A quality improvement project is underway to see if heart patients would benefit from group sessions to help them with their condition.
It is being led by a lead cardiac nurse in east Kent, Paul Whyte, who is working on the project with the British Heart Foundation, the Health Science Network and colleagues across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Patients will also be involved so that their views can be taken on board.
Paul said: “Our cardiac patients go to community clinics and have home visits where we educate them about their condition and tell them how they can look after themselves better. At the moment we deliver education to patients one-to-one but we are looking to see if there is a better way.
“We know that our colleagues who work in diabetes do group education sessions for patients and we are wondering if we could do the same.
“At the moment we are only at the fact finding stage, but it would be interesting to see if our patients would gain from this.
“Our patients have told us that they want conversation and would like to speak to others who have similar problems, so we are listening to what they have to say.”