RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Social Isolation and Patient Experience in Older Adults
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 393
OP 398
DO 10.1370/afm.2257
VO 16
IS 5
A1 Takuya Aoki
A1 Yosuke Yamamoto
A1 Tatsuyoshi Ikenoue
A1 Yuka Urushibara-Miyachi
A1 Morito Kise
A1 Yasuki Fujinuma
A1 Shunichi Fukuhara
YR 2018
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/16/5/393.abstract
AB PURPOSE Social isolation has been identified as a major health problem, particularly in the elderly. In the present study, we examine the association between social isolation and patient experience in elderly primary care patients.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in a primary care practice–based research network (28 clinics) in Japan. We assessed social isolation using an abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale and patient experience of primary care using a Japanese version of the Primary Care Assessment Tool (JPCAT), which comprises 6 domains: first contact, longitudinality, coordination, comprehensiveness (services available), comprehensiveness (services provided), and community orientation. We used a linear mixed effects model to adjust clustering within clinics and individual covariates.RESULTS Data were analyzed for 465 elderly primary care patients aged ≥65 years. After adjustment for possible confounders and clustering within clinics, social isolation was negatively associated with the JPCAT total score, (mean difference = −3.67; 95% CI, −7.00 to −0.38). Among the JPCAT domain scores, social isolation was significantly associated with longitudinality, comprehensiveness (service provided), and community orientation scores.CONCLUSIONS Social isolation was associated with negative patient experience in elderly primary care patients. Raising awareness regarding patient social networks among primary care providers and targeted interventions for socially isolated elderly patients aimed at improving the experience of primary care, especially regarding longitudinality, comprehensiveness, and community orientation, may be warranted.