Efficacy of team-based care for distressed patients in secondary prevention of chronic coronary heart disease: a randomized controlled trial (TEACH)

Principal investigator

Prof. C. Herrman-Lingen (Göttingen)

Local principal investigator Mainz

Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Michal

Research topic

Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are facing many challenges. The emotional coping with life-threatening events can be stressful. Or patients may notice for the first time after a heart attack that they have actually been under stress for years, feel constantly distressed and are now seeking opportunities to cope with themselves more sensibly. Others have difficulties to live healthy, e.g. to stop smoking, although they know how harmful this is. Still others, who have been accustomed to dealing with everything on their own, find it difficult to make peace with the patient role.

To help patients with such difficulties, the TEACH study was designed by the principal investigator Prof. C. Herrman-Lingen (Göttingen). The multicenter, randomized controlled trial evaluates the effect of a multidisciplinary intervention (team-based care), which takes into account both medical and psychosocial factors, on the health-related quality of life and health behavior of mentally distressed patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

The clinical trial will be conducted at six study centers: Göttingen, Hannover, Bonn, Cologne, Leipzig and Mainz. Study investigator at the study center Mainz is Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Michal. Approximately 74 patients are to be enrolled at the Mainz center. The heart of the intervention is a specially trained nurse who will support the patients in coping with their disease. The study is scheduled to start in autumn 2020.

Duration: 2020 - 2024

Sponsoring Institution: BMBF