Investigation on knowledge status and health education needs of patients with atrial fibrillation / 中华全科医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the knowledge status and health education needs of patients with atrial fibrillation in the community.Methods:From September to December 2020, 277 patients with atrial fibrillation from 5 community health service centers in Xicheng District of Beijing were selected using typical sampling method for online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire mainly contained basic information of patients, the knowledge of atrial fibrillation and the health education needs. Factors affecting patients′ knowledge level and health education needs were analyzed.Results:The overall awareness rate of disease-related knowledge in 277 patients with atrial fibrillation was 67.1% (1 860/2 770), and in aspects of antithrombotic effect of aspirin [12.3% (34/277)], the benefits and risks of anticoagulation therapy [52.7% (146/277)] and atrial fibrillation discontinuation [55.2% (153/277)], the awareness rates were relatively low. Compared with patients in the age group of 66-79 years and ≥80 years old, those aged ≤65 years had higher awareness rates in knowledge of purpose of anticoagulantion therapy [89.7% (70/78)] and adverse reactions of anticoagulation drugs [89.7% (70/78)] (χ2=6.72, 8.77; P<0.05), but the awareness rate of the benefits and harms of anticoagulation therapy [43.6% (34/78)] was lower (χ2=6.11, P<0.05). The top three health education needs of patients were the impact of atrial fibrillation on the body (3.66±1.77), the method of treating atrial fibrillation (3.65±1.13) and the prognosis with different treatments (3.62±1.15). Further analysis showed that in patients with disease duration ≤5 years, the education needs for the purpose of anticoagulation therapy (3.60±1.17), exercise methods (3.62±1.12), dietary taboos (3.63±1.16), and how to communicate with family and friends(3.33±1.29) were higher than those with a disease duration of more than 5 years ( t=2.03, 2.88, 2.05, 2.07; P<0.05). Doctors [98.6% (273/277)], nurses [40.8% (113/277)] and health education lectures [36.8% (102/277)] were the main sources for patients to acquire knowledge about atrial fibrillation. Most patients had the strongest motivation to obtain health education at the time of disease diagnosis [70.0% (194/277)]. Conclusions:There is insufficient understanding of the disease in patients with atrial fibrillation in the community, and the needs for patients to get health education are high. It is necessary to pay more attention to the early health education in patients with younger age and shorter course of disease.