ผลของโปรแกรมการให้ข้อมูลร่วมกับการสนับสนุนของครอบครัวต่อความรู้สึกไม่แน่นอนในความเจ็บป่วยในผู้สูงอายุโรคกล้ามเนื้อหัวใจตายเฉียบพลัน

Abstract

This single-group pre-post-test study was designed to examine the effect of information providing integrated with a family support program on illness uncertainty among elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction. Twenty-seven participants were recruited through purposive sampling based on inclusion criteria. Participants were elderly persons with acute myocardial infarction who had a family member as a primary caregiver and who received treatment at Hatyai hospital, Songkhla Province. They received information integrated with a support program consisting of five activities: 1) good resources, 2) disease awareness, 3) clarification of treatment plans, 4) adequate information and 5) follow up. The instruments consisted of: 1) the information integrated with the family support program, 2) a flip chart, 3) a handbook of elderly with acute myocardial infarction care for caregivers, and 4) an Uncertainty in Illness questionnaire. All instruments were validated for content validity by three experts. The Uncertainty in Illness questionnaire was tested for reliability, yielding the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.84. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test. The result revealed that after receiving the program, the mean scores of illness uncertainty (M = 82.2, SD =1.85) were significantly lower than before receiving the program (M = 108.4, SD = 7.59) (p < 0.05). This study indicated that information providing integrated with a family support program reduces the feeling of uncertainty among elderly persons with acute myocardial infarction. Therefore, this program offers another prospect for designing nursing activities while caring for elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction who were hospitalized, and preparing the patients for a pre-discharge plan to reduce feelings of uncertainty about their illness and helping them to live properly with the disease.