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Family Practice Advance Access published online on February 18, 2005
Family Practice, doi:10.1093/fampra/cmh733
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© The Author (2005). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
Received August 30, 2004
Accepted November 26, 2004

Article

Elderly patients' and GPs' views on different methods for patient involvement: an international qualitative interview study

Tina Aaen Geest 1*, Raymond Wetzels 2, Victor Raposo 3, Pedro Lopes Ferreira 3, Richard Baker 4, Michel Wensing 2, Frede Olesen 1, and on behalf of the Improve Research Group

1 Research Unit for General Practice, University of Aarhus, Denmark
2 Centre for Quality of Care Research, UMC St Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
3 Centre for Health Studies and Research, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, Portugal
4 Clinical Governance Research and Development Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, UK

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Tina Aaen Geest, E-mail: tag{at}alm.au.dk


  Abstract

Background. Elderly patients' interaction with the GP may be improved through patient involvement techniques, and there is a variety of such techniques which improve patients' involvement in their own care, although little is known about their acceptability.

Objectives. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators for using patient information leaflets and patient satisfaction questionnaires as methods for increasing elderly patients' involvement in general practice care by comparing their views with the GPs' views on these two types of methods.

Methods. In seven countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Switzerland) 146 GPs and 284 patients aged 70 and over were interviewed about the use and the acceptability of these two methods. Interviewers followed a semi-structured interview guide, and all interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim.

Results. The arguments for using patient satisfaction questionnaires were that they would provide the GP with more information, function as a basis for change, increase patients' self-confidence and make them more conscious of what to expect. Barriers for their use were cognitive impairment among patients, fear that they would not answer honestly and opposition to written material. The arguments for patient information leaflets were that they could support patients' memories, educate patients and promote their self-responsibility. The barriers were cognitive impairment among patients and fear that they would give them false impressions of what to expect.

Conclusion. Both instruments were generally well accepted by both GPs and patients. Their use seemed to be dependent upon the individual GP's attitude and the patients' cognitive capacities.

Keywords: Elderly; general practice; patient participation; qualitative research.
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