Purpose: The aim of the systematic review was to explore the role that anxiety plays in hospital admissions for those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The empirical study aimed to examine whether the frequency of COPD related admissions is related to psychological factors (anxiety, depression, catastrophising, and mindfulness), disease severity, perceived disability and demographic factors. It also sought to examine whether cognitive factors (mindfulness and catastrophising) may explain unique variance in predicting anxiety and COPD-related admissions when other relevant factors are controlled for. Methods: The literature was systematically searched for research related to the predictive power of anxiety in relation to COPD related hospital admissions. A postal cross-sectional survey of 54 people with COPD examined the psychological profile of those who are admitted to hospital for COPD, and if mindfulness and catastrophising can predict anxiety and COPD hospital admissions. Correlations and multiple regressions were utilised to explore these hypotheses. Results: Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria for the systematic review, demonstrating mixed results regarding whether anxiety plays a role in COPD related hospital admissions. Findings from the empirical study suggest that a significant relationship exists between disease severity and number of COPD hospital admissions and catastrophising and overall mindfulness predicted 16.3% of variance in COPD hospital admissions (non-significant). Anxiety scores were significantly correlated with breathlessness, depression, catastrophising and mindfulness with catastrophising and mindfulness predicting 22.3% of variance in anxiety (significant). Conclusions: Further research with robust measures of anxiety and hospital utilization are needed to aid our understanding of the role of anxiety in COPD related admissions. Further research is necessary to determine if mindfulness and catastrophising are useful constructs in predicting anxiety levels and hospital admissions in those with COPD. This will help to inform future psychological interventions with this population.

The consultation is the GP’s form of work. How long a consultation should be, and what short/long consultations imply with regard to the satisfaction of patient and doctor has been much debated. The aim of this thesis was to study consultations with regard to content and time consumption in a short term and long term perspective. Three studies were carried out. 1. Consultations with the members of a group of GPs were investigated, where patients and doctors separately assessed different aspects of the consultation, and their ratings were related to the real length of the consultations. The following questions were posed: Was there time enough? Could the patient tell the doctor about her/his problems? Were the problems physical or psychological? 2. Nurses at the primary care health centres were interviewed about their considerations in booking short or long appointments for the patients. 3. Patients who frequently attended one health centre during one year and consumed much time were studied. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The results of the first study (Papers I-III) show that the average length of the consultations was 21 minutes; there was considerable variation (ranging from 3 to 60 minutes). (About 600 consultations with 7 male doctors were registered in two batches). The doctors’ mean consultation length also varied widely, from 13-28 minutes. Consultations dealing with psychological problems were longer than those dealing with physical problems. Older patients had longer consultations than younger patients, and female patients had somewhat longer consultations than male patients. The patients were generally more satisfied with the consultations than the doctors were, and there were no clear affinities between long consultations and high satisfaction. Male patients and patients with physical problems mainly received short consultations, whereas patients with ”mixed" problems and older patients received long consultations. The single factors most decisive for the length of a consultation were ‘the doctor factor’, the character of the problem and the age of the patient. "Good” consultations (operational definition) were associated primarily with ‘the doctor factor’, and the real length of the consultations was less important. The interviews with ten experienced primary care nurses (Paper IV) showed that the nurses worked in two