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Rheumatologists' quality of care for lupus: Comparison study between a university and county hospital
Author(s) -
Dua Anisha B.,
Aggarwal Rohit,
Mikolaitis Rachel A.,
Sequeira Winston,
Block Joel A.,
Jolly Meenakshi
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
arthritis care and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.032
H-Index - 163
eISSN - 2151-4658
pISSN - 2151-464X
DOI - 10.1002/acr.21653
Subject(s) - medicine , visual analogue scale , quality of life (healthcare) , family medicine , disease , systemic lupus erythematosus , health care , rheumatology , demographics , patient satisfaction , physical therapy , demography , nursing , sociology , economic growth , economics
Objective Quality of care received from physicians may impact health outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We compared physician quality of care (P‐QOC), health‐related quality of life (HRQOL), and disease activity and damage between SLE patients receiving outpatient care at a university and a county rheumatology clinic. Methods Forty‐two university and 41 county clinic SLE patients provided data on 5 P‐QOC parameters and HRQOL health outcomes (Short Form 36 [SF‐36] health survey and EuroQol 5‐domain instrument [EQ‐5D]). Disease activity and damage were measured. Chi‐square analysis and Student's t ‐tests were used for comparisons. Results Overall satisfaction with medical care was similar; however, university patients had higher P‐QOC scores than county patients in “perception of doctor's understanding of impact of SLE on patient's life” ( P = 0.02) and “providing education/educational information to understand their disease” ( P = 0.05). HRQOL, disease activity, and damage were similar in the 2 groups. Overall satisfaction with medical care was directly related SF‐36 general health (r = 0.34, P = 0.03) and EQ‐5D visual analog scale on state of health (r = 0.39, P = 0.01), and inversely related EQ‐5D pain (r = −0.37, P = 0.02). Conclusion Patient perceptions of P‐QOC differed across the 2 centers despite similar demographics, clinical and HRQOL outcomes, and significant overlap in the physicians serving each clinic. Patients' overall satisfaction with medical care is associated with better HRQOL.