Recognizing a Heart Attack: Patients’ Knowledge of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Its Relation to Prehospital Decision Delay in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Dunia Garrido¹  Dafina Petrova³  Andrés Catena²  José Antonio Ramírez-Hernández⁴  Rocio Garcia-Retamero² 

[1] Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha;and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada;Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública;Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.Granada;CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP);Cardiology Department, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital;Harding Center for Risk Literacy, Max Planck Institute for Human Development

关键词: acute coronary syndrome;    patient decision making;    prehospital delay;    knowledge;    decision delay;    heart attack;    cardiovascular risk;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02056

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

In acute coronary syndromes (ACSs), longer decision delay – the time patients wait before seeking medical attention after symptoms have started – increases the risk of complications and death. However, many patients wait much longer than recommended and research is needed investigating how patient decision delay can be reduced. In a cross-sectional study of 120 ACS survivors, we investigated the relationship between knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and decision delay. Several days after the onset of a cardiac event, patients completed a questionnaire measuring demographics, decision delay, objective knowledge of cardiovascular risks factors and of ACS symptoms, and subjective perceptions of symptoms during the cardiac episode. Relevant clinical data were extracted from patients’ medical records. In a multiple linear regression analysis, controlling for demographic and clinical factors, objective knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and ACS symptoms, and subjective attributions of symptoms to a cardiac cause were related to shorter decision delays. Among patients with relatively high knowledge of risk factors, only 5% waited more than 1 h to seek help, compared to 22% among patients with relatively low knowledge. These results suggest that knowledge of the factors that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease could play a role in patient decision making during an acute cardiac event. We discuss methodological issues and potential underlying mechanisms related to decision heuristics and biases, which can inform future research.

【 授权许可】

CC BY