Promoting cardiac rehabilitation education after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with coronary heart disease: a best practice implementation project

INTRODUCTION: After percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), managing risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) is essential. Cardiac rehabilitation provides comprehensive management of these risk factors. However, in China, patient health education on cardiac rehabilitation remains inadequate, and evidence has not been effectively integrated into clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: This project aimed to promote evidence-based practices for post-PCI cardiac rehabilitation for patients with coronary heart disease to enhance patient prognoses. METHODS: This project followed the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework and used JBI's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (PACES) and Getting Research into Practice (GRiP) tool. The project was conducted in the cardiovascular ward of a tertiary general hospital in Changsha, China. Based on summarized best evidence, 13 audit criteria were established for baseline and follow-up audits involving 24 patients and 20 nursing staff. Gaps, barriers, and facilitators of compliance with best practices were identified, leading to targeted strategies to address these issues. RESULTS: The baseline audit indicated 0% compliance for 8 out of 13 criteria. After implementing strategies to address poor adherence, follow-up audits revealed positive outcomes, achieving 100% compliance across all criteria. Improvements were noted in nurses' cardiac rehabilitation education attitudes and behaviors, patient medication adherence, and patient self-management. CONCLUSIONS: This project developed a standardized protocol for post-PCI cardiac rehabilitation education for CHD patients and created related educational materials. The project demonstrated that evidence-based practices can enhance clinical practice in this area. SPANISH ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A499.