Residents' and supervisors' experiences when using a feedback-model in post-graduate medical education.

BACKGROUND: Supervisors play a key part as role models and supporting the learning during residents' post-graduate medical education, but sometimes lack sufficient pedagogic training and are challenged by high demands in today's healthcare. The aim of this study was to describe the strengths and areas for improvement identified in the supervision process by residents and supervisors in post-graduate medical education. METHODS: This study included supervisors and residents working at departments and health centres who have used a web-based questionnaire, as a part of the Evaluation and Feedback For Effective Clinical Teaching (EFFECT) model, during the period 2016-2019. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse ratings and comments to describe strengths and areas for improvement in the supervision process. RESULTS: The study included 287 resident evaluations of supervisors and 78 self-evaluations by supervisors. The supervisor as a role model, being available, and, giving personal support, were the three most important strengths identified by the residents and supervisors. Residents in primary care also identified the role modelling of general practice competence as a strength, whereas residents and supervisors in hospital departments addressed supervisors as energetic and showing work was fun. The area with the need of most improvement was, Giving and receiving feedback. CONCLUSIONS: To be able to give feedback, residents and supervisors, needed to see each other in work, and the learning environment had to offer time and space to pedagogical processes, like feedback, to improve the learning environment.

Patients' perspectives on three-monthly administration of antipsychotic treatment with paliperidone palmitate - a qualitative interview study.

INTRODUCTION: Three-monthly dosage of paliperidone palmitate entails longer time to relapse after discontinuation, is similarly tolerable and safe compared to monthly injections of paliperidone palmitate and is beneficial for the caregivers. However, few studies have so far explored in depth the patients' experiences with paliperidone palmitate medication every three months, or with switching from monthly to three-monthly injections of paliperidone palmitate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A qualitative study based on individual interviews with persons with schizophrenia who receive three-monthly paliperidone palmitate in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Data was analysed according to qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients, 16 men and 8 women, took part in individual interviews. The patients' mental health care professionals mainly recommended the switch to three-monthly paliperidone palmitate, and few or no disadvantages were described. According to the patients, three-monthly paliperidone palmitate had several advantages, such as less frequent injections, less administration and planning and less focus on the illness. In addition, the participants described feeling more stability, being more physically and socially active, and that improvement processes were supported. For some, the use involved practical and economic challenges, and some worried whether the medicine 'wore off' before the next injection. According to the patients, switching to three-monthly paliperidone palmitate did not influence the frequency or content of patients' interaction with health care professionals. CONCLUSION: Switching from monthly to three-monthly injections with paliperidone palmitate seems to be experienced as advantageous for patients with schizophrenia.

Validation of CollaboRATE and SURE - two short questionnaires to measure shared decision making during CPAP initiation.

Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment tends to be low. Brief validated instruments focusing on shared decision making have not been used in a CPAP context. The aim was to investigate factorial structure, categorical functioning of the response scale and differential item functioning across sub-populations of the CollaboRATE and Sure questionnaires among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) before CPAP treatment is initiated. A prospective design, including 193 objectively diagnosed (polygraphy) OSA patients (68% men, 59.7 years, SD 11.5) from two CPAP clinics was used. Data were collected with the following questionnaires; Sure, CollaboRATE, Attitudes to CPAP Inventory, Epworth sleepiness scale, minimal insomnia symptoms scale, and hospital anxiety and depression scale. Objective CPAP use was collected after 6 months; 49% demonstrated decisional conflict on SURE and 51% scored low levels of shared decision making on CollaboRATE. Unidimensionality was found for both CollaboRATE (one factor explaining 57.4%) and SURE (one factor explaining 53.7%), as well as local independence. Differential item functioning showed both to be invariant across both male and female patients. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.83) and composite reliability (0.89) were good. Latent class analyses showed that patients with low decisional conflict and high shared decision making were more adherent to CPAP treatment. CollaboRATE and SURE provided good validity and reliability scores to measure shared decision making and decisional conflict in relation to CPAP treatment. The questionnaires can be used by healthcare personnel as a tool to simplify the assessment of shared decision making.

