Effects of attending phase II cardiac rehabilitation on patient versus spouse (proxy) quality-of-life perceptions

Little has been published about the differences or similarities in patient and spouse views of the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQL) related to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation. This study described patient versus spouse (proxy) ratings of patient HRQL prior to (T1) and after 6 weeks (T2) of phase II CR.

A nonprobability sample of patients referred to phase II CR and their spouses were recruited (42 pairs). The Short Form 36 v.2 (SF-36) instrument was used to measure HRQL. Differences between group means were tested with paired-samples t tests (P < .05).

Improvements in patient self-report of HRQL from T1 to T2 were noted in physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional (all P <.001), mental health (P < .01), and both physical and mental component summary (P < .001). Spouse reports of patient HRQL improved in physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning, mental health (all P < .001), role-emotional (P < .01), and the physical (P < .001) and mental component summary (P < .01). Differences between patient and spouse were found at T1 in vitality and mental health (both P < .01). At T2, differences between patient and spouse were found in vitality (P < .001), physical functioning, mental health (both P < .05), and the mental component summary (P < .05).

Improvement of patient HRQL is mirrored by spouse viewpoint of patient HRQL. This unique finding has not previously been reported in the literature.