Self-care performed by patients and the caregiver contribution to this self-care are essential for improving cardiovascular outcomes; however, so far, no studies have sufficiently investigated this field in Italy. This paper describes a research protocol of a multi-center longitudinal study designed to investigate the self-care of patients affected by coronary heart disease (CHD), the caregiver's contribution to this selfcare, the predictors of patient and caregiver self-care, the mediating role of selfefficacy, and the self-care outcomes. Data collection will be performed across seven