Family practice
-
Fulfilment of patients' expectations has been associated with greater patient satisfaction with care and greater adherence to medical advice. However, little is know about how race influences patient expectations. ⋯ African American race is associated with greater expectations of the primary care physicians. More research is needed to confirm the differential expectations by race and determine the reasons for the differential expectations.
-
GPs' recollections about their 'most serious errors in treatment' and about the consequences for themselves. Does it make a difference, who (else) contributed to the error, or to its discovery or disclosure? ⋯ The majority of patients still trusted their GP after a serious error, especially if the GP was not the only one who contributed to the error and if the GP played an active role in the discovery and disclosure or the error.
-
There is concern that patients may be remaining on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) longer than is clinically indicated. Previous research has explored patients' experiences of taking SSRIs and decisions about starting medication. There has been less research into patients' reasons for long-term use and their views and experiences of discontinuation. ⋯ Patients prescribed SSRI medication need to be reassured that, as with starting medication, thinking about or actually stopping medication is a task that will not be managed in isolation, but with the support of their GP.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
The use of mixed methodology in evaluating complex interventions: identifying patient factors that moderate the effects of a decision aid.
Mixed method research, the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods, is increasingly popular in health services research, especially as a way to examine 'complex interventions'. This paper seeks to provide a case example of the use of mixed methods in the analysis of a complex intervention (a computerized interactive decision aid) to test whether their use affords insights into potential moderators of the intervention (i.e. patient factors that were associated with the impact of the intervention). ⋯ Mixed methods can illuminate different aspects of an intervention or provide greater insight into particular issues. Health service researchers need to be aware that the qualitative and quantitative results may be discrepant, and methods need to be developed to deal with such discrepancies. However, exploring seemingly discrepant results can lead to greater insight and the development of new hypotheses and avenues of research.