Illness identity in adults with congenital heart disease: Longitudinal trajectories and associations with patient?reported outcomes and healthcare use

Aims The aims of this study were to investigate the development illness identity, degree which disease is integrated into one's by identifying trajectory classes in adults with congenital heart (CHD) and describe these terms age, sex, complexity, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) healthcare use. Design This three-wave observational cohort was carried from 2013 till 2015 includes 276 (median age: 34 years; 54% men) CHD. Methods Illness identity entails four dimensions: engulfment, rejection, acceptance enrichment. PROs included perceived health status, quality life psychological distress. Latent class growth analysis, analysis variance, Poisson regression negative binomial analyses performed. Results relatively stable over time. identified meaningfully different Patients who did not reject their disease, patients overwhelmed or accepted time reported better status less Less hospitalizations visits general practitioner medical specialist low rejection high enrichment scores more at practitioner. Conclusion These findings indicate that should be taken account when trying understand optimize use Impact scrutinizes clinical meaningfulness measured for found Moreover, trajectories differed use, showing measuring intervening upon could a potential pathway