Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life Across Three Post–Heart Transplantation Stages: Preoperative Extracorporeal Membrane Versus Non–Extracorporeal Membrane Group/Clinical Trial Plan Group Versus Non–Clinical Trial Plan Group in Taiwan

AimsThe aims of this research were to compare changes in overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL), working competence (WC), physical functions (PF), and quality of sleep across 3 crucial post–heart transplantation (HT) stages (1 month, 6 months, and 1 year post-HT) between the following: (1) preoperative extracorporeal membrane (preop-ECMO) versus non-ECMO group and (2) postoperative Clinical Trial Plan (CTP) group versus non-CTP group in Taiwan.Patients and MethodsA between-method triangulation design was used. Subjects who had undergone HT in the last 1–4 years were recruited from a leading medical center in Taipei. Quantitative data were collected using Visual Analog scale (VAS) and Taiwan's version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaire. Semistructured qualitative questions were added to explore the factors influencing the changes in social domains of HRQoL.ResultsA total of 62 heart transplant recipients (HTRs) participated in this study. Their ages ranged from 20 to 70 (mean, 47.16 ± 12.09) years; 80.6% were male. Compared with the subjects with preop-ECMO, HRQoL, WC, and PF of the subjects without preop-ECMO were less at 1 month post-HT; the difference reached statistical significance for HRQoL and PF for 1 month post-HT, but they recovered at the 6 months post-HT stage. HTRs who had participated in the CTP had higher HRQoL and perceived WC in the period of 1 month post-HT, 6 months post-HT, and 1 year post-HT as compared with the group not in CTP; meanwhile, the difference was statistically significant for HRQoL at 1 month post-HT and 6 months post-HT and for PF at 1 month post-HT.ConclusionsThe efficacy of postop-CTP including HRQoL, WC, and PF was promising across the 3 post-HT stages. Postop-CTP was suggested both clinically and was shown to be statistically significant to HTR's recovery of their health status.