Communication between patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and healthcare personnel during the initial visit to a continuous positive airway pressure clinic.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe facilitators and barriers from a patient perspective in communications between patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and healthcare personnel during the first meeting when continuous positive airway pressure is initiated. BACKGROUND: Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure treatment tends to be poor, especially at the initial phase of treatment. Communication between the patient and healthcare personnel has not been studied from the patient perspective, as either a barrier or facilitator for adherence. METHODS: A descriptive design using qualitative content analysis was used. Interviews with 25 patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome took place after their initial visit at four continuous positive airway pressure clinics. A deductive analysis based on The 4 Habits Model (i.e. emphasise the importance of investing in the beginning of the consultation, elicit the patient's perspective, demonstrate empathy and invest in the end of the consultation) was conducted. RESULTS: Building confidence (i.e. structure building, information transfer, commitment) or hindering confidence (i.e. organisational insufficiency, stress behaviour, interaction deficit) was associated with investing in the beginning. Motivating (i.e. situational insight, knowledge transfer, practical training) or demotivating (i.e. expectations, dominance and power asymmetry, barriers) was associated with eliciting the patient's perspective. Building hope (i.e. awareness, sensitivity, demonstration of understanding) or hindering hope (i.e. unprepared, uncommitted, incomprehension) was associated with showing empathy. Agreement (i.e. confirmation, responsibilities, comprehensive information) or disagreement (i.e. structural obscurity, irresponsibility, absent-mindedness) was associated with investing in the end. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding of facilitators and barriers, as described by patients, can be used to improve contextual conditions and communication skills among healthcare personnel. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: A patient-centred communication technique should be used in relation to all stages of The 4 Habits Model to facilitate shared decision-making and improve adherence to continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

Patients' experiences of communication and involvement in decision-making about atrial fibrillation treatment in consultations with nurses and physicians.

BACKGROUND: Insights in consultations across patient interactions with physicians and nurses are of vital importance for strengthening the patients' involvement in the treatment decision-making process. The experience of involvement and communication in decision-making from the patients' perspective has been sparsely explored. OBJECTIVE: To examine how patients describe involvement in and communication about decision-making regarding treatment in consultations with nurses and physicians. METHOD: Twenty-two patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), aged 37-90 years, were interviewed directly after their consultations with nurses and physicians in outpatient AF clinics in six Swedish hospitals. RESULTS: In consultations with nurses, the patients felt involved when obtaining clarifications about AF as a disease and its treatment and when preparing for and building up confidence in decision-making. In consultations with physicians, the patients felt involved when they could cooperate in decision-making, when acquiring knowledge, and when they felt that they were being understood. One shared category was found in consultations with both nurses and physicians, and the patients felt involved when they had a sense of trust and felt secure during and between consultations. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AF stated that they would need to acquire knowledge and build up confidence and ability in order to be effectively involved in the decision-making about treatment. Despite not being actively involved in decision-making, patients felt involved through experiencing supportive and confirming communication. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Attention must be given to the relationship with the patient to create the conditions for patient involvement in the consultation. This can be achieved through supportive communication attempting to create a feeling of clarity and building confidence. This will support involvement in decision-making concerning AF treatment and feelings of being understood and of trust in physicians and/or nurses.

Impact of the organisational culture on primary care staff members' intention to engage in research and development.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to understand how organisational culture influences the intentions of primary care staff members (PCSM) to engage in research and development (R&D). DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The participants (n=30) were PCSM employed in a care centre in south-western Sweden. The study had an observational design with an ethnographic approach. The data were collected by means of observations, interviews and analysis of documents. FINDINGS: The results revealed the perceptions of PCSM in two domains, research and clinical practice, both of which existed at three different cultural levels: visible (structures and policy), semi-visible (norms and values) and invisible (taken-for-granted attitudes). RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: It is difficult to conduct a purely objective ethnographic study because the investigation is controlled by its context. However, it is necessary to highlight and discuss the invisible level to improve understanding of negative attitudes and preconceptions related to the implementation of R&D in the clinical setting. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: By highlighting the invisible level of culture, the management of an organisation has the opportunity to initiate discussion of issues related to concealed norms and values as well as attitudes towards new thinking and change in the primary health context. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This paper is one of the very few studies to investigate the influence of organisational culture on the intentions of PCSM to engage in R&D.

Making the BEST decision-the BESTa project development, implementation and evaluation of a digital Decision Aid in Swedish cancer screening programmes- a description of a research project.