perspectives: in the ”immediate” perspective, appointments were booked according to rules which directly impacted the length of the visit, and in the "reflective" perspective, appointments were booked with a view to the quality of the work at the health centre and the long-term time consumption. Other factors of importance were the patient’s age and problem(s), the doctor’s experience and working style, and the current situation at the health centre. Frequent attenders (FAs) at one health centre (Paper V) were compared with a contrast group of matched patients (CPs). The FAs represented 1.7% of the population of the catchment area and made 15% of the visits. The FAs were a heterogeneous group where small boys, women of working age and pensioners of both sexes were overrepresented. The FAs had higher consultation frequency than the CPs during the year of investigation, but few remained FAs for longer periods. The FAs had more problems and more complex problems than the CPs. Complaints regarding the musculo-skeletal organs, and psychosocial problems were common among these patients, often in combination. The present work thus shows that longer consultations do not naturally imply higher patient satisfaction. Other factors than the time factor, in particular ‘the doctor factor’ seem to be more important. ‘The doctor factor’, the characteristics of the patients, the type of problem and the situation at the health centre also have a bearing on consultation length and time consumption in a short-term as well as long-term perspective. The implications of these factors and their relative importance are discussed, but further studies of certain issues, such as ‘the doctor factor’, are necessary. / <p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1995, härtill 5 uppsatser.</p> / digitalisering@umu

Bakgrund: Året runt söker sig människor till akutmottagningen på grund av problem med sin hälsa. Vissa besöker akutmottagningen oftare än andra. Av det totala besöksantalet inom akutsjukvården utgör mångbesökare ca 10 %. Ur ett internationellt perspektiv har personal på akutmottagningen en tendens att ifrågasätta mångbesökarnas behov av akutsjukvård. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva mångbesökarnas upplevelser av att upprepade gånger återkomma till akutmottagningen samt orsakerna till dessa oplanerade återbesök. Metod: vald metod var systematisk litteraturöversikt, där totalt 15 artiklar inkluderades till resultatpresentationen. Denna magisteruppsats har utgått ifrån de grundläggande begreppen i Katie Erikssons vårdteori; hälsa, människa, vård och lidande. Resultat: Nyckelorden och meningarna kategoriserades i följande huvudteman; relationer, tid och resurser. Orsaker till att människor ofta besökte akutmottagningen var relaterade till deras relationer till primärvården. Det fanns även en rädsla för att dö eftersom symtomen blev så pass allvarliga att patienterna inte kunde vänta på en tid på vårdcentralen. För dem som hade en kronisk sjukdom var exacerbationen alltför svår att hantera i hemmet, vilket ledde till att de besökte akutmottagningen. Slutsats: Mångbesökarnas upplevelser av att återkomma till akutmottagningen skiljde sig. Vissa kände sig nöjda med besöket medan andra hade en negativ erfarenhet, präglad av respektlöshet, diskriminering och maktlöshet. Mångbesökare visar sig ofta ha komplex problematik vilken är svår att få in i akutmottagningens patientflöde. Människor med ett komplext vård- och hälsobehov ska inte mötas enbart utifrån ett medicinskt perspektiv utan också som individer med kropp, själ och ande - även i en hektisk akutsjukvårdsmiljö. / Background: Throughout the year people visit the emergency room because of health issues. Some people visit the emergency room more frequent than others. Frequent attenders stand for 10 % of the total visits to the emergency room. Internationally, emergency department staff tend to question these patients’ need of emergency care. Aim: the aim was to describe frequent attenders’ experiences of repeatedly returning to the emergency room and the causes of these unplanned returns. Method: systematic literature review was chosen as method, where a total of 15 articles were included in the results. This study emanated from the elementary concepts of Katie Eriksson’s theory of caritative caring: health, human being, nursing and suffering. Results: the key components were categorised into the following main themes; relationships, time and resources. The reasons for frequently visiting the emergency room were related to the outpatient