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Biomedical subjects

F Fortin

Publications and source records attributed to F Fortin.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

A randomized, controlled trial of vicarious experience through peer support for male first-time cardiac surgery patients: impact on anxiety, self-efficacy expectation, and self-reported activity.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether vicarious experience, in which former patients exemplify the active lives they are leading, reduces anxiety and increases self-efficacy expectation and self-reported activity in patients after cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A randomized, controlled trial was used to evaluate an intervention that linked volunteers who had recovered from cardiac surgery in dyadic support with patients about to undergo similar surgery. The linking was achieved by means of visits during the hospitalization and recovery period. SUBJECTS: Fifty-six first-time male patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, with a mean age of 56.5 years, were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 27) or control group (n = 29). OUTCOME MEASURES: Anxiety was measured at 48 hours and 24 hours before surgery, and again at 5 days and 4 weeks after surgery. Self-efficacy expectation and self-reported activity were both evaluated at 5 days and 4 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: Only the experimental group showed a significant decrease in anxiety during hospitalization. At all measurement times after the first intervention, the experimental group reported significantly lower levels of anxiety compared with the control group. The experimental group reported significantly higher levels of self-efficacy expectation and self-reported activity for general activities, walking, and climbing stairs evaluated at 5 days, and for general activities at 4 weeks after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Vicarious experience provided through dyadic support is effective in helping patients undergoing cardiac surgery cope with surgical anxiety and in improving self-efficacy expectations and self-reported activity after surgery. Dyadic support is a valuable tool for recovery from cardiac surgery that needs to be maintained and explored through nursing practice and research.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Validation of questionnaires on physical function.

Data-gathering instruments were used in a randomized controlled trial, designed to assess a structured preoperative educational program for elective surgical patients. The key dependent variable was the physical functional capacity of patients following surgery. Questionnaires were developed to measure physical functioning in the immediate postoperative period, after discharge from hospital, and 10 days and 33 days after surgery. Statistical techniques used to measure interobserver agreement and bias were worker's chi square, Cicchett's statistic, the contingency coefficient, Kendall's Taub, and Kendall's coefficient of concordance W. The standardized questionnaires permitted classification of patients's postoperative physical functions with results that agreed highly with the classification done by experienced clinicians who cared for the same patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term benefits of exercise maintenance after outpatient rehabilitation program in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Optimal strategies to maintain short-term benefits of an initial rehabilitation program (RP) are not known. To assess the long-term effects of exercise maintenance (EM) after an initial outpatient RP, the authors conducted a prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with moderate to moderately severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who completed an initial 7-week outpatient RP were included. They were allocated into four groups according to the conditions of EM they self-selected: 15 patients received a structured EM session supervised by a physiotherapist twice a week (group A); 14 patients received a structured EM session supervised by a physiotherapist once a week (group B); 15 patients continued self EM daily at home (group C); and 14 patients did not continue EM (group D). Patients were evaluated before, immediately after, and 18 months after the initial outpatient RP. Measurements included exercise testing on a cycle ergometer and a visual analog scale to evaluate chronic dyspnea. RESULTS: After RP, all patients exhibited improvements in maximal workload (P < 0.05) and in dyspnea (P < 0.05). Improvements in maximal workload were maintained at 18 months in patients in groups A, B, and C but these only reached significance in groups B and C (P < 0.05). On the other hand, maximal workload returned to baseline values in group D (P = 0.01) at 18 months. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate definite benefits of EM after an initial outpatient RP compared with no EM. Daily EM at home appears to be as efficient as structured EM sessions supervised by a physiotherapist, once or twice a week, in moderate to moderately severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of the Health Belief Model in amputees' self-evaluation of adherence to diabetes self-care behaviors.

This study involving 76 amputated patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus examined the relationship between their beliefs regarding diabetes and its treatment and their self-evaluation of adherence to diabetes self-care behaviors. Descriptive results showed a high level of adherence to medication, foot care, and blood glucose testing, and a low level of adherence to diet and exercise. The correlative analysis revealed significant relationships between perceived social support and adherence to diet, and between perceived social support, barriers, and adherence to the practice of exercise. The regression analysis showed a significant influence of perceived social support on adherence to diet. The same relationship was observed for the influence of perceived social support and barriers on adherence to exercise. Findings support the importance of giving more attention to patients' needs regarding adherence to diet and exercise, improving social support, and removing barriers to patients' treatment. After an amputation it is important to provide patients with an appropriate diabetes teaching and follow-up program.

Adult↗