Data from three different cardiac samples were included to provide psychometric data relevant to a number of different cardiac populations (Dracup et al., 2006 (link); Moser et al., 2007 (link); Wu et al., 2008 ). Data from 3,396 patients with CHD, 513 AMI patients, and 146 patients with HF were used in this analysis (Table 1 ). Patients were included in the CHD sample if they had been given a diagnosis of CHD by a physician, were community dwelling and had no serious complicating comorbidity and no cognitive impairment (Dracup et al., 2006 (link)). Patients included in the AMI sample were hospitalized in a cardiac care unit with a diagnosis of AMI confirmed by elevated cardiac enzymes and typical ECG changes, were pain-free and hemodynamically stable at the time they were approached for inclusion in the study, had no cognitive impairment, and had no noncardiac serious or life-threatening comorbidities (Moser et al., 2007 (link)). Patients in the HF sample were enrolled if they had a diagnosis of chronic HF confirmed by a cardiologist and had no cognitive impairment, had no co-existing terminal illnesses and had no AMI or stroke within the previous three months (Wu et al., 2008 ).
Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for the conduct of the studies, and patients gave written informed consent to participate. All participants were recruited after referral to the investigators by nurses and physicians at each site. Data were collected from the CHD and HF patients in the outpatient setting, while data from the AMI patients were collected in the inpatient setting. In each of the studies, data were collected by questionnaire at the baseline session. In each study, patients had the option of having the instruments read to them by the research assistant or of completing the instruments on their own. There were no differences in scores based on the method of administration. Questionnaires were checked for completeness by the research assistants before the patient left the session.
Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for the conduct of the studies, and patients gave written informed consent to participate. All participants were recruited after referral to the investigators by nurses and physicians at each site. Data were collected from the CHD and HF patients in the outpatient setting, while data from the AMI patients were collected in the inpatient setting. In each of the studies, data were collected by questionnaire at the baseline session. In each study, patients had the option of having the instruments read to them by the research assistant or of completing the instruments on their own. There were no differences in scores based on the method of administration. Questionnaires were checked for completeness by the research assistants before the patient left the session.