Project objective
Ischaemic heart disease is a chronic disease due to artery calcification in the heart, which can lead to heart attacks. The number of patients with ischaemic heart disease is growing rapidly, due to the ageing population and improved treatment methods, which allow more patients to survive heart disease.
Contracting ischaemic heart disease can be a massive shock, and 20% of patients have been found to suffer a fear of dying, anxiety and depression as a result of the disease. That causes poorer quality of life, hospital admissions, absence from work and premature deaths.
In addition, ischaemic heart disease and depression are both linked to massive costs to society.
Mandatory screening for anxiety and depression in heart patients was introduced in Denmark in 2013 in the course of their rehabilitation. But apart from referral to their own GP, there are few options for patients suffering such consequences of the disease.
Against that background, the project will investigate whether patients suffering from anxiety or depression receive the right treatment (psychologically, pharmacologically or in combination), when they are referred to their GP; whether there is any improvement in patients offered treatment in relation to better health and their chances of returning to work.
And as a something extra for this patient group, the project will also develop an eHealth psychological intervention based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy, which can be offered via a web-based platform or app.
The project will test the eHealth service in connection with the screening of heart patients for depression and anxiety and evaluate barriers and facilities for the implementation of such digital interventions in a clinical context.
Project results
The project wants to gain awareness of what happens to patients diagnosed with anxiety and depression when they attend the mandatory screening, and are thus referred to their own doctor.
The project will develop a prototype eHealth intervention aimed at anxiety and depression in patients with ischaemic heart disease, and will evaluate the effect of the combination of screening and eHealth protocol in clinical practice.
Contact
Work package leader: Susanne S. Pedersen, Professor, Department of Psychology
Partners
Ann-Dorthe Zwisler, Professor, REHPA, Danish Knowledge Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care, SDU & OUH
Uffe Kock Wiil, Professor, The Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Insitute
Kim Rose Olsen, Associate Professor, Dept. of Public Health - Health Economy