Patients' action during their cardiac event: qualitative study exploring differences and modifiable factors
Abstract
To explore the circumstances and factors that explain variations in response to a cardiac event and to identify potentially modifiable factors. Qualitative analysis of semistructured, face to face interviews with patients admitted to two district hospitals for a cardiac event and with other people present at the time of the event. Patients were divided into three groups according to the length of delay between onset of symptoms and calling for medical help. 43 patients and 21 other people present at the time of the cardiac event. Patients were divided into three groups according to the length of time between onset of symptoms and seeking medical help: non-delayers (< 4 h; n = 21), delayers (4-12 h; n = 12), and extended delayers (> 12 h; n = 10). Decision making process, strategies for dealing with symptoms, and perception of risk and of heart attacks before the event according to delay in seeking help. The illness and help seeking behaviour of informants had several components, including warning, interpretation, preliminary action, re-evaluation, and final action stages. The length of each stage was variable and depended on the extent to which informants mobilised and integrated resources into a strategy to bring their symptom...Continue Reading
References
Factors contributing to delay in responding to the signs and symptoms of acute myocardial infarction
Citations
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Unraveling the mysteries of timing: women's perceptions about time to treatment for cardiac symptoms
Help-seeking before and after episodes of self-harm: a descriptive study in school pupils in England
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