education (at 30, 60 and 90 days) were performed. The clinical outcome was nutrition, body mass index, blood pressure, lipid, diabetic profile and physical activity. The pre-post tested (validity, reliability and pilot testing) structured questionnaire were used for data collection. RESULTS: All patients underwent education sessions by an experienced education nurse on 30, 60 and 90 days. At 90 days follow up, the BMI was decreased: Pre-education (29.01±5.46), Post-education (27.72±4.71), t- 5.999 p<0.0001, glycaemic level Pre-education (6.50±2.15) and Post-education (6.02±1.63), t- 4.157, p<0.0001 was decreased, HbA1c in Pre-education (6.23±2.06) and Post-education (5.72±1.44) t- 4.036 p<0.0001 respectively. The lipid profile was also changed at the 90 days follow-up: cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C were decreased (p<0.0001 for all), whereas HDL-C was increased (p<0.0001), by educational program at 90 days follow up. Whereas, blood pressure remains unchanged. CONCLUSION: Heart disease management programme where patient’s education is an important component, have been shown to be effective in increasing knowledge, self-care and self-management patients living with heart disease.