The subjective aspects of coronary care

An exit questionnaire to measure satisfaction with selected aspects of coronary care was given to patients following discharge from coronary care units in 11 community hospitals in the Intermountain West. Although overall satisfaction was found to be high, the responses indicated significant differences (p less than .01) in patient satisfaction among the dimensions examined. The central findings suggest the need for more attention to the nontechnical aspects of care, especially reduction of emotional trauman and improved interpersonal relations. Practical implicattions of these and other findings for the nursing profession as well as for coronary care are discussed.