Exercise-based real-time telerehabilitation for older patients recently discharged after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: An extended feasibility study.

Objectives: To assess the extended feasibility of a telerehabilitation program and its effects on physical performance in older adults who have recently undergone transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods: In this single-center feasibility study, patients underwent an eight-week telerehabilitation program, involving web-based home exercise training twice weekly, an activity tracker, access to an informative website, and one online session with a nurse, starting one-week postoperative. Data collection was performed before surgery and three months postoperative.

Postponement of elective cardiac surgery: A prospective observational analysis of anxiety, depression, social support and clinical complications.

Aims: To investigate patients' psychological reactions to postponement of elective cardiac surgery, and whether postponement was associated with increased complications post-operative and while waiting.

Design: A single-centre observational prospective cohort study.

Methods: All adult patients referred for elective cardiac surgery during the study period were considered for inclusion.

Sex Differences in Patient-Reported Outcomes in the Immediate Recovery Period After Resuscitation: Findings From the Cross-sectional DenHeart Survey.

Background: A paucity of resuscitation studies have examined sex differences in patient-reported outcomes upon hospital discharge. It remains unclear whether male and female patients differ in health outcomes in their immediate responses to trauma and treatment after resuscitation.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine sex differences in patient-reported outcomes in the immediate recovery period after resuscitation.

Return to work and everyday life following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Results from the national survey, DenHeart.

Background: With increasing survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), knowledge on return to everyday life, including return to work, should be getting increasing attention.

Objectives: To i) describe patterns of labor market affiliation up to 12 months after discharge among a workforce population and to, ii) investigate the association between clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported health at discharge and a composite endpoint of prolonged sick leave and leaving the workforce after 3 and 12 months.

Methods: Data from the national survey, DenHeart, were used, including measures of self-reported health: HeartQoL and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), combined with register-based follow-up.

The association between health-related quality of life, self-reported characteristics and 1- and 3-year mortality amongst cardiac patients with and without type 2 diabetes.

Purpose: The objectives amongst cardiac patients with and without type 2 diabetes were to (i) describe self-reported characteristics as health-related quality of life (HRQoL), health behaviour, body mass index (BMI) and physical shape and to (ii) investigate the association between self-reported characteristics and 1- and 3-year mortality.

Methods: Adult patients (≥ 18 years) discharged with a cardiac diagnosis were invited to participate in a national survey, DenHeart. Self-reported characteristics included HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L and HeartQol), health behaviour (alcohol and smoking), BMI and physical shape.

Nurses' Clinical Decision-Making in a Changed COVID-19 Work Environment: A Focus Group Study.

This study aims to explore how a changed COVID-19 work environment influences nurses' clinical decision-making. Data were collected via three focus groups totaling 14 nurses working in COVID-19 pandemic wards at a Danish university hospital. The factors influencing decision-making are described in three themes; navigating in a COVID-19 dominated context, recognizing the importance of collegial fellowship, and the complexities of feeling competent.

Nursing care during COVID-19 at non-COVID-19 hospital units: A qualitative study.

The maintenance of physical distance, the absence of relatives and the relocation of registered nurses to COVID-19 units presumably affects nursing care at non-COVID-19 units. Using a qualitative design, this study explored registered nurses' experiences of how COVID-19 influenced nursing care in non-COVID-19 units at a Danish university hospital during the first wave of the virus. The study is reported using the COREQ checklist.

The association between cardiac drug therapy and anxiety among cardiac patients: results from the national DenHeart survey.

Background: Neuropsychiatric side effects of cardiac drugs such as nervousness, mood swings and agitation may be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety in cardiac patients is highly prevalent and associated with poor outcomes, thus an accurate identification is essential. The objectives were to: (I) describe the possible neuropsychiatric side effects of common cardiac drug therapies, (II) describe the use of cardiac drug therapy in cardiac patients with self-reported symptoms of anxiety compared to those with no symptoms of anxiety, and (III) investigate the association between the use of cardiac drug therapy and self-reported symptoms of anxiety.

Perspectives on Participation in a Feasibility Study on Exercise-Based Cardiac Telerehabilitation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Qualitative Interview Study Among Patients and Health Professionals.

Background: Aortic valve stenosis affects approximately half of people aged ≥85 years, and the recommended surgical treatment for older patients is transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Despite strong evidence for its advantages, low attendance rate in cardiac rehabilitation is observed among patients after TAVI. Cardiac telerehabilitation (CTR) has proven comparable with center-based rehabilitation; however, no study has investigated CTR targeting patients after TAVI.

Patient-reported outcome is associated with health care costs in patients with ischaemic heart disease and arrhythmia.

Aims: Systematic use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have the potential to improve quality of care and reduce costs of health care services. We aimed to describe whether PROs in patients diagnosed with heart disease are directly associated with health care costs.

Methods And Results: A national cross-sectional survey including PROs at discharge from a heart centre with 1-year follow-up using data from national registers.

Exercise-Based Real-time Telerehabilitation for Older Adult Patients Recently Discharged After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.

Background: The use of telehealth technology to improve functional recovery following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has not been investigated.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine the feasibility of exercise-based cardiac telerehabilitation after TAVI.

