Gemeinschaftsmedizin und Gesundheitserziehung

Abstrakt

Long-term Results of the Expert Patients Program in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study

Vega G, Ruíz T, Ruiz V, Lázaro C, Marin C, Gómez M, Vega L

Background: The Expert Patients Program (EPP) has high non-participation and dropout rates and some uncertainty on its effectiveness.

Aim: To identify, in patients with a cardiovascular event (CVE), the usefulness of participating in the EPP in relation to the quality of life, morbi-mortality and use of specialized healthcare resources during two years.

Methods: The research design is A quasi-experimental study with non-random assignment of EPP with two years of monitoring and the subjects are patients at the first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or ischemic stroke. The measures taken are Clinical and socio-demographic variables and a quality of life questionnaire were registered at starting. During the monitoring, the new CVE, the number of specialized out-patient or emergency consultations and hospital admittances, life questionnaire and death, were reported. Descriptive and comparative bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted as statistical analysis.

Results: 100 patients with AMI and 69 with stroke were included, 51% refused and 10% dropped out. During monitoring, 21% presented a CVE, 59% went to the emergency, 34% required admittance, and 4% died without any relationship with the participation. There was a significantly higher frequency of scheduled visits in patients who received the intervention. The general health, vitality and mental health worsened significantly regardless of the participation. The physical functioning, social functioning and bodily pain did not undergo significant differences; while the physical and emotional roles changed significantly and in a different way according to the degree of participation.

Conclusions: Despite the low participation in the PPE, we find a significant improvement in the quality of life in the intervention group.