• Tove Aminda Hanssen, Jan Erik Nordrehaug, Geir Egil Eide, and Berit Rokne Hanestad.
• Centre for Clinical Research, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. tove.aminda.hanssen@helse-bergen.no
• J Clin Nurs. 2009 May 1; 18 (9): 1334-45.

AimsAn earlier combined proactive and reactive telephone follow-up intervention for acute myocardial infarction patients after discharge from hospital showed positive effects after six months. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the intervention has long-term effects up to 18 months after discharge.DesignA prospective randomised controlled trial with 18 months follow-up.MethodThe trial was conducted with 288 patients allocated to a telephone follow-up intervention group (n = 156) or control group (n = 132). The primary endpoint was health-related quality of life using the SF-36. Secondary endpoints included smoking and exercise habits, return to work and rehospitalisation due to chest pain.ResultsThere were significant improvements over time on most dimensions of health-related quality of life in both the intervention and control group to US norm population levels on most SF-36 dimensions and summary scores. The intervention group showed no overall significant improvement beyond six months in the physical or mental summary scores, but there was a significant effect for those aged 70 or above. Although there was a promising effect for rehospitalisation due to chest pain, no significant differences were found between the groups on the secondary endpoints after six months.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that despite positive short-term effects at six months, the telephone follow-up intervention had no long-term effects on health-related quality of life or secondary endpoints. However, the potential for improvement beyond six months was less than anticipated reflecting a reduced morbidity among acute myocardial infarction patients.Relevance To Clinical PracticeTelephone follow-up after discharge from hospital is an easy implementable follow-up intervention enabling individualised provision of information and support in a time often experienced as stressful by patients. Our study indicates that six months is an adequate support period. Despite positive results six months after discharge no significant added long-term effects of telephone follow-up, compared to usual care were found in this study.

13 keywords...

hide…