Correlation of disease cognition, disease uncertainty, death anxiety and readmission in elderly patients with pulmonary heart disease

Objective  To explore the relationship between disease cognition, disease uncertainty, death anxiety and rehospitalization in patients with pulmonary heart disease (PHD).

Methods  A total of 249 patients with PHD were selected.According to whether or not re-hospitalization, the patients were divided into re-hospitalization group (72 cases) and non-hospitalization group (177 cases).The patients were investigated by self-designed general information questionnaire, self-developed disease cognition scale, Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS-A), and Chinses version of Templer's death anxiety scale (CT-DAS).

Results  The total scores of disease cognition scale in the re-hospitalization group were lower than those in the non-hospitalization group (P < 0.01), and the total scores and all dimensions scores of MUIS, CT-DAS were higher than those in the non-hospitalization group (P < 0.01).The total score of disease cognition was negatively correlated with the total score of MUIS and CT-DAS (P < 0.05), while the total score of MUIS was positively correlated with the total score of CT-DAS (P < 0.05).Irregular outpatient follow-up, poor medication compliance, low MUIS score, high MUIS total score, and high CT-DAS total score were significant influencing factors for rehospitalization in patients with PHD during follow-up (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).

Conclusions  The low cognitive level of PHD disease, the high level of disease uncertainty and death anxiety are related to the rehospitalization of patients within 6 months after discharge.Clinical attention should be paid to health education, improve the cognition level of patients with PHD, and reduce the disease uncertainty and death anxiety.