Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To present the pilot study of the Living with Chronic Illness Scale (EC-PC) in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and osteoarthritis. DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional and multicenter study. LOCATION: Two specialized hospitals in Navarre and Madrid. PARTICIPANTS: 64 patients with several chronic diseases, older than 18 years old, that go to primary health centre and/or outpatients. Patients with cognitive deterioration and/or psychiatric disorders were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Evaluations had an average duration of 15 minutes per patient. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Patients completed the EC-PC and a questionnaire related to the scale. Feasibility/acceptability, internal consistency and construct validity was analyzed. RESULTS: For the total sample, the EC-PC showed a good viability and acceptability, without missing data and with almost 100% of the computable data. Cronbach's alpha coefficient reached values between 0.64 and 0.76, and the homogeneity index was higher than 0.30 in all domains of the scale. The values of internal validity ranged between 0.04 and 0.30. No significant differences were found (p> 0.05) in the total score of the scale according to gender or the different pathologies. The patients described the scale as simple and useful. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot study of the EC-PC in patients with different chronic illnesses showed that it is a brief, easy to use, reliable and valid measure. The EC-PC will serve to know in an individualized way, how the patient is living with his/her chronic process and to prevent possible negative aspects of the daily living with the disease.