Comfort and patient activation in patients with myocardial infarction: A cross-sectional study

To examine comfort and patient activation, affecting factors, and the relationship between comfort and patient activation in patients with myocardial infarction.

Comfort is an important requirement for managing the treatment and patients' well-being and patient activation improves patient engagement. Assessment of comfort, patient activation and associated factors are important to reduce complications and ensure adherence.

This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and August 2023 on 138 patients in the cardiology clinic who met the inclusion criteria. The research data were collected using a Personal Information Form, a General Comfort Scale, and the Patient Activation Measure.

It was determined that 67.4 % of the patients were male, and the mean age of patients was 55.47 ± 13.59 years. Comfort was found to be moderate and patient activation level was in the first stage in 50.7 % of the patients. A relationship was found between comfort and gender, education status, health perception, hospitalization experience and number, complications, having chronic disease and medication use, source of information and symptoms, while education and employment status, regular exercise, having chronic disease and symptoms affected patient activation. There was a significant, positive correlation between comfort and the patient activation.

Comfort and patient activation levels of patients with myocardial infarction are related to sociocultural and disease-related factors. Individualized nursing interventions should be planned in line with the affecting factors to increase comfort and patient activation. Also, controlled studies should be conducted in individuals identified as risk groups are important for clinical applications.