When people think about heart care, they may not expect to meet with a rehabilitation psychologist. But for patients living with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) or heart rhythm and electrical system disorders, rehabilitation psychology can be a valuable part of treatment. These conditions can be painful, stressful, and difficult to manage. Psychological support can help patients understand their care, manage symptoms, and improve their quality of life.
Dr. Tracy Herring, PhD, a rehabilitation psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, recently joined the Heart Institute to support patients with cardiac conditions through multidisciplinary care.
“Our expertise in helping patients manage symptoms related to their medical condition is helpful to people with heart disease. For example, we treat anxiety symptoms associated with cardiac arrests or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks or help ACHD patients manage worry or depression associated with a change in their health status,” says Dr. Herring.
As with many other medical conditions, attending to mental and emotional well-being with cardiac health problems is paramount. While working with cardiac patients on the inpatient side through the consultation and liaison service at UWMC-Montlake, Dr. Herring gained insight into how the rehabilitation psychology service can support patients and the cardiac medical team.
“People may struggle with changes in their cardiovascular health. For example, a patient who experiences ventricular tachycardia storms or ICD shocks may also show symptoms of post-traumatic stress because the events are often painful, frightening, and unpredictable,” adds Dr. Herring. A ventricular tachycardia storm means having multiple sustained episodes of a dangerously fast heart rhythm in a day.
Rehabilitation psychology offers brief and targeted treatments to help patients learn skills and strategies to help improve coping, mood, anxiety, and adherence to a treatment plan.
“Initially, I work with patients to identify their main concerns and treatment goals, then, I collaborate with patients to determine what therapeutic approach and strategies are most effective and practical for their cardiac-related situation. Most often, I use acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to guide my work,” says Dr. Herring.
Cardiologists Dr. Babak Nazar, Dr. Jill Steiner, and Dr. Eric Krieger are spearheading this collaboration with the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology & Neuropsychology in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
“These doctors recognized the need for psychological services among cardiac patients. Dr. Jeanne Hoffman, professor and division head of Rehabilitation Psychology & Neuropsychology, has been instrumental in making this partnership a reality,” adds Dr. Herring.
In this new position, patient-reported outcome measures will be collected from Dr. Herring’s patients. These measures will be used to track symptoms and inform future quality improvement and research projects. “I am excited about this collaboration, and I look forward to extending rehabilitation psychology services to cardiac patients in the outpatient setting,” says Dr. Herring.