The Effect of Implementing Orem's Self-Care Model on the Quality of Life of Patients with Myocardial Infarction: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background and Objective: Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular disorders and a progressively debilitating condition. Patients with MI often experience a reduced quality of life (QoL), primarily due to the severe complications associated with the disease. Enhancing QoL and self-care practices in these patients is essential. Self-care training is a potential strategy to improve QoL in this population. Consequently, this study aimed to explore the impact of implementing Orem's self-care model on the QoL of MI patients admitted to the ICU. Methods: This study utilized a quasi-experimental design and was conducted between February 2021 and August 2022. The study population consisted of 70 MI patients hospitalized in the ICU of a hospital in Ilam City. Eligible patients, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, were divided into intervention and control groups. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising 3 sections: 1) demographic information, 2) needs assessment based on Orem's model, and 3) the MacNew Heart Disease Health-related Quality of Life questionnaire. The intervention group received four self-care training sessions (each lasting 30-45 minutes) delivered through in-person, virtual, and phone-based methods, along with a self-care training booklet. Participants in both groups completed the QoL and self-care questionnaires before the intervention, as well as 2 weeks and 2 months after the intervention, via face-to-face visits or phone/virtual interviews. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS, version 26. The normality of the data was confirmed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and repeated-measures ANOVA was employed to compare QoL scores across different dimensions between the intervention and control groups before and after the implementation of Orem's model. Results: The findings revealed no significant difference in the mean QoL scores between the intervention and control groups before the intervention (mean difference =5.2±2.3; P=0.05). However, after the intervention, a significant difference in the mean QoL scores was observed between the 2 groups (mean difference =15.9±8.1; P=0.001). Conclusion: Orem's self-care training effectively enhanced the QoL of MI patients, indicating that the approach is a viable non-pharmaceutical strategy for improving QoL in this patient population.