The effects of an in-hospital educational programme for myocardial infarction patients.

The effects of a standardized audiovisual educational programme for myocardial infarction (MI) patients have been evaluated in 4 hospital departments using a time-sequential quasi-experimental design. Compared with controls, patients offered the educational programme were more knowledgeable and had less fear-provoking beliefs about the MI, expressed more optimistic expectations about future physical ability, resumed physical activities more rapidly, reported less initial emotional disturbances, and consulted physicians less often during the first 6 weeks after discharge. Six months mortality-rate was significantly lower in the educational group, but long-term survival was identical in the two groups. The educational programme had no effect on smoking, return to work, resumption of sexual activity, or number of re-hospitalizations. The results indicate that standardized patient teaching during hospitalization is feasible and improves short-term coping behaviour after a MI.