心臟病患出院後對支持性團體需求之探討

Needs for Support Group of the Cardiac Outpatients

心臟病患的支持性團體提供病人身、心、社會需求支持，在國外已受肯定，唯國內仍缺乏此類支持性團體之設立。本研究的目的在調查出院的心臟病患對支持性團體的需求及其影響因素。研究採立意取樣，收集165為出院一年以內之心臟病患為研究對象，其中三分之二為冠狀動脈疾病患者。研究方法以自行設計之「心臟病患對支持性團體的需求量表」為研究工具，利用郵寄方式收集問卷資料，問卷回收率為45%。結果發現80%以上出院返家的心臟病患需要支持性團體所提供的協助，其中以疾病相關的知識需求最為迫切，以外協助就醫、居家照顧、即予相同疾病病友及家屬交換經驗也占有相當高的比例，足見當心臟病患返家獨自面對疾病時，確實有需要支持性團體提供協助的需求。在國內成立心臟病支持性團體有其迫切性。心臟病支持性團體需求的研究結果也可提供未來成立病患支持性團體的參考。

Support group could provide physical, psychological and social support for cardiac outpatients. However, the needs for such a group in Taiwan are not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs of cardiac patients for such a support group. A convenient sample of 165 cardiac outpatients, two thirds of whom were patients with coronary artery disease, were included in the study. Using a social support needs scale designed by the researchers, a questionnaire was mailed to the participants to collect the data. Forty-five percent of mailed questionnaire were collected. The result found that over eighty percent of the patients showed a need for the support group. Needs expected to be delivered by the support group were knowledge about heart disease, help of medical follow-up, information about available resources, and meeting with other patients with same disease. In conclusion, this study reveals a great need for a support group for cardiac outpatients. Such a group may help medical professionals understand the needs of cardiac outpatients.