Table 2 Statements from Swedish focus groups with general practitioners (GP) and nurses (N) concerning key priority-setting criteria (severity of the health condition, patient benefit, and cost-effectiveness) that exemplify the category of viewpoint (medical or patient's).
From: Priority setting in primary health care - dilemmas and opportunities: a focus group study
Viewpoint | Severity of the health condition | Patient benefit | Cost-effectiveness of the intervention |
|---|---|---|---|
Medical viewpoint | 1. A melanoma, for example, a small melanoma which the doctor sees as very serious, may be seen by the patient as nothing more than a normal birthmark. (GP 6, