Shared Care Contributions to Self-Care and Quality of Life in Chronic Cardiac Patients

Shared care is an interpersonal interaction system composed of communication, decision making, and reciprocity; it is used by patients and family caregivers (care dyads) to exchange social support. This study's purpose was to describe the contributions of shared care to outcomes for individuals with cardiac disease. A secondary data analysis was used to answer the following questions. What is the association between elements of shared care and patient outcomes? Do dyad perceptions of shared care differentially contribute to patient outcomes? Participants in this study were 93 individuals with a cardiac disease and 93 family caregivers. Composite index structured equation modeling was the analytic tool. Caregiver communication and reciprocity were related to patient mental quality of life. Patient communication and reciprocity were related to their own mental and physical quality of life and self-care confidence. Findings from this study contribute a better understanding of how care dyads are integral to patient outcomes.