Primary PCI patients' perspectives of health information provision: preliminary findings

Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) isrecognised as the gold standard treatment for patientspresenting early with ST elevation myocardial infarction.Successful revascularisation using this approach results in asignificantly shortened in-hospital stay which limits opportunitiesfor patient education. Little is known about patients'early health information needs and contextual factors thatmay influence learning.Purpose: To explore the perspectives of patients regardingtheir health information needs during early recovery afterprimary PCI.Methods: Using a qualitative research approach, semistructuredinterviews were conducted with a purposivesample of patients recruited from a specialist UK cardiaccentre serving a population of over 720,000. Thirteen menand eleven women, aged between 36 and 83 years, wereinterviewed within the first week of discharge home afterprimary PCI. All participants were fluent in English, had nodocumented cognitive deficits and were interviewed in theperiod between discharge from hospital and first home visitby the community cardiac rehabilitation nurse. One-to-oneinterviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim.Nvivo software was used in conjunction with FrameworkAnalysis techniques to systematically order and synthesisefindings. As part of this method, a priori issues and availableliterature were integrated into the data analysis. A thematicframework to guide analysis was reached by consensus witha researcher not involved in the interview process andsubsequently applied to all the transcripts. Data collection isongoing.Results: Patients were generally very positive about theirexperience and reported being surprised and impressed atthe speed with which the process was expedited.Although this was seen as being positive it also leftsome participants experiencing feelings of ‘shock’ and‘unreality’ which about what had happened to them.Patients' perspectives of health information provision werecharacterised by five themes; a continuous process,preferred providers, content, delivery preferences andassimilation.Conclusions: Patients viewed health information provisionas a ‘continuous process’. In general they were satisfied withthe health information they received but there were someinconsistencies in provision.