Good communication was valued as more important than accessibility according to 707 Nordic primary care patients: a report from the QUALICOPC study

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of primary health care 2021-09, Vol.39 (3), p.296-304
• Main Authors: Eide, Torunn Bjerve, Straand, Jørund, Braend, Anja Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access; Availability; Chronic illnesses; Communication; delivery of health care; Family physicians; Female; General Practice; General Practitioners; Humans; Nordic countries; Original; Patient participation; patient preference; Patients; Primary care; Primary Health Care; QUALICOPC; Quality management; Quality of Health Care; Treatment preferences; Value; Waiting rooms
• ISSN: 0281-3432; 1502-7724
• DOI: 10.1080/02813432.2021.1928837

To explore Nordic patients' ranking of the importance of different aspects of general practice. Patients ranked the importance of 47 statements reflecting five quality domains: communication, involvement, accessibility, continuity, and comprehensiveness. Nordic general practice. Patients ≥18 years in general practitioners waiting rooms. Items rated as important or very important by ≥ 90% in all countries were identified. Associations with patient characteristics were analysed by logistic regression. 209 Danish, 175 Norwegian, 129 Finnish, 112 Swedish and 82 Icelandic patients responded. Ten statements were ranked as important or very important by ≥90% in each country. Six pertained to communication, three to patient involvement and one to the comprehensiveness of care. No items regarding accessibility or continuity exceeded the 90% limit. The item most frequently rated as very important was 'I understand what the GP explains''. Female patients were more likely to value personal treatment (OR = 2.9; 95%CI 1.5-5.5) and receiving instructions if things went wrong (1.7; 1.2-2.2). Older patients >65 years put less emphasis than those