Abstract 4116708: Variations in Patients’ Perceptions of Continuity of Care After Hospitalization Due to Cardiac Condition

Background: Continuity of care is crucial to enabling a seamless chain of care after hospitalization due to cardiac conditions. Most measurements (e.g., continuity indexes) neglect the patient's perception of continuity. Inequality in medication and treatment is well known within cardiac care, but there is a lack of knowledge about whether there are inequalities in how patients perceive continuity of care after hospital discharge. Aims: Describe perceptions of continuity of care after hospitalization in patients with cardiac conditions and variations in age, gender, and diagnosis. Methods: This cross-sectional study included patients hospitalized at 4 hospitals in Sweden due to cardiac conditions. Data were collected using the Patient Continuity of Care Questionnaire, a 27-item questionnaire with 6-subscales. A sub-scale score <4 indicates an area of concern. Factorial ANOVA was used to analyze interactions or main effects of sex, age (<65 or ≥65), and diagnosis (angina, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, myocardial infarction) on perceived continuity of care. Independent t-tests or post-hoc analysis with LSD correction compared group differences. Results: A total of 1,000 patients were included, with a mean age of 72 (SD 10) years, 661 (66%) males. For the sub-scales, no significant 3- or 2-way effects were found. In the sub-scale: Information to patient (mean 4.1), significant differences were found in sex, age, and diagnosis. For the sub-scales Relations in hospital (mean 4.3) and Relations in community (mean 4.1), significant differences were found in sex and diagnosis. There were significant differences between the diagnosis groups in the sub-scale: Management of follow-up (mean 3.9). In the sub-scale: Management of communication (mean 3.7), significant differences were found in sex and age. For the sub-scale: Management of forms (mean 3.8), significant differences were found based on age. See Figure 1a-1c for details. Conclusion: Overall, patients hospitalized due to cardiac conditions reported a quite high level of continuity of care. However, statistically significant differences were found, and men, younger patients and those hospitalized due to myocardial infarction perceived higher levels of continuity or care. This indicates that patients who are more dependent on continuity of care, who might be more fragile and have a diagnosis with a complex clinical pathway, are experiencing lower levels of continuity of care