clinic. There was also a fear of dying because the symptoms became too severe and patients couldn’t wait for an appointment at the outpatient clinic. For those who were diagnosed with a chronic disease the exacerbation was too difficult to manage at home which lead them to the emergency room. Conclusion: the experiences of being a frequent attender differed. Some were satisfied with the visit, whereas some had a negative experience shaped by disrespect, discrimination and powerlessness. Frequent attenders often show a complex of problems which are difficult to fit into the patient flow in the emergency room. Humans with a complex health and wellbeing need should not be met only from a medical perspective but also as individuals with body, mind and spirit - even in a hectic emergency care environment.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the individualised integration of social and health services for frequent attenders by customer profile from the perspective of knowledge-based management. The study was carried out using the multi-method approach. Sub-study (Ⅰ) described what kind of customer profiles could be identified among municipal residents based on diaries (n=15) at the planning stage of the social and health care centre. Sub-study (Ⅱ) identified the customer profiles of frequent attenders based on service plans (n=56). Sub-study (Ⅲ) described, in the form of a register study, based on four customer profiles, the use of primary healthcare, emergency care and specialised healthcare services by frequent attenders (n=2388) and the social services decided to them. The data of the sub-studies was analysed by means of content analysis and systematic analysis as well as statistically. As a result of the study, customer profiles were generated both for municipal residents and for frequent attenders. The purpose of identifying customer profiles for municipal residents was to seek preunderstanding for the definition of frequent attenders’ customer profiles. With frequent attenders, physical, mental and social service needs are intertwined. The use of social and health services was highly individualised according to the customers’ current life situation. The study highlighted from the perspective of knowledge-based management the need for individualised integration of social and health services for frequent attenders and for the multi-disciplinary social and health information and the flow of information between different social and health service operators it requires. The results of the study can be utilised in the construction and management of the integration of social and health services for frequent attenders. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kuvailla ja ymmärtää paljon palveluja tarvitsevien asiakkaiden yksilöityä sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelujen (sote) integraatiota asiakasprofiileittain tietoperustaisen johtamisen näkökulmasta. Tutkimus toteutettiin monimenetelmäisesti. Osatutkimus (Ⅰ) kuvasi, millaisia kuntalaisten asiakasprofiileja oli tunnistettavissa päiväkirjojen (n = 15) avulla hyvinvointikeskuksen suunnitteluvaiheessa. Osatutkimuksessa (Ⅱ) palvelusuunnitelmien (n = 56) perusteella tunnistettiin paljon palveluja tarvitsevien asiakasprofiileja. Osatutkimuksessa (Ⅲ) kuvailtiin rekisteritutkimuksena neljään asiakasprofiiliin perustuen paljon palveluja tarvitsevien asiakkaiden perusterveydenhuollon, päivystyksen ja erikoissairaanhoidon palvelujen käyttöä (n = 2 388) sekä heille myönnettyjä sosiaalipalveluja. Osatutkimusten aineistot analysoitiin sisällönanalyysillä, systemaattisella analyysillä sekä tilastollisesti. Tutkimuksen tuloksena syntyi sekä kuntalaisten että paljon palveluja tarvitsevien asiakkaiden asiakasprofiileja. Kuntalaisten asiakasprofiilien tunnistamisella haettiin esiymmärrystä paljon palveluja tarvitsevien asiakkaiden asiakasprofiilien määrittelyyn. Paljon palveluja tarvitsevilla asiakkailla fyysiset, psyykkiset ja sosiaaliset palvelutarpeet kietoutuivat toisiinsa. Sote-palvelujen käyttö oli vahvasti yksilöity asiakkaiden oman elämäntilanteen mukaan. Tutkimus nosti esille tietoperustaisen johtamisen näkökulmasta perusteen paljon palveluja tarvitsevien asiakkaiden yksilöityyn sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelujen yhteen kokoamiseen ja sen edellyttämään monialaiseen sote-tietoon ja tiedon liikkumiseen eri sote-toimijoiden välillä. Tutkimuksen tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää paljon palveluja tarvitsevien asiakkaiden sote-integraation rakentamisessa ja johtamisessa.

