Cost-effectiveness of a symptom management intervention: improving physical activity in older women following coronary artery bypass surgery.

Older women have lower levels of physical functioning and higher associated health care costs than men after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS). Clinical trials have demonstrated that interventions to increase physical activity levels can reduce the risk of recurrent cardiac events, reduce health care expenditures, prolong life, improve functional capacity, and increase quality of life in the elderly cardiac population. It is important for the patients, providers, health care payers, and policymakers to identify a cost-effective recovery intervention that has the potential to increase women's physical activity and functioning during their early recovery from CABS, especially in this time of limited health care resources. This home-based symptom management intervention has the potential to reduce the risk of recurrent cardiac events and health care cost by improving women's physical activity level after surgery. This information is vital to nursing leaders in making resource decisions regarding followup care of women who have had heart surgery.