Patients' views on the quality of health care for rheumatoid arthritis

To study the experiences and views of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on the quality of health care received in primary and secondary care. Semi-structured interviews with 26 individual patients with RA; these were stratified by sex, ethnicity and disease duration, based on the treated preva...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Rheumatology (Oxford, England) England), 2006-12, Vol.45 (12), p.1522-1528
Main Authors: LEMPP, H, SCOTT, D. L, KINGSLEY, G. H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - psychology
Arthritis, Rheumatoid - therapy
Attitude to Health
Biological and medical sciences
Cohort Studies
Diseases of the osteoarticular system
England
Family Practice - standards
Female
Humans
Inflammatory joint diseases
Male
Medical sciences
Medical Staff, Hospital - psychology
Middle Aged
Outpatient Clinics, Hospital - organization & administration
Outpatient Clinics, Hospital - standards
Patient Participation
Primary Health Care - standards
Professional-Patient Relations
Quality of Health Care
State Medicine - standards
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Summary:To study the experiences and views of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on the quality of health care received in primary and secondary care. Semi-structured interviews with 26 individual patients with RA; these were stratified by sex, ethnicity and disease duration, based on the treated prevalence cohort of patients attending two outpatient clinics in South East England. Patients highlighted four main factors which influenced their attitude and approach towards hospital staff and the treatment offered: (i) their past experiences with the National Health Service (NHS), (ii) their own health beliefs, (iii) professional attitudes (e.g. listening to patients, receiving feedback on disease processes) and (iv) organizational aspects (e.g. good communication between health professionals) which would make their visits to the outpatient clinic easier. Most patients no longer see themselves as passive recipients of care. They appreciate acknowledgement from health care professionals of their contribution towards management of their own chronic illness, and welcome a more equal dialogue with health care staff. This is consistent with the emphasis of the Department of Health document on 'Supporting People with Long-term Conditions' such as RA.
ISSN:1462-0324
1462-0332
DOI:10.1093/rheumatology/kel132