BACKGROUND: Sweden has a long tradition of organized national population-based screening programmes. Participation rates differ between programmes and regions, being relatively high in some groups, but lower in others. To ensure an equity perspective on screening, it is desirable that individuals make an informed decision based on knowledge rather than ignorance, misconceptions, or fear. Decision Aids (DAs) are set to deliver information about different healthcare options and help individuals to visualize the values associated with each available option. DAs are not intended to guide individuals to choose one option over another. The advantage of an individual Decision Aid (iDA) is that individuals gain knowledge about cancer and screening by accessing one webpage with the possibility to communicate with health professionals and thereafter make their decision regarding participation. The objective is therefore to develop, implement and evaluate a digital iDA for individuals invited to cancer screening in Sweden. METHODS: This study encompasses a process-, implementation-, and outcome evaluation. Multiple methods will be applied including focus group discussions, individual interviews and the usage of the think aloud technique and self-reported questionnaire data. The project is based on The International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) framework and the proposed model development process for DAs. Individuals aged 23-74, including women (the cervical-, breast- and CRC screening module) and men (the CRC screening module), will be included in the developmental process. Efforts will be made to recruit participants with self-reported physical and mental limitations, individuals without a permanent residence and ethnic minorities. DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first attempt aimed at developing an iDA for use in the Swedish context. The iDA is intended to facilitate shared decision making about participation in screening. Furthermore, the iDA is expected to increase knowledge and raise awareness about cancer and cancer screening. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Lay people are involved throughout the whole development and implementation process of the digital DA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05512260.

Quality registry, a tool for patient advantages - from a preventive caring perspective.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe nurses' experiences of a recently implemented quality register, Senior Alert, at two hospitals in Sweden. BACKGROUND: In Sweden, in recent decades, a system of national quality registries has been established in health and medical services for better outcomes for patients, professional development and a better functioning system. Senior Alert (SA) is one quality registry, aimed at preventing malnutrition, pressure ulcers and falls in elderly care. METHODS: The study comprised a total of eight interviews with nurses working with SA at the ward level. The interviews were analysed using manifest qualitative content analysis. Respect for the individuals was a main concern in the study. All persons who were asked to participate in the study consented to do so. RESULTS: One category 'Patient Advantages' and three subcategories 'Conscious Persevering', 'Supporting Structure' and 'Committed Leadership' were identified to describe staff experiences of implementing SA. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation processes need to be sustainable at both staff and managerial levels. A key factor in implementing and using a quality registry in prevention care could be described as keeping the flame burning. However, further research is needed on how patient advantages could be developed using other quality registries in order to improve care from a patient perspective. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The results of this study could help other organizations implement quality registries or other change processes, for example new guidelines and treatment. Strategies concerning organizational structure and committed leadership could increase the usefulness of knowledge systems on all levels, which could enable continuous learning and quality improvement in health care.

Shared decision-making and person-centred care in Sweden: Exploring coproduction of health and social care services.

In Sweden the health system is nationally regulated and locally provided by 21 regions and 290 municipalities. To meet the shifting paradigm, where the person is viewed as a co-producer of health and care, Sweden has laws, regulations and policies which support the patient as an active partner in the communication with professionals in the system. Coproduction, person-centred care and shared decision making contribute jointly to the paradigm shift. Principles of human dignity and equity must be supported nationally and enacted in the decentralized, regional provision of care. Infrastructures exist or are under development which can support and strengthen care that is co-produced and based in a person-centred philosophy and approach, where shared decision making becomes a reality in practice. A Knowledge management system together with National Quality registries have the potential to form a co-produced, person-centred learning health system, where patients, and next of kin and professionals are included as partners. The joint integration of Shared decision making, Person-centre care and Coproduction into the Swedish healthcare system now looks like a possible way to realize the emerging paradigm.

To support self-management for people with long-term conditions - The effect on shared decision-making, empowerment and coping after participating in group-learning sessions.

INTRODUCTION: Interventions that support patients to handle the emotional and medical aspects of a long-term health condition is important. One way is to use peer-support groups, to help patients solving problems, increasing their knowledge and making decisions. AIM: was to investigate the impact on shared decision-making, empowerment and coping after participation in group-learning sessions for patients with long-term conditions (N = 42). DESIGN: An intervention following a health education programme based on group-learning sessions was established. Eight different programmes were held in five different departments at a regional county hospital in Sweden. METHODS: Questionnaires were analysed using paired-sample t-test. RESULTS: Results showed that patients might have better opportunities to be more active during their patient encounter after attending the group learning sessions. Interventions directed to patient activation may be one key in future healthcare management, especially concerning long-term conditions. Empowering patients is central in healthcare, and using different approaches is important.

