Checking How Patients Manage Their Chronic Illnesses in Singapore

Chronic diseases are on the rise worldwide, causing a surge in healthcare usage. How patients handle these conditions plays a big role in making healthcare more effective and improving patients' health. This study looked into a tool called the Partners in Health (PIH) scale. Researchers wanted to see if this scale works well for patients in Singapore who have different backgrounds and chronic illnesses. They surveyed 502 people aged 40 and above who have at least one chronic condition. Using a special method called Bayesian Confirmatory Factor Analysis, they checked if the scale fits Singapore's diverse patients and if it measures the same way for both men and women.The results showed that the PIH scale has four main parts that fit Singaporeans well and is quite similar for both genders. It also matches up with other important ideas about health, proving it's a solid tool. Interestingly, how happy patients are with their healthcare and their backgrounds can affect how well they manage their diseases. For example, patients from minority groups or with less education can benefit a lot from being satisfied with their care providers. This study found that the PIH scale could be very useful for checking how well Singaporeans handle their chronic illnesses.