Patients' expectations of primary health care from both patients' and physicians' perspectives: a questionnaire study with a qualitative approach.

BACKGROUND: Patients' ideas, concerns, and expectations are three important concepts in consultation techniques. Limited studies on these concepts include responses from both health care providers and care recipients of the same consultation. Highlighting both perspectives provides an increased understanding of the consultation. This study aims to explore the perspectives of patients and health care professionals about patients' expectations of primary health care during consultations with primary care physicians and compare the two sets of perspectives. METHODS: A cross-sectional study. Patients (n = 113) and physicians (n = 67) from five primary health care centers completed a questionnaire after planned consultations. Their responses to open-ended questions about patients' expectations, from patients' and physicians' perspectives were analyzed with qualitative content analyses. RESULTS: The patients expected a personal journey, through the primary health care system where they were the subject of interest. A journey, with ready access to a health care provider followed by a consultation with the physician, medical measures administered, their outcomes discussed, and a plan developed for continued health care. The physicians observed patients' expectations to concern the responsibilities placed on primary health care where patients were the object of interest. Patients' short-term expectations were described in a similar way by both patients and physicians. Patients expressed their long-term expectations as more personal and interpersonal whereas physicians observed them from a more professional and organizational standpoint. CONCLUSIONS: Patients and physicians have different views of what patients expect of primary health care. While patients' short-term expectations were perceived by physicians, their long-term expectations were not. Patients expected more of a personal journey through the primary health care system while physicians observed patients' expectations to concern the responsibilities placed on primary health care. Identifying and meeting patients' expectations is an important part of patient-centered care, and a better understanding of patients' expectations is needed to improve health professionals' consultation skills.

Patients' ideas, concerns, expectations and satisfaction in primary health care - a questionnaire study of patients and health care professionals' perspectives.

Objective: Explore the perceptions of patients and health care professionals about patients' ideas, concerns, expectations (ICE), and satisfaction in consultations with general practitioners (GPs), district nurses (DNs) and physiotherapists (PTs).Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire study of participants in planned consultations.Setting: Five primary health care centers and two rehabilitation centers in Stockholm, Sweden.Subjects: Pairs of patients and GPs (n = 156), patients and DNs (n = 73), and patients and PTs (n = 69).Main outcome measures: Multiple-choice questions about patients' ICE and satisfaction.Results: Approximately 75% of patients and GPs reported that patients' thoughts and explanations about their symptoms emerged during the consultation. For patient-DN pairs, the figure was 60%, and for patient-PT pairs, 80%. A majority of patients reported not having concerns and anxiety about the investigation/treatment, whereas health care professionals thought patients were more concerned. One-third of patients consulting GPs and PTs expected to receive a reason/explanation for their symptoms. Figures were lower for the DNs. About 70% of patients were satisfied with the consultation.Conclusions: Most patients expressed their ideas, a minority had concerns, and a minority expected an explanation of their illness. Patients and health care professionals rated patient satisfaction high, but health care professionals tended to believe patients were less satisfied than patients reported they were.Key pointsPatient surveys show that important aspects of patient-centeredness remain weak in Swedish primary health care; for example, shared decision-making.In this study of planned consultations, few patients expected to receive an explanation of their symptoms, but most were satisfied with the consultation.Health care professionals thought patients' experiences were more negative than they were.This discrepancy was observed in responses to questions about patients' concerns, expectations and satisfaction.

Consultations between Immigrant Patients, Their Interpreters, and Their General Practitioners: Are They Real Meetings or Just Encounters? A Qualitative Study in Primary Health Care.

Objective. In Sweden, about 19% of residents have a foreign background. Previous studies reported immigrant patients experience communication difficulties despite the presence of interpreters during consultations. The objective of this study was to gain insights into the participants' perceptions and reflections of the triangular meeting by means of in-depth interviews with immigrant patients, interpreters, and general practitioners (GPs). Method. A total of 29 participants-10 patients, 9 interpreters, and 10 GPs-participated in face-to-face interviews. Content analysis was used to process the interview material. Results. Six themes were generated and arranged under two subject areas: the interpretation process (the means of interpreting and means of informing) and the meeting itself (individual tailored approaches, consultation time, the patient's feelings, and the role of family members). Conclusion. This paper highlights feelings including frustration and insecurity when interpretation and relationships are suboptimal. Strategies for immigrant patients, interpreters, and GPs for getting a successful consultation may be needed. To transform the triangular meeting from an encounter to a real meeting, our results indicate a need for professional interpreters, for GPs to use a patient-tailored approach, and sufficient consultation time. Practice Implications. Use of professional interpreters is recommended, as is developing cultural competence.

