Perceived health among percutaneous coronary intervention patients over a six‐year follow‐up period

Abstract Aims and objectives The study was conducted to describe long‐term perceived health among patients after a percutaneous coronary intervention as well as clarify the associations between perceived health and various factors. Background Perceived health is an important outcome for coronary heart disease patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention. Poor perceived health predicts low adherence to treatment, morbidity and mortality. Design An explanatory and descriptive survey with a six‐year follow‐up (STROBE Statement: File S1 ). Methods Baseline data ( n = 416) were collected in 2013, with follow‐up data collected from the same study group in 2019 ( n = 154) at two university hospitals and three central hospitals in Finland. The employed self‐reported questionnaire was based on the EuroQoL visual analogue scale and EuroQol five‐dimensional scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate methods. Results Perceived health did not significantly differ four months or six years after percutaneous coronary intervention. The respondents most commonly reported pain and discomfort (62.1%), problems in mobility (50.3%), issues with usual activities (27.5%), and anxiety and depression (24.0%). Managing self‐care (8.5%) was least likely to be an issue for the respondents. A majority of the reported problems were of a mild nature. The consumption of an adequate amount of vegetables, lower systolic blood pressure, regular follow‐up treatment, lack of prior invasive procedures, and younger age predicted better scores for both perceived health and its separate dimensions. Conclusion Regular follow‐up is important to ensure after percutaneous coronary intervention to identify patients with pain and discomfort, mobility problems, depression and anxiety. Healthcare professionals should pay particular attention to elderly patients, who have undergone severe invasive procedures. Relevance to Clinical Practice This study confirms the importance of regular follow‐ups for post‐percutaneous coronary intervention patients. Patient or Public Contribution Patients have completed a self‐reported questionnaire based on informed consent.