[Socio-medical aspects in aged patients with pacemaker (author's transl)]

After a medical examination in the pacemaker ambulance 37 patients were questioned of their personal problems in connection with the implantation of a pacemaker. The level of information, their attitude towards the pacemaker-system, and their anxieties. From the results the clue was drawn that in medical treatment patients should be adequately informed when the indication of a pacemaker is told. A comparative analysis of information leaflets supplied by pacemaker producers and the results of the interviews with the patients show that those leaflets influence the level of information of the patient less than expected. There are significant differences in the patients' compliance. The majority of the patients (84%) don't check their own pulses regularly. On the other hand the survey shows excellent results in compliance of patients taking medicine. An analysis of postoperative changes in attitude and behavior shows a great number of patients which still retain their previous role even their state of health improved significantly after the implantation. On the other hand some patients reported improvements but their records indicated a decompensation (placebo effect).