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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07730684

TEACH-BACK-BASED INCENTIVE SPIROMETRY TRAINING

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery may experience difficulty performing breathing exercises after surgery, which can increase the risk of respiratory complications. Incentive spirometry is a breathing exercise technique commonly used to support lung function; however, patients may not always perform this exercise correctly or frequently enough. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a structured incentive spirometry education program based on the teach-back method on patients' ability to perform the exercise correctly and their frequency of use after cardiac surgery.

This randomized controlled study will include 60 patients admitted for elective cardiac surgery at a university hospital in Türkiye. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a routine care group or an intervention group. Patients in the intervention group will receive structured incentive spirometry education using the teach-back method in addition to routine care, while the control group will receive routine care only. The ability to perform incentive spirometry correctly and the frequency of exercise use will be evaluated. The findings of this study may provide information about effective education strategies to improve postoperative breathing exercise practices in cardiac surgery patients.

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Key information

Conditions

Cardiac Surgery Patients Breathing Exercises

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Aydın Adnan Menderes University

Aydin, Aydın, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Cardiac surgery is associated with a risk of postoperative pulmonary complications due to factors such as anesthesia, surgical procedures, pain, and reduced respiratory function. Incentive spirometry is a commonly used breathing exercise technique to promote lung expansion and improve respiratory function after surgery. However, the effectiveness of incentive spirometry depends on patients' ability to perform the technique correctly and maintain regular practice.

The teach-back method is an educational approach in which patients are asked to explain or demonstrate the information they have received to confirm their understanding. This method may improve patients' knowledge, confidence, and self-management skills.

This study is designed to evaluate whether a structured incentive spirometry training program based on the teach-back method improves the correct performance and frequency of incentive spirometry use among patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The findings may contribute to the development of effective patient education strategies for improving postoperative respiratory care.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Adults aged 18 years and older. Scheduled to undergo first-time elective open-heart surgery. Hospitalized for at least 24 hours before surgery. Able to read and understand Turkish. Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) score ≥24.

Exclusion criteria

Chronic respiratory disease. Visual impairment that could interfere with incentive spirometry use. Hearing impairment that could interfere with education or assessment. Remaining in the intensive care unit on postoperative Days 4 and 5. Postoperative disorientation during the ward stay. No use of the incentive spirometer during the postoperative period. Withdrawal of consent or unwillingness to continue participation after enrollment.

Treatment and study plan

Routine care

Other

Participants will receive routine care without additional structured incentive spirometry education based on the teach-back method.

Structured Teach-Back-Based Incentive Spirometry Training

Behavioral

A structured teach-back-based incentive spirometry training program will be provided to patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The education aims to improve patients' ability to perform incentive spirometry correctly and increase the frequency of incentive spirometry use after surgery.

Primary outcomes

  1. Correct Incentive Spirometry Performance

    Time frame: Before the training intervention, immediately after the training intervention, and on postoperative Day 4.

    Correct incentive spirometry performance will be evaluated using an 11-item Incentive Spirometry Performance Checklist. Each item is scored on a 3-point scale (1 = not performed, 2 = partially performed, 3 = correctly performed), with total scores ranging from 11 to 33. Higher scores indicate better performance.

  2. Frequency of Incentive Spirometry Use

    Time frame: Postoperative Days 4-5

    Incentive spirometry use frequency will be assessed by recording the number of incentive spirometry exercises performed per hour during the postoperative period. The average number of incentive spirometry uses per recorded hour will be calculated.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Daily Inspiratory Performance

    Time frame: Postoperative Days 4 and 5.

    Daily inspiratory performance will be assessed by the maximum number of balls elevated simultaneously during incentive spirometry use.

  2. Reasons for Not Performing Incentive Spirometry Exercises

    Time frame: Postoperative Days 4 and 5

    Reasons for not performing incentive spirometry exercises will be recorded using patient self-reports during the postoperative period. Reported reasons (e.g., pain, fatigue, sleep, forgetfulness, or other factors) will be documented and analyzed descriptively.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Aydin Adnan Menderes University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

THE EFFECT OF TEACH-BACK-BASED STRUCTURED INCENTIVE SPIROMETRY TRAINING ON APPLICATION SKILL AND FREQUENCY IN CARDIAC SURGERY PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 28, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 28, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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