Effect of Empowerment on Self-Efficacy of Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease (A Clinical Trial Study)

Abstract

Background: Improving the self-efficacy of cardiac patients is one of the pressing necessities that must be considered in the healthcare system. Meeting this urgent need requires comprehensive educational programs. Objectives: Therefore, the present study aimed at exploring the impact of empowerment on the self-efficacy of patients with ischemic heart disease who had been hospitalized in Imam Khomeini Hospital affiliated to Lorestan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This clinical trial was carried out in 2018 on patients with ischemic heart disease who had referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Pol-e Dokhtar, Lorestan province, Iran. A total of 56 patients were randomly chosen and assigned to the control and experimental groups. The standard chronic disease self-efficacy scale (CDSES) was used for data collection. The empowerment program was presented in three 45-minute sessions, and the data were analyzed by SPSS version 23 using covariance, independent t test, and descriptive statistical tests. Results: The results of the independent t test revealed no significant difference in the mean scores of self-efficacy between the two groups before the intervention. However, after the intervention and at the first and second phases of control, the mean score of self-efficacy was higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Moreover, the results of covariance analysis established that while self-efficacy promoted in the experimental group, it did not change in the control group. Conclusions: Empowerment training can promote self-efficacy in patients with ischemic heart disease, which, in turn, can facilitate their treatment process and ultimately enhance the health system efficacy.