1. Follow-up care after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A pilot study of survivors and families’ experiences and recommendations
- Author
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Marco Mion, Rosalind Case, Karen Smith, Gisela Lilja, Erik Blennow Nordström, Paul Swindell, Eleni Nikolopoulou, Jean Davis, Kelly Farrell, Ellie Gudde, Grigoris V. Karamasis, John R. Davies, William D. Toff, Benjamin S. Abella, and Thomas R. Keeble
- Subjects
Out-of-hospital heart arrest ,Assessment ,Patient outcome ,Patient involvement ,Psychosocial functioning ,Cognitive impairments ,Specialties of internal medicine ,RC581-951 - Abstract
Background and objectives: Cognitive and physical difficulties are common in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA); both survivors and close family members are also at risk of developing mood disorders. In the UK, dedicated follow-up pathways for OHCA survivors and their family are lacking. A cohort of survivors and family members were surveyed regarding their experience of post-discharge care and their recommended improvements. Method: 123 OHCA survivors and 39 family members completed questionnaires during an educational event or later online. Questions addressed both the actual follow-up offered and the perceived requirements for optimal follow-up from the patient and family perspective, including consideration of timing, professionals involved, involvement of family members and areas they felt should be covered. Results: Outpatient follow-up was commonly arranged after OHCA (77%). This was most often conducted by a cardiologist alone (80%) but survivors suggested that other professionals should also be involved (e.g. psychologist/counsellor, 64%). Topics recommended for consideration included cardiac arrest-related issues (heart disease; cause of arrest) mental fatigue/sleep disturbance, cognitive problems, emotional problems and daily activities. Most survivors advocated an early review (
- Published
- 2021
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