What is it about?
When people are diagnosed with an illness they develop their own thinking about what may have caused it. Often people develop misconceptions about cause. In this study we asked 140 people, diagnosed with coronary heart disease and treated with coronary angioplasty, about what they believed had caused their heart condition.
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Why is it important?
It is important to ensure that people have an accurate understanding of the risk factors that cause heart disease as some can be modified. With this information people are equipped to make choices and decisions about how they manage their life and lifestyle to promote their health and well-being. In this study we found that often peoples perception of cause did not match coronary risk factors documented in medical records.
Perspectives
This study made me realise how much can get 'lost in communication' between patients and health professionals. It is so important to establish a common "platform" of understanding when discussing coronary risk factors so that a realistic plan for successful and long-term lifestyle change can be developed.
Professor Felicity Astin
University of Huddersfield
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Heart Disease Attributions of Patients Prior to Elective Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty, The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, January 2004, Wolters Kluwer Health,
DOI: 10.1097/00005082-200401000-00008.
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