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Psychological and knowledge factors related to delay of help-seeking by patients with acute myocardial infarction
J K Bleeker1, L M Lamers, I M Leenders
1Municipal Health Service, Department of Epidemiology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who seek prompt medical help possess greater cardiovascular knowledge and utilize more social support. Understanding psychological factors can reduce patient delay in seeking critical care.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychology
Background:
- Timely medical intervention is crucial for survival and prognosis following acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
- Patient delay in seeking treatment significantly impacts outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify psychological and cardiovascular knowledge factors influencing patient delay in seeking medical help for AMI.
- To understand the decision-making process of AMI patients during symptom onset.
Main Methods:
- Interviewed 300 patients diagnosed with AMI.
- Administered psychological questionnaires to assess various factors.
- Analyzed the relationship between patient characteristics and time to seek medical help.
Main Results:
- Patients seeking help within 30 minutes demonstrated higher cardiovascular knowledge.
- Prompt medical help seekers exhibited less distraction and more social support during the acute phase.
- Early responders interpreted symptoms as cardiac-related more frequently and showed different coping mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular knowledge, coping strategies, and social support influence patient delay in AMI.
- Future educational campaigns for AMI should integrate psychological aspects alongside medical information.
- Addressing psychological factors can improve timely presentation and patient outcomes for acute myocardial infarction.
Abstract:
Survival of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and subsequent prognosis are highly dependent on the time between onset of symptoms and medical intervention. The purpose of this study is to investigate which psychological and cardiovascular knowledge factors may contribute to the time the AMI patient takes to decide to seek medical help (patient delay). Three hundred patients took part in the study. They were interviewed and filled out several psychological questionnaires. The results show that patients who ask for medical help within half an hour have more cardiovascular knowledge, seek less distraction and more social support during the acute phase, compared to patients waiting longer. In general those who call soon appear to have easing thoughts in case of personal difficulties. They also deny their feelings of resentment to a lesser degree and interpret the symptoms of an AMI more often as originating in the heart. Future education campaigns should therefore not only address cardiovascular knowledge, but also coping and defense mechanisms.