AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore changes in illness perception and health-related quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease following percutaneous coronary intervention from the time when patients were discharged from hospital and five months later and to investigate association between illness perception and physical and mental health-related quality of life at five-month follow-up.

BACKGROUND

Illness perception is known to influence patients' motivation to engage in preventive behaviour.

DESIGN

Prospective and comparative with two measurement points: at discharge from hospital (time 1) and five months later (time 2).

METHODS

Two self-administered questionnaires were used as follows: the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised measured illness perception and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) measured physical and mental health-related quality of life. The sample consisted of patients with coronary heart disease admitted to University Hospital between November 2011-April 2012.

RESULTS

A total of 69 questionnaires were returned for both measurement times. Most responders were male (71%), mean age was 68·9 (SD 10·3) years. Health-related quality of life increased over time, and illness perception changed; five months after discharge, participants were more aware that the disease was chronic and could worsen suddenly, and they perceived that the disease had less of a consequence on their lives compared to when they were staying in the hospital. Associations between increased personal control, changeability of the disease, perceptions of less of a consequence of the disease on daily life and increased health-related quality of life were demonstrated at time 2.

CONCLUSION

Perceptions of personal control, changeability and consequences of the disease should be assessed and discussed with cardiac patients, as these illness perceptions are related to physical and mental health-related quality of life.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Increased understanding of consequences of the disease, personal control and perceived changeability of the illness affects health-related quality of life; these are factors that nurses in clinical practice can influence and thereby improve patients' outcomes.