• Marco Mion, Rosalind Case, Karen Smith, Gisela Lilja, Blennow NordströmErikELund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Neurology, Lund, Sweden., Paul Swindell, Eleni Nikolopoulou, Jean Davis, Kelly Farrell, Ellie Gudde, Grigoris V Karamasis, John R Davies, William D Toff, Benjamin S Abella, and Thomas R Keeble.
• Essex Cardio Thoracic Centre, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals, Essex, UK.
• Resusc Plus. 2021 Sep 1; 7: 100154.

Background And ObjectivesCognitive and physical difficulties are common in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA); both survivors and close family members are also at risk of developing mood disorders. In the UK, dedicated follow-up pathways for OHCA survivors and their family are lacking. A cohort of survivors and family members were surveyed regarding their experience of post-discharge care and their recommended improvements.Method123 OHCA survivors and 39 family members completed questionnaires during an educational event or later online. Questions addressed both the actual follow-up offered and the perceived requirements for optimal follow-up from the patient and family perspective, including consideration of timing, professionals involved, involvement of family members and areas they felt should be covered.ResultsOutpatient follow-up was commonly arranged after OHCA (77%). This was most often conducted by a cardiologist alone (80%) but survivors suggested that other professionals should also be involved (e.g. psychologist/counsellor, 64%). Topics recommended for consideration included cardiac arrest-related issues (heart disease; cause of arrest) mental fatigue/sleep disturbance, cognitive problems, emotional problems and daily activities. Most survivors advocated an early review (<1month; 61%). Most family members reported some psychological difficulties (95%); many of them (95%) advocated a dedicated follow-up appointment for family members of survivors.ConclusionsThe majority of OHCA survivors advocated an early follow-up following hospital discharge and a holistic, multidimensional assessment of arrest sequelae. These results suggest that current OHCA follow-up often fails to address patient-centred issues and to provide access to professionals deemed important by survivors and family members.© 2021 The Authors.

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