Scandinavian journal of primary health care
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Jun 2024
Thanks for hearing me: key elements of primary care according to older patients.
Objective: When organising healthcare and planning for research to improve healthcare, it is important to include the patients' own perceptions. Therefore, the aim was to explore older patients' views on what is important concerning their current care and possible future interventions in a primary care setting. Design: A qualitative design with individual interviews was used. ⋯ Our study highlights the importance of elder care teams facilitating the contact with healthcare, ensuring continuity and creating conditions for a person-centred care. There were variations regarding preferences about training and different views on conversations about end-of-life, which strengthens the need for individualisation and personal knowledge. This study also exemplifies qualitative individual interviews as an approach to reach older people to be part of a study design and give input to an upcoming research intervention, as the interviews contribute with important information of value in the planning of the Swedish intervention trial Secure and Focused Primary Care for Older pEople (SAFE).
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Jun 2024
Good cancer follow-up for socially disadvantaged patients in general practice? Perspectives from patients and general practitioners.
One of the core principles of providing care in general practice is giving more to those who need it most. We investigate some of the complexities of this ambition in the context of cancer care for patients defined as socially disadvantaged by their general practitioner (GP). We do this by exploring how care is sought, how it is offered, and what expectations patients and GPs carry with them when receiving and providing cancer care in the Danish welfare state. ⋯ Drawing on theoretical concepts of morality and Nordic individualism, we point to how one of the main challenges in cancer care and follow-up is to figure out how the doctor-patient relationship should be established, practiced, and maintained. Both GPs and patients stressed the importance of the relationship, but how it should be practiced amidst social norms about being a patient, a citizen and how care-seeking should unfold seems less clear. In conclusion we argue that giving more to those who need it the most is a difficult and ill-defined task that is shaped by the cultural, social, and political expectations of both GPs and patients.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Jun 2024
Men's views on causes and consequences of erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation in a primary care population: a qualitative study.
To explore men's views on the causes and consequences of two common sexual dysfunctions - erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation - and how this affects physical and mental health as well as social life and intimate or close relations. ⋯ Sexual dysfunction impairs general health and relationships with partners. While counselling is the basic treatment, those who are offered pharmaceutical treatment need follow-up concerning effectiveness and potential concerns.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · May 2024
Primary healthcare professionals' attitudes toward patients with current or previous drug use.
People with current or previous drug use (PCPDU) often lack long-term healthcare contacts in primary healthcare (PHC). While international research has shown negative attitudes toward PCPDU in healthcare, PHC professionals' attitudes toward PCPDU have not been assessed in Sweden. The aim of this study was to investigate PHC professionals' attitudes to PCPDU, and to compare attitudes toward people who actively use illicit drugs with those toward patients in opioid assisted treatment (OAT). ⋯ The results indicate widespread negative attitudes to PCPDU, with implications for health equity in the clinic. Further studies are needed to see if the results reflect attitudes in Swedish PHC in general.Key PointsPeople with current or previous drug use (PCPDU) often lack necessary primary healthcare (PHC) and are commonly subject to prejudice.Swedish PHC professionals held more negative attitudes toward PCPDU than toward patients with depression.Attitudes toward patients with active drug use and patients in opioid assisted treatment (OAT) were almost identical.Study findings have potential implications for the health of PCPDU as well as health equity in the clinic.Widespread negative attitudes to PCPDU in our sample indicate the need of larger-scale studies of attitudes toward PCPDU in Swedish PHC.