Table 3 Descriptive analysis of the health care ‘hassles’ by category and number of long-term conditions, n = 486
Categories | Health care ‘hassles’ items | Number (%) of patients with “hassle” | Overall (%) across all patients | X 2 (a) | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2–5 co-morbidities | 6–8 co-morbidities | 9+ co-morbidities | |||||
Hassle about information | Lack of information about my medical condition | 69 | 95 | 98 | 266 (54.8 %) | 15.5 | 0.000 |
Lack of information about treatment options | 76 | 106 | 103 | 290 (59.6 %) | 13.5 | 0.000 | |
Lack of information about why I have been referred to a specialist (hospital doctor) | 30 | 46 | 42 | 117 (24 %) | 3.5 | 0.009 | |
Poor communication between different doctors or clinics | 73 | 95 | 91 | 267 (55 %) | 7.0 | 0.001 | |
Disagreement between my doctors about my diagnosis or the best treatment for me | 39 | 55 | 48 | 149 (30.7 %) | 2.4 | 0.015 | |
Lack of information about why I need lab test or x-rays | 36 | 56 | 50 | 148 (30.6 %) | 4.2 | 0.006 | |
Having my concerns ignored or overlooked by my health care providers | 44 | 56 | 66 | 173 (35.7 %) | 9.6 | 0.000 | |
‘Hassles’ about medications | Lack of information about why my medication was prescribed to me | 64 | 87 | 88 | 243 (50 %) | 10.1 | 0.000 |
Problems getting my medication refilled on time | 27 | 47 | 38 | 114 (23.4 %) | 3.0 | 0.012 | |
Uncertainty about when or how to take my medications | 23 | 36 | 27 | 88 (18.1 %) | 0.7 | 0.041 | |
Side effect from my medications | 66 | 91 | 76 | 233 (48 %) | 2.6 | 0.012 | |
‘Hassles’ about care | Having to wait a long time to get an appointment for specialists (hospital doctors) | 86 | 99 | 94 | 292 (60 %) | 2.9 | 0.011 |
Having to wait too long to find out the results of the lab tests or x-rays | 52 | 78 | 67 | 206 (42.3 %) | 4.5 | 0.005 | |
Difficulty getting questions answered or getting medical advice between scheduled appointments | 58 | 73 | 83 | 223 (46.0 %) | 11.5 | 0.000 | |
Lack of time to discuss all my problems during scheduled appointment | 51 | 76 | 73 | 208 (42.9 %) | 9.3 | 0.000 | |
Medical appointments that interfere with my work, family, or hobbies | 31 | 44 | 35 | 115 (23.7 %) | 0.6 | 0.039 | |