The Effectiveness of the Transitional Care Program Among People Awaiting Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial.

PURPOSE This study examined the effectiveness of the Transitional Care Program (TCP) on the anxiety, depression, cardiac self-efficacy, number of hospitalizations, and satisfaction with care among people awaiting elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. DESIGN The study design was a randomized controlled trial. METHODS The participants with coronary artery disease who met the study criteria (n = 104) were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 52) receiving the TCP plus routine care, or the control group (n = 52) receiving routine care only. The TCP, developed based on the Transitional Care Model, comprised hospital discharge planning and six weekly home telephone follow-ups to provide health education, counseling, monitoring, and emotional support tailored to the individual's needs. Data were collected at baseline, and then at weeks 1, 6, and 8 after program enrollment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and the Z test. FINDINGS The intervention group had lower anxiety and depression than did the control group at weeks 1, 6, and 8 after program enrollment. At weeks 6 and 8, the intervention group exhibited higher cardiac self-efficacy and satisfaction with care than the control group. Further, the intervention group had a significantly lower number of hospitalizations than the control group at week 8. CONCLUSIONS The TCP can reduce anxiety, depression, and number of hospitalizations, while increasing cardiac self-efficacy and satisfaction with care among people awaiting CABG. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Nurses are in a pivotal position to make care transitions safer. Provision of discharge education and regular telephone contacts could enhance positive outcomes regarding patients awaiting elective cardiac surgery.