Assessment of Chronic Illness Care in Family Medicine Patients

Özge Nur Olgun, Güzin Zeren Öztürk

Keywords: Chronic Illness

Background:
Care of chronic disease, is important to reduce mortality and morbidity. In our country, care of chronic diseases performed also by Family Medicine Physcians. One of the important part to increase the attendence to Chronic Illness Care(CIC) is patients opinion and satisfaction.

Research questions:
What is the expectation of the patient in CIC?
What are the factors effect to satisfaction about CIC?

Method:
The participants who attendence to Family Medicine outpatients clinic, between 01-31 December 2021; were included in the study. Collecting data form about sociodemografic features and Patient Chronic Illness Care Scale(PCCS) were performed to the patients that excepeted to enter the study. PCCS is a Likert scale that have Validity and Reliability Study of Turkish Version . There are also five factors called Patient Participation, Decision Making, Goal setting, Problem Solving, Follow-up\Coordination. Total PCCS score were examined. Increasing of total PCCS score shows the increase of the satisfaction.

Results:
The mean age of the 105 participants was 48,50±12,87 and 56,2% (n=59) were females. Most of them have 31,4% (n=33) hypertension and %20 (n=21) diabetes. The total PCCS score was 2,99±1.03. When the scale items were examined, the lowest averages were 'Encouraged to attend programs in the community that could help me' (2,28±1,24), 'Contacted after a visit to see how thing were going' (2,32±1,31) , the highest averages for items; ' Asked to talk about any problems with my medicines or their effects' (3,73±1,19), and 'Satisfied that my care was well organized' (3,58±1,13).

Conclusions:
Participants have encouraging patients to health programs and close contact after care will increase satisfaction in CIC.

Points for discussion:
How can be in close contact with the patient? Tecnological apps? Online examine?

How can we increase attendence to CIC?