The Effect of Family-Centered Empowerment Model on Treatment Plans Adherence of Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Background: Coronary artery diseases are among the most important causes of disability and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is considered as one of the most important methods of treatment. The improvement of post-surgery adherence to treatment plan is one of the main healthcare objectives. Objectives: The present study attempted to determine the effect of family-centered empowerment model on the adherence of patients undergoing CABG to the treatment plans. Methods: This research was a clinical trial and a quasi-experimental study, including pre and post tests with a control group performed on 102 patients and active family members of the patients hospitalized at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Imam Khomeini hospital of Tehran, Iran in 2014. For the experimental group, the family-centered empowerment model was implemented with four steps. The control group received only common care. The rate of patients’ adherence to the treatment plans was then investigated in three areas of diet, medication, and physical activities before and after the intervention, and the data were analyzed using PASW Statistics V18 software. Results: The two groups were similar in terms of demographic variables. After the intervention, there was a significant difference based on the results of the independent T-test in terms of mean scores of adherence to the treatment plan in the three areas mentioned above (P = 0.000). Also, before and after the intervention, a significant difference was observed in the experimental group in terms of the above mean scores (P = 0.000). Conclusions: Based on the research findings, the family-centered empowerment model seems to be practical and feasible for the patients under CABG, which can bring improvement or correction of adherence to the treatment plan.