Sarah Zaman

Aims Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an under-recognized cause of myocardial infarction. We aimed to investigate SCAD survivors’ perceptions of their quality-of-care and its relationship to quality-of-life. Methods and results An anonymous survey was distributed online to SCAD survivors involved in Australian SCAD support groups, with 172 (95.3% female, mean age 52.6 ± 9.2 years) participants in the study. The survey involved assessment of quality-of-life using a standardized questionnaire (EQ-5DTM-3L). Respondents rated the quality-of-care received during their hospital admission for SCAD with a median of 8/10 [interquartile range (IQR) 7–10]. Respondents ≤ 50 years vs. >50 years were more likely to perceive that their symptoms were not treated seriously as a myocardial infarction (χ2 = 4.127, df = 1, P < 0.05). Participants rated clinician’s knowledge of SCAD with a median of 4/10 (IQR 2–8) and 7/10 (IQR 3–9) for Emergency and Cardiology clinicians, respectively (P < 0.05). The internet was the most selected source (45.4%) of useful SCAD information. The mean EQ-5DTM summary index was 0.79 (population norm 0.87). A total of 47.2% of respondents reported a mental health condition diagnosis, with 36% of these diagnosed after their admission with SCAD. Quality-of-life was significantly associated with perceived quality-of-care: EQ-5DTM index/(1-EQ-5DTM index) increased by 13% for each unit increase in quality-of-care after adjusting for age and comorbidities (P < 0.001). Conclusion While SCAD survivors rated their overall hospital care highly, healthcare providers’ knowledge of SCAD was perceived to be poor, and the most common source of SCAD information was the internet. Mental health conditions were common, and a significant association was observed between perceived quality-of-care and SCAD survivors’ quality-of-life.