Effects of teach-back method-based continuing nursing on self-management behavior and quality of life in patients after aortic dissection surgery

BACKGROUND: Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular emergency with declining postoperative quality of life (QoL). The teach-back method has shown effectiveness in chronic disease management, but its application in postoperative AD patients remains unexplored. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study with ward-level cluster allocation enrolled 210 AD patients (105 per group) at a tertiary hospital in Nanchang, China, from January 2023 to June 2024. The experimental group received teach-back method-based continuing nursing, while the control group received routine care. Primary outcomes included self-management behavior assessed by the Self-Management Assessment Scale (SMAS) and QoL measured by the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) of the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) at baseline, discharge, 1-month, and 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes comprised health knowledge scores at baseline and 1-month post-discharge, and adverse clinical outcomes including 30-day unplanned readmission rates, 6-month AD recurrence rates, and total adverse events. RESULTS: The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher SMAS across all dimensions with a significant time×group interaction (P < 0.001). Disease knowledge questionnaire score at 1-month was significantly higher in the experimental group (21.36 ± 2.89 vs. 15.82 ± 3.54, P < 0.001). Both PCS and MCS scores showed significant improvements over time (both P < 0.001), with the experimental group achieving higher scores than the control group at all follow-up time points (all P < 0.001). A significant time×group interaction effect was observed for MCS (P = 0.0052) but not for PCS (P = 0.599). The experimental group achieved significantly better blood pressure control at 6 months (SBP: 125.6 ± 10.8 vs. 133.4 ± 14.8 mmHg, P < 0.001). The experimental group had lower 30-day readmission rates (6.67% vs. 17.14%, P = 0.016), 6-month AD recurrence rates (4.76% vs. 14.29%, P = 0.014), and total adverse events (4.76% vs. 12.38%, P = 0.048). Follow-up completion rates exceeded 93% at all time points. CONCLUSION: Teach-back method-based continuing nursing significantly improved self-management behaviors, QoL, and reduced adverse outcomes in postoperative AD patients, warranting integration into routine discharge protocols.