Striving to be prepared for the painful: Management strategies following a family member's diagnosis of advanced cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer has consequences not only for the sick person but also for those who have a close relationship with that person. Greater knowledge about how family members manage the situation in the period immediately following the diagnosis means greater opportunity to provide the best possible support for the family. The purpose of this study was to explore management strategies that family members use when the patient is in the early stage of treatment for advanced cancer. METHODS: Twenty family members of cancer patients were included in the study shortly after the diagnosis. The patients had been diagnosed 8-14 weeks earlier with advanced lung cancer or gastrointestinal cancer. The data were collected in interviews with family members and subjected to qualitative latent content analysis. Through the identification of similarities and dissimilarities in the units of meaning, abstraction into codes and sub-themes became possible. The sub-themes were then brought together in one overarching theme. RESULTS: The overall function of management strategies is expressed in the theme Striving to be prepared for the painful. The family members prepare themselves mentally for the anticipated tragedy. Family relationships become increasingly important, and family members want to spend all their time together. They try to banish thoughts of the impending death and want to live as normal a life as possible. It becomes important to family members to live in the present and save their energy for the time when they will need it the most. How participants handle their worries, anxiety and sadness can be categorized into seven sub-themes or management strategies: Making things easier in everyday life, Banishing thoughts about the approaching loss, Living in the present, Adjusting to the sick person's situation, Distracting oneself by being with others, Shielding the family from grief, and Attempting to maintain hope. CONCLUSIONS: The findings revealed that the family members have their own resources for handling the early stage of the cancer trajectory in an acceptable way. There is a need for longitudinal studies to generate knowledge for designing evidence-based intervention programmes that can prevent future ill-health in these vulnerable family members.

A treatment strategy for meeting life as it is. Patients' and therapists' experiences of brief therapy in a district psychiatric centre: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Young adults increasingly seek help for mental health problems. In 2016, a district psychiatric centre in Norway started a brief treatment program to provide early and effective help for moderate depression and anxiety. AIM: Exploring patients' and therapists' experiences of brief therapy, especially how the time limitation influences the treatment process. METHODS: Individual interviews with 12 patients and focus group interviews with eight therapists analyzed using systematic text condensation. RESULTS: The results constitute five themes: (1) Time-limit as a frame for targeted change, (2) Clarifying expectations and accountability, (3) Shared agreement on a defined treatment-project, (4) Providing tools instead of searching for causes, and (5) Learning to cope-not being cured. CONCLUSION: Time-limitation in brief therapy appeared to play a positive role, helping the therapists to structure the therapeutic process and strengthening patients' motivation. Shared understanding and activation during brief therapy may reinforce patients' responsibility and expectations to achieve individual goals. Brief therapy can be viewed as the start of a personal process towards "mastering life as it is". More research is needed to investigate the patients' long-term outcomes after treatment and to shed light on the potential for, and limitations of, mastering everyday-life.

"An Expanded Window of Understanding a Changed Everyday Life"-Experiences From Patients With Long-Term Conditions After Attending Group Learning Sessions.

OBJECTIVE: Health education programs using group learning sessions for patients with long-term conditions have been tested, but not evaluated. In order to evaluate such sessions, the purpose was to explore experiences from patients with long-term conditions after participating in group learning sessions. METHODS: A descriptive design based on qualitative content analysis was used. Interviews were conducted with 19 patients with different long-term conditions, and participants were asked about their experiences after taking part in the group learning sessions. RESULTS: Sharing experiences with one another gave them opportunities for learning. Patients described a metaphorical "expanded window," which opens in the group learning sessions; comparable to encounters during regular visits to health care providers. The nature of the learning environment that follows the educational model, together with describing lived experiences, allowed patients to share capability and resources, which was found to be foundational. CONCLUSIONS: The health education program as a format was important for shared learning. The facilitator can support the learning by structuring the format, but most essential was sharing experiences that facilitated each patient's learning that can aid the support of individual self-management.

"I live, I don't work, but I live a very normal life"-A qualitative interview study of Scandinavian user experiences of schizophrenia, antipsychotic medication, and personal recovery processes.

