OBJECTIVES: Postoperative heart failure is a serious complication that changes the lives of both the person who is critically ill and family in many ways. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention in postoperative heart failure patient-partner dyads regarding health, symptoms of depression and perceived control.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/DESIGN: Pilot study with a randomised controlled design evaluating psychosocial support and education from an interdisciplinary team.

SETTING: Patients with postoperative heart failure and their partners.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: SF-36, Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Control at baseline, 3 and 12 months.

RESULTS: A total of 42 patient-partner completed baseline assessment. Partners in the intervention group increased health in the role emotional and mental health dimensions and patients increased health in vitality, social function and mental health dimensions compared with the control group. Patients' perceived control improved significantly in the intervention group over time.

CONCLUSION: Psychoeducational support to post cardiac surgery heart failure dyads improved health in both patients and partners at short term follow-up and improved patients' perceived control at both short and long-term follow-up. Psychoeducational support appears to be a promising intervention but the results need to be confirmed in larger studies.