Abstract
Background: In Portuguese healthcare contexts, despite the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation programs for recovery after a myocardial infarction, these programs remain undeveloped, with low patient participation. One contributing factor is the limited focus on a person-centred care practices, which prioritize recovery through patients’ experiences of their condition and aim to enhance their self-efficacy.
Approach: A person-centred care (PCC) intervention originally implemented in Sweden to enhance patient’s self-efficacy was adapted to the Portuguese healthcare context through a co-creation process involving stakeholders (providers and users) from a cardiology department, alongside researchers. Implementation outcomes (i.e., acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility) were assessed through stakeholders’ personal narratives about the PCC intervention, collected via semi-structured focus group discussions. Data analysis was conducted using deductive content analysis.
Results: Focus group discussions were conducted with registered nurses, physicians, and patients who had experienced a myocardial infarction. Preliminary results indicated that the PCC intervention was well-accepted and deemed appropriate and feasible by both patients and healthcare professionals. Patients with myocardial infarction perceived that the Person-centred care intervention to promote self-efficacy in patients following a myocardial infarction (P2MIR) could increase their engagement in recovery and decrease unplanned healthcare, while healthcare professionals agreed it would support their clinical practice. Both considered that it would improve healthcare integration. Adaptations identified by both groups informed the co-design of the final Portuguese version of the selected PCC intervention. Patients joined the project advising council, with the aim of acting as co-researchers during the subsequent implementation and disseminating phases.
Implications: The P2MIR was successfully developed, preserving the core components of the original intervention while tailoring to the specificities of the new context, thus increasing its potential success in real-world implementation. A pilot study involving the advising council will be co-produced at the hospital setting to evaluate P2MIR impact on PCC perspectives among both groups, as well as its effect on patient recovery following a myocardial infarction.