Takuya Aoki1, Yosuke Yamamoto1, Tatsuyoshi Ikenoue1, Yuka Urushibara-Miyachi2, Morito Kise3, Yasuki Fujinuma3, Shunichi Fukuhara4,5,6. 1. Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, School of Public Health in the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. 2. Medical Education Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. 3. Centre for Family Medicine Development, Japanese Health and Welfare Co-operative Federation, Tokyo, Japan. 4. Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, School of Public Health in the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan fukuhara.shunichi.6m@kyoto-u.ac.jp. 5. Center for Innovative Research for Communities and Clinical Excellence (CIRC2LE), Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan. 6. Department of General Medicine, Shirakawa Satellite for Teaching And Research (STAR), Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Social isolation has been identified as a major health problem, particularly in the elderly. In the present study, we examine the association between social isolation and patient experience in elderly primary care patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a primary care practice-based research network (28 clinics) in Japan. We assessed social isolation using an abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale and patient experience of primary care using a Japanese version of the Primary Care Assessment Tool (JPCAT), which comprises 6 domains: first contact, longitudinality, coordination, comprehensiveness (services available), comprehensiveness (services provided), and community orientation. We used a linear mixed effects model to adjust clustering within clinics and individual covariates. RESULTS: Data were analyzed for 465 elderly primary care patients aged ≥65 years. After adjustment for possible confounders and clustering within clinics, social isolation was negatively associated with the JPCAT total score, (mean difference = -3.67; 95% CI, -7.00 to -0.38). Among the JPCAT domain scores, social isolation was significantly associated with longitudinality, comprehensiveness (service provided), and community orientation scores. CONCLUSIONS: Social isolation was associated with negative patient experience in elderly primary care patients. Raising awareness regarding patient social networks among primary care providers and targeted interventions for socially isolated elderly patients aimed at improving the experience of primary care, especially regarding longitudinality, comprehensiveness, and community orientation, may be warranted.
PURPOSE: Social isolation has been identified as a major health problem, particularly in the elderly. In the present study, we examine the association between social isolation and patient experience in elderly primary care patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a primary care practice-based research network (28 clinics) in Japan. We assessed social isolation using an abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale and patient experience of primary care using a Japanese version of the Primary Care Assessment Tool (JPCAT), which comprises 6 domains: first contact, longitudinality, coordination, comprehensiveness (services available), comprehensiveness (services provided), and community orientation. We used a linear mixed effects model to adjust clustering within clinics and individual covariates. RESULTS: Data were analyzed for 465 elderly primary care patients aged ≥65 years. After adjustment for possible confounders and clustering within clinics, social isolation was negatively associated with the JPCAT total score, (mean difference = -3.67; 95% CI, -7.00 to -0.38). Among the JPCAT domain scores, social isolation was significantly associated with longitudinality, comprehensiveness (service provided), and community orientation scores. CONCLUSIONS: Social isolation was associated with negative patient experience in elderly primary care patients. Raising awareness regarding patient social networks among primary care providers and targeted interventions for socially isolated elderly patients aimed at improving the experience of primary care, especially regarding longitudinality, comprehensiveness, and community orientation, may be warranted.
Authors: Julie L Locher; Christine S Ritchie; David L Roth; Patricia Sawyer Baker; Eric V Bodner; Richard M Allman Journal: Soc Sci Med Date: 2005-02 Impact factor: 4.634
Authors: Martin Roland; Marc Elliott; Georgios Lyratzopoulos; Josephine Barbiere; Richard A Parker; Patten Smith; Peter Bower; John Campbell Journal: BMJ Date: 2009-09-29
Authors: Charlotte A M Paddison; Marc N Elliott; Amelia M Haviland; Donna O Farley; Georgios Lyratzopoulos; Katrin Hambarsoomian; Jacob W Dembosky; Martin O Roland Journal: Am J Kidney Dis Date: 2012-11-21 Impact factor: 8.860