A. Aasland et al., PATIENT AND PARENT EXPERIENCES WITH HEALTH-CARE SERVICES IN PEDIATRICRHEUMATOLOGY, Scandinavian journal of rheumatology, 27(4), 1998, pp. 265-272
The health care received from first admission to a pediatric rheumatol
ogy clinic to 9-year follow-up was assessed in 109 patients with chron
ic inflammatory rheumatic diseases or chronic idiopathic musculoskelet
al pain. Ninety-five of the patients had received hospital care after
the first admission, of whom 53 patients greater than or equal to 18 y
ears, 21 patients < 18 years, and 33 parents of patients < 18 years ra
ted their degree of satisfaction with the health care from 0 to 10. Me
an scores of satisfaction with different aspects of care ranged from 6
.0 to 9.6. Among patients greater than or equal to 18 years, those wit
h idiopathic pain were less satisfied than those with inflammatory rhe
umatic diseases on the availability of care (mean 6.4 vs. 8.5, p < 0.0
01), continuity of care (mean 6.5 vs. 8.4, p < 0.001), and empathy of
the health care providers (mean 6.7 vs. 7.9, p < 0.05). The diagnostic
group and the occurrence of remission predicted the level of global s
atisfaction in patients greater than or equal to 18 years. In patients
< 18 years, chronic family difficulties predicted patient satisfactio
n and physical disability and chronic family difficulties predicted pa
rent satisfaction. In conclusion, most parents and patients with infla
mmatory rheumatic diseases were satisfied with the health care. Howeve
r, some patients with idiopathic pain had unmet needs for care.