A short tool to screen self-care preparedness: cross-sectional study in general practice

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Primary Care Research
• Patient Self-Management

Background:

• Self-care is essential for managing chronic diseases like hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes.
• Identifying patients who require additional support for self-care is crucial for effective treatment and prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate the Self-Care Preparedness Index (SCPI).
• To examine the association between SCPI scores and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), depressive symptoms, patient activation, and other health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 293 adults with hypertension, coronary artery disease, or diabetes in primary care.
• The SCPI was developed from a self-care questionnaire; higher scores indicate better preparedness.
• Correlations and linear trends were analyzed, along with exploratory factor analysis for construct validity.

Main Results:

• The SCPI showed significant linear trends with various health indicators: negative with depressive symptoms (BDI), BMI, and waist circumference; positive with self-rated health, physical activity, patient activation, and life satisfaction.
• A moderate positive correlation was found between SCPI and HRQoL (r = 0.31).
• Exploratory factor analysis identified 3 factors within the SCPI, explaining 82% of the variance.

Conclusions:

• The SCPI appears to be a valuable tool for identifying varying levels of self-care preparedness among patients.
• This index can assist healthcare providers in tailoring support and counseling to individual patient needs.
• Further validation is recommended before widespread clinical implementation or use in large-scale trials.