Patient-centred assessment of social support, health status and quality of life in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Measurement of health status (HS) and social support are becoming increasingly accepted as tools to guide clinical decision-making and patient-centred practice.

Purpose: To assess self-reported HS, cardiac-health related quality of life and social support in subjects with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Design: The study used a quantitative descriptive design.

Sample: 36 subjects with a diagnosis of ACS were selected from patients admitted to medical units at a teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario.

Methods: One-time, semi-structured interviews were conducted using valid and reliable cardiac-specific HS and social support measures.

Results: Analysis indicated that subjects with higher perceived social support and patients with higher income reported greater treatment satisfaction and C-HROL. Subjects with severe angina reported a higher perceived level of social support than those with more moderate physical limitation due to angina.

Conclusion: Patients' social environment and HS significantly impact their satisfaction with treatment. Patient-centred measures assist in clinical decision-making, patient-centred care planning and patient involvement in their care.