Unmet Needs of Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases Within Primary Healthcare

There is no data on the level of unmet needs in the heterogenic group of chronically ill patients. The purpose of this study was to define the degree of unmet needs in patients with chronic respiratory diseases and to identify the factors that determine them. The study group consisted of 214 adult patients with the median age of 65 (min-max: 18-90 years). Variables affecting the level of satisfied needs were the following: gender, age, marital status, place of residence, number of chronic diseases, somatic symptoms, level of disease acceptance, level of quality of life (QoL), and health behaviors. The prevention program to increase the level of satisfied needs in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, apart from obviously being addressed to those with low levels of health satisfaction and quality of life indices, should be addressed to men, the elderly, those having no partner, living in the countryside, and having multiple somatic symptoms. Patients with a high level of disease acceptance, those maintaining physical quality of life and advantageous health behaviors should be considered as well.