SARAH Manual

Product Description

K. Tigges-Limmer and G. Schmid-Ott. SARAH MANUAL Interdisciplinary Patient Education in the Context of Heart Transplantation. Bochum: European University Press, 2012. ISBN 978-3-89966-383-9 (Softcover) ISBN 978-3-89966-384-6 (Ring binder). 59.90 Euro. In Germany, between 350 and 400 heart transplantations have been performed annually in recent years. Those affected are not only exposed to very high physical stresses, but must also cope with extraordinary psychological burdens. Because no training program exists that considers both elements of somatic and psychological health, HDZ-NRW developed its own training concept in 2010 in cooperation with the Psychosomatics Department of Berolina Clinic. The project was named "SARAH," derived from the English "Specific Active Refinement of Adherence of Heart Transplant Patients." SARAH is a standardized inpatient training program for adults and their partners before and after heart transplantation. Its cognitive-oriented strategies include elements for improving disease-related knowledge and health-related attitudes. The behavioral focus of the training aims at increasing the patient's self-efficacy. The accompanying research demonstrates high acceptance of the training units by participants; long-term effects of the training are still being investigated. The interdisciplinary approach of the training should be emphasized, as individual training units exist for the professional groups of nursing, medicine, psychology, education, and nutritional counseling. The SARAH Manual has now been published by European University Press and is currently the only such training manual available commercially. It is not suitable as a handbook for self-study, but offers useful orientation for all professional groups treating heart transplant patients with a wealth of handouts and worksheets for patients.