Development of a health-related lifestyle self-management intervention for patients with coronary heart disease

Fernandez, Ritin Santiago; Davidson, Patricia; Griffiths, Rhonda; Juergens, Craig; Salamonson, Yenna

doi:10.1016/j.hrtlng.2009.01.008

« Previous Next »Heart & Lung: The Journal of Acute and Critical Care
Volume 38, Issue 6 , Pages 491-498, November 2009

Development of a health-related lifestyle self-management intervention for patients with coronary heart disease

Ritin Santiago Fernandez, PhD, MN, RN
- South Western Sydney Centre for Applied Nursing Research, NSW, Australia
- New South Wales Centre for Evidence-Based Health, University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Corresponding author: Ritin Santiago Fernandez, Senior Lecturer University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown, Australia
Patricia Davidson, PhD, RN
- Family and Community Health College of Health and Science, Curtin University of Technology, NSW, Australia
Rhonda Griffiths, DrPH, RN
- South Western Sydney Centre for Applied Nursing Research, NSW, Australia
- New South Wales Centre for Evidence-Based Health, University of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia
- University of Western Sydney Australia, Australia
Craig Juergens, FACC, FRACP, MBBS
- Interventional Cardiology, Liverpool Health Service, Sydney, Australia
Yenna Salamonson, PhD, RN
- University of Western Sydney Australia, Australia

published online 05 October 2009.

Risk-factor modification after an acute coronary event is imperative, and intervention strategies are continuously being developed to assist patients with behavioral change and, consequently, decreasing the risk of further coronary episodes. This article describes the development of the health-related lifestyle self-management (HeLM) intervention, which is a brief structured intervention embedded within the transtheoretical model of behavioral change. The HeLM intervention was developed by undertaking three discrete yet interrelated studies and consisted of the following components: goal-setting, the HeLM booklet, feedback regarding personal risk, team-building and communication with the patient's family physician, three supportive telephone calls, trained interviewers, a refrigerator magnet, and a health diary for self-monitoring. The HeLM intervention has been successfully implemented in 50 patients with acute coronary syndrome after discharge from hospital and has been demonstrated to be feasible and practical and could easily be delivered by health care professionals.