The Experience of Patients During the Clinical Management Pathway of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms at a NHS Trust.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is changing. Outcomes for aortic surgery have improved. However, the accepted guideline for the management of AAAs has remained unchanged over the last 2 decades. We aimed to gain insight into the patients' experience while they are managed under the traditional clinical pathway. METHOD: With the help of a patient focus group, we designed a survey to assess the patients' perception of the disease and their experience during different stages of the AAA clinical care pathway (surveillance, perioperative care, postoperative follow-up). An invitation to participate in the survey was sent to all patients with AAA who were receiving care at the Oxford Regional Vascular Services Unit, part of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. RESULTS: We received 194 responses from patients with AAA. One hundred seventy-seven were male, with a median age of 75 to 79 years. Just over a third had undergone surgery already, and the remaining 63% were either in surveillance or awaiting surgery. Their experience during the AAA management pathway was mostly positive. Of the issues that were most important to them in terms of their medical care, the provision of explanation and regularity of monitoring stood out as the most common considerations. CONCLUSION: Patients are generally satisfied with the care they received, but there is room for improvement. They have also highlighted key areas that are most important to them in terms of their medical care. These should guide the future direction for quality improvement and research.

Data for the Oxford Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Study international survey of vascular surgery professionals.

As part of the Oxford Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (OxAAA) Study, we conducted an international survey of vascular surgery professionals. One aspect of the survey is as published in the International Journal of Cardiology: "International Opinion on Priorities in Research for Small Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms and the Potential Path for Research to Impact Clinical Management". This Data-in-Brief article contains a detailed method for the conduct of this survey and additional original data. In this survey, we also provided vascular surgery colleagues with contemporary epidemiologic and surgical outcome data. This was followed by a hypothetical scenario whereby a patient had just been diagnosed with a small (40 mm) AAA and a novel biomarker predicted it to be fast growing in the coming years. We assessed the vascular professionals' perception of the patient's preference for management in this scenario, and their willingness to refer patients for a surgical trial that investigates the outcome of early versus late surgery in this setting. The survey then asked the vascular professionals to assume the role of the patient, and provided their own preferences in such a scenario.