[Epidemiological study of the health-disease experience of patients with myocardial infarct]

GISSI-Nursing is a multicentre research project whose main characteristics are summarized in the title "Epidemiological study of the perception and experience of health and illness in the patient with acute myocardial infarction". A large sample CCU nursing staffs (85 out of the country approximately 230) agreed to take part in the protocol, which has become operational on March 1, 1991. The study aims at producing a longitudinal profile (from the post acute phase up to 6 months after the index event) of the way patients live the situations which procede accompany, follow the acute myocardial infarction. The size of the foreseen population (around 2500 patients) and the first han involvement of a care group of nurses in the planning and the management of the study may be seen as a promising set up for producing not only interesting new data but also original methodological insight into the research role of nurses.