[Application and Effect of Patient Portal System in the Remote Management of Chronic Diseases for Older Adults With Coronary Heart Disease]

Objective

To investigate the application of personal health record (PHR) and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of patient portal system (PPS) in managing older adults with coronary heart disease and to examine the effect on patients' self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life.

Methods

A total of 532 elderly patients with coronary heart disease were included in the study. All the participants enrolled were admitted to a tertiary-care hospital between January 2019 and June 2021. They were randomly assigned to the study group (269 cases) and the control group (263 cases). Patients in the control group were discharged with the routine discharge procedures and received the routine follow-up care. On the other hand, patients in the study group were discharged and followed up through the PHR and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of PPS. After 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of patient management, the Exercise of Self-Care Agency (ESCA) Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ) and Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) were used to evaluate the patients' self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life, respectively. The patient management effects of the two groups were analyzed.

Results

Before the management programs started, there was no statistically significant difference in the scores for the scales between the two groups of patients. After 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of patient management, the ESCA scores of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05). Facing scores in the MCMQ of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05), while the scores for avoidance and yielding were lower than those before patient management started (P<0.05). The SAQ scores of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05). After 6 months, 12 months and 18 months of patient management, the ESCA scores of the study group were always higher compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The facing score of the study group was higher, while the scores for avoidance and yielding were lower compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The SAQ scores of the study group were higher compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The medication compliance rate in the study group (83.27%) was higher than that in the control group (69.96%) (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in the study group (4.09%) was lower than that in the control group (10.27%) (P<0.05). The average times of emergency treatment and readmission in the study group were lower compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The patient satisfaction score of the study group was higher compared with that of the control group (P<0.05).

Conclusion

The PHR and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of PPS can increase the convenient access to medical care among elderly patients with coronary heart disease, which is conducive to improving their self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life. In addition, the patient management effect is good.

Death anxiety among advanced cancer patients: a cross-sectional survey

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate death anxiety in advanced cancer patients and identify associated factors in the context of Chinese culture.

METHODS

Participants (N = 270) with advanced cancer in a tertiary cancer hospital completed anonymous questionnaire surveys. Measures included the Chinese version of a Likert-type Templer-Death Anxiety Scale, Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, the Social Support Rating Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, Student's t test, Pearson correlation test, and linear regression.

RESULTS

Respondents returned 252 (93.33%) of the 270 questionnaires. The total CL-TDAS score was 39.56 ± 10.20. The top three items were "I fear dying a painful death" (3.59 ± 1.41), "I often think about how shortly life really is" (3.11 ± 1.33), and "1 am not particularly afraid of getting cancer" (3.09 ± 1.35). Associated factors of death anxiety (R² = .333, F = 15.756, p < .001) were the medical coping mode (resignation, confronce), self-esteem, the participants' adult children, the patient-primary caregivers' relationship, resilience, and the level of activity of daily living.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate high levels of death anxiety in advanced cancer patients. Generally, patients with adult children, high self-esteem and resilience had low death anxiety. Conversely, patients with low levels of activity of daily living and high coping mode (resignation, confrontation) reported high death anxiety. We determined that associated factors contributed to reduce death anxiety. Social interventions are recommended to improve the end-of-life transition for patients and caregivers.

Stigma and its influencing factors among breast cancer survivors in China: A cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Although stigma has attracted considerable scholarly attention, few studies have focused on its influencing factors among discharged breast cancer survivors, especially in a Chinese cultural context. The present study therefore explores stigma and its influencing factors among breast cancer survivors in China.

METHOD

Between December 2017 and May 2018, 103 breast cancer survivors at the outpatient clinic of a tertiary cancer center in southern China were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. The research instruments comprised the Social Impact Scale (SIS), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), and sociodemographic and disease-related questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, and multivariable linear regression were used to explore the current status of stigma and to identify influencing factors.

RESULTS

Of the respondents, 76.7% and 8.7%, respectively, reported moderate and high levels of stigma. The mean SIS score was 55.20 ± 12.15 (moderate), and the SIS subscale with the highest average score was financial insecurity. The results of a multivariable linear regression showed that body image (β = 0.32, P＜0.001), spousal support (β = -0.47, P < 0.001), personal acceptance of the disease (β = -0.22, P＜0.001), coping modes (resignation) (β = 0.14, P < 0.001), support from medical staff (β = -0.23, P < 0.001) and self-efficacy (β = -0.10, P = 0.037) were the main factors influencing stigma among breast cancer survivors (R² = 0.83).

CONCLUSIONS

Stigma, among breast cancer survivors, which is influenced by various sociocultural factors, is a neglected issue requiring attention. Healthcare professionals should therefore formulate effective measures for alleviating stigma in this group by improving their self-efficacy and acceptance of the disease, reducing their poor body image and negative coping mode, and eliciting more support from their spouses and medical staff.