GSBS Dissertations and Theses
ORCID ID
0000-0002-2113-859X
Approval Date
11-29-2017
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Academic Program
Clinical and Population Health Research, MD/PhD
Department
Quantitative Health Sciences
First Thesis Advisor
Catarina Kiefe PhD MD
Keywords
Health Status, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Myocardial Ischemia, Health Services Accessibility, Mortality, Patient Discharge, Transportation
Abstract
Background: Guideline-concordant therapies for survivors of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) hospitalization require healthcare access, something that millions of Americans lack.
Methods and Results: Using data from a prospective cohort study of over 2,000 survivors of a hospitalization for an ACS in central Massachusetts and Georgia from 2011 to 2013, the first two aims of this thesis sought to identify the post-discharge consequences for survival and health status of having: 1) financial barriers to healthcare, 2) no usual source of care, and 3) transportation barriers. We found that patients lacking a usual source of care and having a transportation barrier were more likely to have died within two years following hospital discharge compared to those without such barriers. Also, patients with financial barriers to healthcare were more likely to experience clinically meaningful declines in physical and mental health-related quality of life over the six months after hospital discharge. The third aim sought to better understand factors influencing the success of care transitions home after an unplanned hospitalization through a qualitative study of 22 patients. Participants described how adequate healthcare access, particularly having insurance and transportation to clinical appointments, facilitated the receipt of follow-up care and adherence to treatments.
Conclusions: Limitations in healthcare access may contribute to poorer survival, health-related quality of life, and survival. Additional research is needed to identify interventions to improve healthcare access and test whether improved access leads to better patient outcomes.
Repository Citation
Erskine, NA. Barriers to Healthcare Access and Patient Outcomes After a Hospitalization for an Acute Coronary Syndrome and Other Acute Conditions. (2017). University of Massachusetts Medical School. GSBS Dissertations and Theses. Paper 930. DOI: 10.13028/M2310D. https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/gsbs_diss/930
DOI
10.13028/M2310D
DOI Link
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Included in
Cardiovascular Diseases Commons, Clinical Epidemiology Commons, Epidemiology Commons, Health Services Administration Commons