Retaining the good life: A qualitative study among couples living with heart disease and facing socio-demographic risk factors

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Health Services Research
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs offer vital support but often fail to adequately address patient-partner dyads facing socioeconomic risks.
• This disparity contributes to persistent health inequalities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) management.
• Understanding couples' lived experiences with heart disease (HD) is essential for equitable CR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how couples perceive and integrate heart disease (HD) into their daily lives.
• To identify factors influencing the benefit derived from cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs among couples with socioeconomic risk factors.
• To inform the development of more inclusive and effective CR interventions.

Main Methods:

• An explorative qualitative research design was employed.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 couples recruited from a hospital setting.
• Data analysis focused on understanding couples' perspectives on navigating life with heart disease (HD).

Main Results:

• Heart disease (HD) is frequently perceived as resolved and secondary after the acute phase.
• Physical recovery post-treatment can reduce anxiety, allowing HD to become less prominent than other health issues or social challenges.
• Couples prioritize resuming daily routines and maintaining their quality of life, often placing HD in the background.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs require tailoring to address the unique circumstances and resources of patient-partner dyads.
• Current CR approaches may inadvertently maintain health inequalities for couples facing socioeconomic challenges.
• Developing context-specific interventions is key to enhancing CR effectiveness and reducing disparities.