Affairs of the heart: couples coping with cardiac rehabilitation

Background: Cardiovascular diseases pose a challenge for patients, partners, and medical staff. This study aimed to explore how patient activation relates to partner reactions (pessimistic illness perception, overprotection, hostility, support for patient activation, dyadic stress appraisal, and common dyadic coping), as well as relationships with the healthcare team (clarity of information, satisfaction with medical staff, partner-doctor relationship quality). Methods: A dyadic design was used, with partners from 86 couples filling a self-report questionnaire at cardiac rehabilitation admission. Findings: Results from path analysis showed that patient activation was higher when the partner’s illness perception was less pessimistic, when the partner was less overprotective, and the couple was more able to cope together. Also, patient activation was higher the better the patient’s relationship with the medical staff and the less the partner reported to have a good relationship with the patient’s doctor. No associations were found between patient activation and partner’s hostility, partner support to patient activation, and dyadic stress appraisal. Finally, no associations were found between patient activation and clarity of information received at intake. Discussion: Research and interventions should take advantage of dyadic and team-based approaches to better understand relational drivers of patient activation and effectively leverage their different roles.