PURPOSE: To illuminate user experiences of schizophrenia, reasons for receiving antipsychotic medication, and encounters with mental health services. DESIGN AND METHODS: 24 semistructured qualitative research interviews with schizophrenia patients treated with 3-monthly paliperidone palmitate across Scandinavia were synthesized in qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Participants describe considerable challenges in everyday functioning. Simultaneously, they rate their current mental and physical well-being high and seem satisfied with their lives. These pathways indicate personal recovery. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The participants emphasize the importance of trustful relations with healthcare professionals, therapeutic conversations, antipsychotic medication in a 3-monthly formulation, and support from relatives.

The Educational Impact of Implementing National Quality Registries in Sweden-A National Collaboration Project.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is a need for improved clinical outcomes, and a useful tool in this endeavor is the use of National Quality Registries (NQRs). To learn more about the impact of NQRs, a National Collaboration Project was formed. This follow-up study had 2 aims: first, to describe the value and learning of a National Collaboration Project focusing on the use of NQRs in collaboration between universities, health care organizations, and the regional registry centers; and, second, to describe what activities are still ongoing. METHOD: A qualitative design was used to obtain a detailed description of the extent to which project leaders perceived that the goals had been achieved after participation in the national project. A qualitative descriptive content analysis was performed. RESULTS: Four main categories were found. The context proved to be crucial for how the local projects were formed and developed. Networking was highlighted as an important part of learning. Another mentioned part of learning was the change planned and implemented in the curriculum to promote the use of NQRs. Finally, the importance of anchoring and spreading the lessons learned was also stressed. CONCLUSION: Using NQRs in multidisciplinary education is successful in many ways, but this study shows that certain factors need to be in place to make it work in practice.

Communicating stroke survivors' health and further needs for support in care-planning meetings.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study will illustrate how stroke survivors, their relatives and different professionals communicated in care-planning meetings when planning care for patients after their discharge from hospital. We wanted to know what topics participants were talking about, to what extent they were involved in the discussion and how the communication was organized. BACKGROUND: Communication in health care is sometimes problematic because of the participants' asymmetrical positions when negotiating how to understand the patients' future care. METHODS: A qualitative and a quantitative design were adopted with a sample of 14 authentic audio-recorded care-planning meetings. The transcribed meetings were, together with observational notes, analysed from a data-driven approach. FINDINGS: Five topics emerged. The professionals tended to dominate the discourse space even if their involvement varied depending on the topic talked about. The most noteworthy finding was the patients' need of communicative alliances with other participants when negotiating their needs and desires of further care. When making decisions two approaches emerged. The 'aim-driven' approach was characterized by alliances between those participants who seemed to share a common goal for the patient's further care. When the participants used the 'open-minded' approach they merged information and discussed different solutions leading to a goal step by step. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of strengthening stroke survivors' participation in care-planning meetings is highlighted. Professionals have to increase their knowledge about how to involve the patients as well as their awareness of how to avoid power struggles between various professionals, patients and relatives. Relevance to clinical practice. This study shows the necessity for professionals to involve relatives when negotiating these patients' need of further care and to learn more about how to advocate stroke survivors.

The validation of the Supervision of Thesis Questionnaire (STQ).

BACKGROUND: The supervision process is characterized by differences between the supervisors' and the students' expectations before the start of writing a bachelor thesis as well as after its completion. A review of the literature did not reveal any scientifically tested questionnaire for evaluating nursing students' expectations of the supervision process when writing a bachelor thesis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of a questionnaire for measuring nursing students' expectations of the bachelor thesis supervision process. DESIGN & METHODS: The study had a developmental and methodological design carried out in four steps including construct validity and internal consistency reliability statistical procedures: construction of the items, assessment of face validity, data collection and data analysis. SETTINGS & PARTICIPANTS: This study was conducted at a university in southern Sweden, where students on the "Nursing student thesis, 15 ECTS" course were consecutively selected for participation. Of the 512 questionnaires distributed, 327 were returned, a response rate of 64%. RESULTS: Five factors with a total variance of 74% and good communalities, ≥0.64, were extracted from the 10-item STQ. The internal consistency of the 10 items was 0.68. The five factors were labelled: The nature of the supervision process, The supervisor's role as a coach, The students' progression to self-support, The interaction between students and supervisor and supervisor competence. CONCLUSIONS: A didactic, useful and secure questionnaire measuring nursing students' expectations of the bachelor thesis supervision process based on three main forms of supervision was created.