A description of some aspects of the triangular meeting between immigrant patients, their interpreters and GPs in primary health care in Stockholm, Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about what immigrant patients, interpreters and GPs who have participated in the same consultation experience during these consultations or their reflections about these experiences. Previous studies have focused on the patient's, the interpreter's or the GP's perspective or a combination of two perspectives. OBJECTIVES: The first aim was to describe some aspects of each of the three perspectives in the triangular meeting between immigrant patients, interpreters and GPs, including their experiences, reflections and interactions during the consultation in primary health care. The second aim was to analyse patients' satisfaction with the consultation; whether satisfaction is influenced by respect for patients' culture, personality and wishes; and whether interpreters or GPs experience any ethical conflicts during the consultation. METHODS: Using questionnaires, all three categories were asked about their opinions regarding the communication, their experiences and reflections during the consultation and the patient's satisfaction. The interpreters and GPs were asked about ethical conflicts. RESULTS: Of the 182 respondents, 52 were patients, 65 GPs and 65 interpreters. A matched group of answers from patients, GPs and interpreters was present in 40 consultations. Eighteen of the patients experienced language difficulties. Twenty-six experienced respect for their culture; 32, respect for their personality; and 33, respect for their wishes. Ethical conflicts were rare. All three categories reported that the majority of patients were satisfied with the consultation. CONCLUSIONS: Professional interpreters are important for both a correct verbal and a cultural interpretation. Patient-centred communication is of key importance to a successful consultation.

Immigrant patients' experiences and reflections pertaining to the consultation: a study on patients from Chile, Iran and Turkey in primary health care in Stockholm, Sweden.

Our knowledge of the immigrant patient's experiences and reflections regarding consultations in primary health care where interpreters are used is limited. Thus, the primary aim was to explore these experiences and reflections. The second aim was to study whether demographic and migration-related factors are associated with the patient's satisfaction with the consultation and feeling of consolation given by the general practitioner (GP). The third aim was to analyse whether these feelings are related to the time from the booking to the consultation, to self-reported health, symptoms and the patient's experiences. A questionnaire was distributed to 78 consecutive immigrant patients from Chile, Iran and Turkey at 12 primary healthcare centres around Stockholm. The respondents were asked about their background and health status, while open-ended questions focused on their experiences and comments regarding the consultation and cross-cultural communication in general. Ethical approval was obtained. The respondents consisted of 52 patients, 16 from Chile, nine from Iran and 27 from Turkey. Most of the answers concerned communication problems because of language and cultural differences between the GP and the patient and the GP's ability to listen. Therefore, the importance of having a competent interpreter for a satisfactory consultation was stressed. Many of the respondents also felt that the GP's ability to listen to them and understand them is crucial in the consultation. Background facts, including demographic and migration-related factors, health status and factors related to the consultation, did not seem to be associated with the patient's satisfaction and the feeling of consolation. One limitation is that the sample is small and not equally distributed. The use of authorized interpreters during the consultation is essential. The consultation must be based on a patient-centred strategy and adjusted to the patient's educational level. Cultural competence is needed when meeting immigrant patients.

Ethnicity, acculturation, and self reported health. A population based study among immigrants from Poland, Turkey, and Iran in Sweden.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyse the association between ethnicity and poor self reported health and explore the importance of any mediators such as acculturation and discrimination. DESIGN: A simple random sample of immigrants from Poland (n = 840), Turkey (n = 840), and Iran (n = 480) and of Swedish born persons (n = 2250) was used in a cross sectional study in 1996. The risk of poor self reported health was estimated by applying logistic models and stepwise inclusion of the explanatory variables. The response rate was about 68% for the immigrants and 80% for the Swedes. Explanatory variables were: age, ethnicity, educational status, marital status, poor economic resources, knowledge of Swedish, and discrimination. MAIN RESULTS: Among men from Iran and Turkey there was a threefold increased risk of poor self reported health than Swedes (reference) while the risk was five times higher for women. When socioeconomic status was included in the logistic model the risk decreased slightly. In an explanatory model, Iranian and Turkish women and men had a higher risk of poor health than Polish women and men (reference). The high risks of Turkish born men and women and Iranian born men for poor self reported health decreased to non-significance after the inclusion of SES and low knowledge of Swedish. The high risks of Iranian born women for poor self reported health decreased to non-significance after the inclusion of low SES, low knowledge of Swedish, and discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: The strong association between ethnicity and poor self reported health seems to be mediated by socioeconomic status, poor acculturation, and discrimination.