The MacNew Questionnaire: A Tool to Predict Unplanned Rehospitalization after Coronary Revascularization

Assessment of quality of life using self-reported questionnaires is a way to evaluate and explore the psychological experience of patients with heart problems. The original version of the MacNew questionnaire1 is a diagnostic tool comprising multiple-choice questions. Patients are instructed to check only one out of seven possible answers, each marked with a checkbox, and are unable to select more than one answer for each proposed question for computation of the final score. Global and subscale scores are computed by dividing the sum of the scores achieved for each individual item by the number of items listed in the questionnaire. The MacNew is a good example of a successful interaction between psychologists and cardiologists in building an easy cognitive tool that is immediately usable and able to effectively and quickly investigate the psychological problems of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).2 This questionnaire has been successfully applied, especially in the area of cardiac rehabilitation, to assess the psychological aspects underlying the 303 International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences. 2016;29(4):303-313