| Background. Due to shortened length of hospital stay and the need for patients following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery to manage their condition at home, it is important to provide education at a time which will allow for maximum gain in outcomes. An alternative to in-hospital patient education is individualized teaching that is delivered 1-2 days post-discharge, via telephone.; Purpose. To determine the most appropriate time (1--2 days pre-discharge versus 1--2 days post-discharge) for delivering individualized education to patients who had CABG surgery.; Design. A randomized, pre-test-post-test clinical trial.; Sample. The sample included patients who had their first time CABG; were literate in English; cognitively oriented to person, place, and time; and had access to a working phone, in the hospital or at home.; Analyses. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample. Repeated measure analysis of variance was performed to examine differences in the outcomes among the two groups, over time. The hypothesized relationships between variables were tested using Pearson correlation coefficients.; Results. Results indicated no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in their knowledge of self-care behaviours, their actual performance of self-care behaviours, and symptom experience. The nature and method of delivery of the individualized intervention were proposed to have contributed to changes in knowledge, self-care, and symptom over time within both groups. Significant correlations were noted between anxiety and all outcomes of interest; as well between knowledge and self-care; and self-care and symptoms experienced.; Implications. Implications for practice, theory, and research were discussed. Specifically, the following were suggested: to consider the use of multi-component interventions as part of usual client care, to design and deliver using one-on-one teaching methods individualized patient education interventions; and to consider the patient's environment during teaching interactions. |
