Knowledge and Perceived Health Benefits of Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty among Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Introduction: The determination of the knowledge and perceived health benefits of Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) from the patient’s view of understanding helps to develop a holistic approach to health care. Aim: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceived health benefits of PTCA and to find the association of knowledge with the perceived health benefits and demographic variables among the patients with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Materials and Methods: A descriptive survey design was used and data were collected from 130 participants of cardiac wards of a tertiary care hospital, Karnataka, using structured knowledge questionnaire about PTCA and post-PTCA health benefits scale. Later a leaflet about PTCA was given to the participants. Subjects diagnosed with CHD and on the first post procedural day of PTCA were included in the study and patients with psychiatric disorders and medical disorders except diabetes mellitus and hypertension were excluded. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the sample characteristics, Chi-Square was used for association. Results: The mean age of the sample was 54 years, the mean knowledge score was 7.35±2.855 and 15.4%, 69.2% and 15.4% of the participants had good, moderate and poor knowledge respectively. The PTCA procedure was perceived as highly beneficial by 79.2% of participants and association was not found between knowledge and perceived health benefits of PTCA (p>0.05). Conclusion: The study highlights the need for planning programs for continuing individualised health education on PTCA for the patients and their families to make changes in the patient’s wrong perception of health benefits after PTCA.