Abstract The purpose of the study was to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of health coaching on health promotion (health-related quality of life, adherence to health regimens, clinical health outcomes and lifestyle factors) among frequent attenders of primary healthcare. The aim was to generate new information to promote frequent attenders’ health and to improve the care and education of patients with chronic diseases. The study consisted of three sub studies. A systematic literature review (sub study I) described the effects of health coaching on adult patients with chronic diseases. The data were collected from the databases and through a manual search. The data (n=13) were analyzed using narrative synthesis. Conceptual analysis (sub study II) identified frequent attenders of primary healthcare. The data were collected from databases and through a manual search. The data (n=59) were analyzed using synthesis and content analyses. The quasi-experimental research method (sub study III) evaluated the effectiveness of health coaching among frequent attenders (n=110) in primary healthcare. The experimental group received the health coaching and the control group received the usual care. The data were collected before the intervention and 12 months afterwards using a questionnaire on FINRISKI2012, RAND-36 and ACDI and clinical health outcomes measured by health-coaching nurses. The data were analyzed using statistical methods. According to the systematic review, health coaching produced positive effects on patients’ physiological, psychological and behavioural conditions and on their social life. In particular, weight management, physical and mental status improved, and physical activity increased. Conceptual analysis identified four attributes of frequent attenders: the feelings of symptoms, perceived poor health status, lower quality of life and frequent visits to a primary healthcare provider. Health coaching had statistically significant effects on the blood pressure and health-related quality of life among the experimental group, especially in emotional role limitation and energy during the 12 months. There were no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups on health-related quality of life, adherence to health regimens and lifestyle factors. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kuvata ja arvioida terveysvalmennuksen vaikuttavuutta perusterveydenhuollon paljon terveyspalveluita käyttävien asiakkaiden terveyden edistämiseen (terveyteen liittyvään elämänlaatuun, hoitoon sitoutumiseen, kliiniseen terveydentilaan ja elintapoihin). Tavoitteena oli tuottaa uutta tietoa paljon terveyspalveluita käyttävien asiakkaiden terveyden edistämiseen ja pitkäaikaissairaiden hoidon ja ohjauksen kehittämiseen. Tutkimus koostui kolmesta osatutkimuksesta. Systemaattisella kirjallisuuskatsauksella (osatutkimus I) kuvattiin terveysvalmennuksen vaikutuksia pitkäaikaissairaille. Aineisto kerättiin viitetietokannoista ja manuaalisella haulla. Aineisto (n=13) analysoitiin narratiivisella synteesillä. Käsiteanalyysilla (osatutkimus II) määriteltiin paljon terveyspalveluita käyttävä asiakas perusterveydenhuollossa. Aineisto kerättiin viitetietokannoista ja manuaalisella haulla. Aineisto (n=59) analysoitiin synteesillä ja sisällönanalyysilla. Kvasikokeellisella tutkimusmenetelmällä (osatutkimus III) arvioitiin terveysvalmennuksen vaikuttavuutta perusterveydenhuollon paljon terveyspalveluita käyttäville asiakkaille (n=110). Koeryhmä sai terveysvalmennusta ja kontrolliryhmä tavanomaista hoitoa. Aineisto kerättiin FINRISKI 2012-, RAND-36- ja ACDI-kyselylomakkeilla sekä kliinisen terveydentilan mittauksilla ennen ja 12 kuukautta intervention jälkeen. Aineisto analysoitiin tilastomenetelmin. Kirjallisuuskatsauksen mukaan terveysvalmennuksella oli positiivisia vaikutuksia pitkäaikaissairaiden fyysisiin, psyykkisiin, sosiaalisiin ja käyttäytymistekijöihin. Erityisesti painonhallinta sekä fyysinen ja psyykkinen terveydentila paranivat ja fyysinen aktiivisuus lisääntyi. Käsiteanalyysilla tunnistettiin neljä ominaispiirrettä perusterveydenhuollon paljon terveyspalveluita käyttävälle asiakkaalle: oireiden tunne, kokemus terveydentilan heikkenemisestä, alhaisempi elämänlaatu ja useat käynnit perusterveydenhuollossa. Terveysvalmennusinterventio edisti tilastollisesti merkitsevästi koeryhmän terveyteen liittyvän elämänlaadun psyykkisistä syistä johtuvien ongelmien roolitoimintaa, tarmokkuutta ja verenpainetta 12 kuukauden aikana. Koe- ja kontrolliryhmän välillä ei havaittu tilastollisesti merkitseviä eroja terveyteen liittyvässä elämänlaadussa, hoitoon sitoutumisessa ja elintavoissa.