Educational Video to Improve Understanding and Reduce Anxiety in Heart Attack Patients

Overview

Patients who are diagnosed with a heart attack are often confronted with an unexpected hospital admission and an urgent heart catheterization. In this stressful situation, anxiety is common and understanding of the procedure may be limited, even after standard verbal and written explanations. This study investigates whether a short educational video, shown in addition to standard medical information, can help patients better understand the heart catheterization procedure and reduce anxiety before the intervention. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either standard information alone or standard information plus the educational video. The study will assess patients' understanding of the procedure, their level of anxiety, and their satisfaction with the information provided. The results may help improve patient education and support in acute cardiac care settings.

Patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome require urgent heart catheterization under stressful and unfamiliar circumstances. Anxiety levels are often elevated, and the ability to process and retain medical information may be reduced. Standard patient education is typically provided verbally and in written form, but time constraints and the acute clinical setting may limit its effectiveness. The purpose of this randomized controlled study is to evaluate the effect of a short, standardized educational video shown in addition to standard care. The video is designed to provide structured information about the heart catheterization procedure, including its purpose, key steps, typical visual impressions, and immediate post-procedural care, without minimizing potential risks. The intervention is intended to complement, not replace, routine physician-led informed consent. Eligible patients with acute coronary syndrome who are undergoing heart catheterization for the first time will be enrolled and randomly assigned to either standard information alone or standard information plus the educational video. The primary objective is to determine whether the educational video improves patients' understanding of the procedure. Secondary objectives include assessing its effect on anxiety levels and patient satisfaction. By focusing on an easily scalable educational intervention, this study aims to provide evidence for improving patient-centered communication in acute cardiac care. If effective, the approach may be implemented into routine clinical practice.