Health literacy in patients with coronary artery disease following percutaneous coronary intervention

Gunhild Brørs is the third PhD candidate using data from the prospective multicenter cohort study CONCARDPCI, which included 3417 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at seven Norwegian and Danish university hospitals.

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It has been argued that optimization of health literacy is an essential factor for success in disease prevention. Electronic health technology (eHealth) provides new opportunities for the development of follow-up programs targeting patients with established coronary artery disease. However, in order to understand the possibilities within eHealth technology and health literacy in patients with coronary artery disease, the knowledge gap that exists in this field must be closed.

The overarching aim of Brørs’ thesis was to describe the effect that eHealth secondary prevention programs have on patients with coronary artery disease, and to investigate health literacy, eHealth literacy and risk factors in patients after PCI. The thesis is based on four sub-studies. In sub-study 1, a systematic review was performed to describe the effect that eHealth programs might have on secondary prevention. This sub-study showed that eHealth secondary prevention programs have a positive impact on health outcomes.

Data from the CONCARDPCI project was used for the remaining three sub-studies. Sub-study 2 assessed the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) (n=1695) and found satisfactory measurement properties. Sub-studies 3 and 4 identified key aspects of health literacy and eHealth literacy that were associated with behavioral and psychological risk factors for coronary artery disease from baseline to 6 and 12 months after PCI. The results of these sub-studies show that consideration should be given to health literacy and eHealth literacy when developing eHealth secondary preventive programs following PCI.

The assigned topic for the trial lecture was «Changes in cardiovascular disease incidence in a global perspective and further possibilities for primary prevention». Brørs gave an informative and well-illustrated lecture on the subject.

The trial lecture and public defense were led by Professor Stig Hartug. The first opponent was Professor Anita Kärner Köhler from Linköping University in Sweden and the second opponent was Professor Henrik Schirmer from the University of Oslo. Associate professor Venny Lise Kvalheim from the University of Bergen chaired the assessment committee. The opponents were well prepared, and appropriate and clinically relevant questions led to valuable scientific discussions. The candidate displayed her knowledge about the subject and the excellent work she had put into the thesis.

Gunhild Brørs works as a quality advisor and specialist nurse at the Cardiology Clinic, St. Olav's hospital in Trondheim. She has been a PhD candidate at the University of Bergen. from 2020 until 2023. The doctoral work has been carried out at the Clinical Institute 2, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen. Professor Tone M. Norekvål was the main supervisor, while Professor Bengt Fridlund and Professor Håvard Dalen have been co-supervisors. Brørs has a bachelor’s degree in nursing, with further specialization in cardiac nursing, as well as a master's degree in clinical nursing.