Methods: This was a single-center, prospective, nonrandomized study using a mixed methods approach.

Gender differences in patient-reported outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Aims: Women report worse health-related patient-reported outcomes (PROs) compared with men following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, this association is not well established when accounting for demographic and clinical patient characteristics at discharge. This knowledge is essential for clinicians when planning individualised care for patients following AMI.

Association Between Risk Factors and Readmission for Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Treated With Catheter Ablation: Results From the Nationwide DenHeart Study.

Background: Because of high readmission rates for patients treated with ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), there is great value in nurses knowing which risk factors make the largest contribution to readmission.

Objective: The aims of this study were to (1) describe potential risk factors at discharge and (2) describe the associations of risk factors with readmission from 60 days to 1 year after discharge.

Methods: Data from a national cross-sectional survey exploring patient-reported outcomes were used in conjunction with data from national health registers.

Distress and anxiety following postponed cardiac surgery prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused postponements of elective cardiac surgery. We hypothesised that postponements due to the pandemic were associated with higher levels of psychological distress than prepandemic postponements.

Methods: A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted among patients in whom elective cardiac surgery was postponed.

The heart & mind trial: intervention with cognitive-behavioural therapy in patients with cardiac disease and anxiety: randomised controlled trial protocol.

Introduction: Patients with cardiac disease often experience anxiety (prevalence about 20%-25%) and have a doubled mortality risk when suffering from anxiety compared with patients without anxiety. This calls for interventions aiming to reduce anxiety.

Methods And Analysis: The Heart & Mind Trial consists of three parts: (1) screening of all hospitalised and outpatient cardiac patients with arrhythmia, heart failure or ischaemic heart disease at four university hospitals in Denmark using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A); Patients scoring ≥8 is invited to participate; (2) Assessment of the type of anxiety by Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and (3) Randomised clinical superiority trial with blinded outcome assessment, with 1:1 randomisation to cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) performed by a CBT-trained cardiac nurse plus usual care or, usual care alone.

Are patient-reported outcomes at discharge associated with employment status after cardiac hospitalization? Results from the national DenHeart study.

Introduction: In patients hospitalized for cardiac disease, a more comprehensive understanding of the potential predictors of returning to the workforce or detachment from employment is lacking.

Aim: The aims were (i) to explore the patterns of employment status within 1 year following hospital discharge and (ii) to investigate the association between self-reported physical health, mental health, and symptom burden at discharge and employment status at 13, 26, and 52 weeks, respectively, following discharge.

Methods And Results: Patients discharged from Danish heart centres from April 2013 to April 2014 who were a part of the workforce prior to hospitalization and aged 18-63 were included.

Patient-reported outcomes, clinical, and demographic variables as predictors of withdrawal from the workforce after hospitalization with heart failure: findings from the national DenHeart survey.

Aims: Increased prevalence and survival among patients with heart failure draws attention to their everyday life, including their ability to work. Many patients with heart failure withdraw from the workforce, which can affect their quality of life. The aim was to investigate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and clinical and demographic variables as predictors of withdrawal from the workforce after admission with a diagnose of heart failure.

Social Distancing among COPD Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Qualitative Study.

To limit the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing was introduced globally in the first half of 2020. COPD-patients were identified as a group at special risk in connection with the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hence, social distancing has been important in this group of patients.

Prognostic value of a brief loneliness questionnaire for patients with coronary heart disease: Proposal for a prediction model.

Background: In patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), loneliness is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. No predictive tool is available to detect patients who are influenced by loneliness to a degree that impacts mortality.

Aim: To: (i) propose a prediction model that detects patients influenced by loneliness to a degree that increases one-year all-cause mortality, (ii) evaluate model classification performance of the prediction model, and (iii) investigate potential questionnaire response errors.

Caring for patients displaying agitated behaviours in the intensive care unit - A mixed-methods systematic review.

Background: Patient agitation is common in the intensive care unit (ICU), with consequences for both patients and health professionals if not managed effectively. Research indicates that current practices may not be optimal. A comprehensive review of the evidence exploring nurses' experiences of caring for these patients is required to fully understand how nurses can be supported to take on this important role.

Patient-reported outcomes, sociodemographic and clinical factors are associated with 1-year mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease-findings from the DenHeart cohort study.

Purpose: In patients with ischemic heart disease, the objectives were (1) to explore associations between patient-reported outcomes, sociodemographic, and clinical factors at discharge and 1-year all-cause mortality and (2) to investigate the discriminant predictive performance of the applied patient-reported outcome instruments on 1-year all-cause mortality.

Methods: Data from the Danish national DenHeart cohort study were used. Eligible patients (n = 13,476) were invited to complete a questionnaire-package, of which 7167 (53%) responded.

Cause of Death Among Cardiac Patients With and Without Anxiety.

Background: Mental distress is reported internationally among patients with cardiac disease. A Danish survey found that 25% of patients with cardiac disease experienced symptoms indicating anxiety and that anxiety was associated with an increased risk of death.

Aim: The aims of this study were to (1) compare cause of death patterns among deceased cardiac patients with anxiety to those without anxiety and (2) examine the association between anxiety symptoms and specific causes of death.