6 



I)idiana Utiivcrsity studies 



were necessary. From that day the Department decided that the 

 cardiac case was one of its greatest concerns. Most doctors had 

 realized this because of the failures with which they had met in 

 trying to treat a case of this kind without aid in making social 

 adjustments. 



Within the life of the Department thirty-three doctors have 

 referred cardiac patients to the social service worker for aid in 

 carrying out the treatment prescribed. Due to the lack of time, 

 all these cases were not followed as they would have been could 

 more workers have been obtained. Because of this many of the 

 patients have died. All of these patients could not have been 

 saved, but most of them would have lived longer had adjustments 

 to life been made. 



Again, on the records are dates when the patient was admitted 

 to the hospital for care, sent home improved, and then readmitted. 

 When he came in the second or third time the same complaint 

 was usually given. Had the hospital made a mistake by dismiss- 

 ing the patient too soon? Had the doctor failed in diagnosis? 

 Had follow-up treatment been advised? Had it been understood? 

 Was the community obliged to give so much free treatment to 

 these few? Could they ever be made anything but patients? 

 These questions all presented themselves and it was in an 

 endeavor to find suitable answers and perhaps aid in the formula- 

 tion of future plans that this study has been made. 



An effort has been made to collect all the available material 

 from statistics, studies made by other institutions, and records 

 in this Department in order to ferret out all possible truths. 

 Further study should be suggested by this material. 



The State Board of Health probably in the future will collect 

 more detailed statistics (than now exist) in connection with the 

 deaths reported from cardiac disease in Indiana. In this regard 

 it would be of value to know facts concerning: (1) homes 

 touched by these deaths; (2) widows, widowers, and orphans; 

 (3) average length of illness; (4) cost to the community of each 

 case; (5) average length of time out of work; (G) occupations. 



Those interested in the healtli of school children could con- 

 tribute much to the argument for better care by examining and 

 reporting the number of children of school age suffering from 

 organic heart trouble. 



If this study succeeds in arousing an interest along the line 

 of better care for those suffering from or liable to cardiac trouble, 

 it will have performed its ^wty. 



