[Patients' assessment of their chronic illness care]. / Evaluación de los cuidados recibidos por pacientes con enfermedades crónicas.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the care received by chronic patients from their point of view and objectify the factors related with a better assessment of care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study realized between September 2014 and April 2015. LOCATION Nine Health Centers of Navarra (6 urban and 3 rural), Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Sampling opportunity of 196 patients aged over 65years presenting at least one chronic disease. MAIN MEASURES: Outcome variable Evaluation of the care received through the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) test (score 1 to 5, higher values indicate better perception about quality of care). Explanatory variables quality of life employing the EQ5D instrument, Katz index and Gijón's socio-family evaluation scale. Other variables studied were sex, age, education, Charlson index and number of chronic diseases. The association between the PACIC numerical value with the rest of the variables was calculated. RESULTS: The assessment of the care received according to the PACIC was higher with more chronic diseases (rho 0.196; p=0.006), with less autonomy (mild or no disability mean 2.9; SD 0.6 vs. moderate or severe disability mean 3.3; SD 0.2; P=.003), in those with worse quality of life (EQ5D5L Index value rho -0.227; P=.001. EQ VAS rho -0.145; P=.043), and in those with a more favorable social situation (rho -0.167; P=.022). CONCLUSIONS: The perception of chronic patients about the received care is better with an increased number of chronic diseases and with less autonomy and quality of life. The social environment influences the care perception of the patient, being this worse in environments with higher social risk.