This paper presents the results of a study on 137 adult patients with BetaThalassemia major. On the basis of the literature on the dimensions characterizing the management of chronic illness, the paper has examined the relationship between factors of collaborative care management and perceived control in relation to two satisfaction outcomes: Quality of care and Quality of life. In addition, the paper includes an exploratory investigation of the role of the "Sense of belonging to the community of care" construct. The results confirm the relevance of the construct "Sense of belonging to the community of care" as a significant predictor of both outcomes. Satisfaction with care is also explained by the Trust factor, while Satisfaction with the Quality of life is predicted by the perceived control over the disease.
Keywords: Chronic illness, quality of care, quality of life, collaborative management of care, Thalassemia, sense of belonging.

Chiara Guglielmetti, Silvia Gilardi, Sara Casati, Paolo Monti, Partnering with the health care team: quality of service and sense of belonging in adults with Beta Thalassemia Major in "PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE" 1/2012, pp. 87-109, DOI:10.3280/PDS2012-001006