2013 Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 20-24
Although multiple recommended therapies for the patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) were published in the past 15 years, many patients in whom therapies are indicated are not receiving them in actual clinical practice. We have surveyed the contribution level of liaison critical pathway (LCP) for CAD on patient education for 4 years. The total number of subjects of LCP for CAD was 603 patients between the years 2007 to 2011. We conducted the effects of LCP for the cardiovascular nurses at the starting time of the LCP, after half a year, two years later and four years later. At the time of the introduction of the LCP, LCP was effective in the information sharing, guidance, and the treatment of specific goals. The leadership and attitudes, however, of medical staffs for the patient education were low. As the LCP practicing years advanced, improvement were seen on the opportunities to meet patients (p=0.0006), the activity of patient guidance (p<0.0001) and the knowledge of heart disease (p=0.0004) of medical staffs. The LCP had improved the knowledge of cardiac rehabilitation in nurses (p<0.0001) and decreased the delay of starting LCP for CAD by doctors (p<0.0001).
The inter-professional work by using the LCP for CAD had been changed to be active in educating patients and improve medical knowledge of medical staffs.