Factors associated with confidence in decision making and satisfaction with risk communication among patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia. Effective communication of risks (e.g. stroke risk) and benefits of treatment (e.g. oral anticoagulants) is crucial for the process of shared decision making. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with confidence in decision making and satisfaction with risk communication after a follow-up visit among patients who three months earlier had visited an emergency room for atrial fibrillation related symptoms. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used and 322 patients (34% women), mean age 66.1 years (SD 10.5 years) with atrial fibrillation were included in the south of Sweden. Clinical examinations were done post an atrial fibrillation episode. Self-rating scales for communication (Combined Outcome Measure for Risk Communication and Treatment Decision Making Effectiveness), uncertainty in illness (Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community), mastery of daily life (Mastery Scale), depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and vitality, physical health and mental health (36-item Short Form Health Survey) were used to collect data. RESULTS: Decreased vitality and mastery of daily life, as well as increased uncertainty in illness, were independently associated with lower confidence in decision making. Absence of hypertension and increased uncertainty in illness were independently associated with lower satisfaction with risk communication. Clinical atrial fibrillation variables or depressive symptoms were not associated with satisfaction with confidence in decision making or satisfaction with risk communication. The final models explained 29.1% and 29.5% of the variance in confidence in decision making and satisfaction with risk communication. CONCLUSION: Confidence in decision making is associated with decreased vitality and mastery of daily life, as well as increased uncertainty in illness, while absence of hypertension and increased uncertainty in illness are associated with risk communication satisfaction.

Content and distribution of discursive space in consultations between patients with atrial fibrillation and healthcare professionals.

AIM: To describe (i) the topics participants talk about, (ii) the use of discursive space in consultations between patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and their nurses and physicians, and (iii) the frequencies of the ways the patients, nurses and physicians introduce the topics. METHODS: Data were collected from 23 videotaped consultations concerning patients with AF as well as physicians and nurses, respectively. To obtain a description of topics discussed, the transcripts were analysed using content analysis. The patterns of dominance for the respective topic and participant were explored from the framework of analysis that treats dominance. RESULTS: Four topics were used by both nurses and physicians in the consultations. These were 'pathophysiology', 'diagnostic procedures', 'treatment' and 'activity'. In the nurse-patient consultation an additional topic, 'routines related to the physician's responsibilities', emerged. With respect to the number of words and turns, the distribution of the discourse space was almost equal between the nurses and patients and unequal between the physicians and patients. The healthcare professionals initiated the topics more frequently compared to the patients, whereby the medical approach recommended in the guidelines for AF could be recognized. The patients were the dominating initiators in the topic 'activity', which refers to the adaptation of activities in daily life in relation to the AF. CONCLUSIONS: The medical-driven agenda dominates over the patient-driven agenda in consultations between healthcare professional and patients with AF. The patients initiated the conversations when discussing living with AF and were more talkative during conversations in nurse consultations.

Problem-solving in physiotherapy--physiotherapists' talk about encounters with patients with non-specific low back pain.

PURPOSE: To investigate how physiotherapists talk about the choice of intervention for patients with NSLBP, particularly how professionals manage clinical encounters that may be experienced as challenging. METHOD: Discourse analysis was performed of four focus groups' talk. Twenty-one experienced physiotherapists working in primary health care in southern Sweden participated. RESULTS: Four focal themes appeared: Responsibility for health and health-related problems; Normalization - what counts as a normal back pain problem in relation to living an ordinary life; Change process - how to lead one's life; and Individualization of the intervention in relation to the individual patient but also from the physiotherapists' point of view. The themes shape an over-arching pattern of Problem-solving - which concerned both the professional task and the back pain problem, and was related to varying case complexity. This may have implications for the intervention the individual patient will be offered and on outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Physiotherapists' attitudes and approaches seem to entail components of professional and personal values which may influence patients' access to health care, with a risk for unequal assessment and intervention as a consequence. We argue that enhanced physiotherapist-patient collaboration, including patient-led problem-investigation, is a prerequisite for improved outcome in terms of patient satisfaction, and for physiotherapy development. Future investigations of patients' roles in specific face-to-face encounters are needed.