Specifics of follow-up observation regarding one disease

Aim. To study the specifics of addressing for medical care among patients under follow-up observation, regarding one disease.

Materials and methods. The data, obtained from copies of medical records of 402 ambulatory patients under follow-up observation for one disease, were analyzed, using the methods of descriptive and inductive statistics.

Results. The studied group included 60 % of women and 77.5 % of pensioners. There were more able-bodied men, than able-bodied women (φ*_emp = 3.242, р ˂ 0.001). Patients’ mean age was 68.3 ± 16.4 years. In 81 % of cases, the cause of follow-up observation were cardiovascular diseases. A mean duration of disease for the main disease was 10.5 ± 6.4 years, duration of follow-up – 6.4 ± 2.6 years (t = 10.0, p < 0.001). A mean number of planned visits to a doctor was 2.0 ± 0.34, real – 1.8 ± 0.5 (t = 5.5, p < 0.001). Frequency of real visits to a doctor does not depend on age (χ² = –0.04, р = 0.6), gender (t = 0.3, p = 0.8), duration of disease (χ² = 0.02, р = 0.8), duration of follow-up (χ² = –0.04, р = 0.6), associated diseases (χ² = 0.02, р = 0.1). Exacerbations were registered in 87.5 % of patients, disability – 43.5 %, emergency calls – 28.5 %, hospitalizations – 28.5 %, including urgent ones – 35.7 %.

Conclusions. The able-bodied men form the risk group for the development of noninfectious chronic diseases; follow-up quality is unsatisfactory; great influence of associated diseases on medical aid appealability; regularity of asking for medical care is higher among persons, who had two planned visits a year; patients’ loyalty to treatment depends on patient’s psychological characteristic; follow-up, conducted by narrow specialists, is not more effective, than that by therapeutists.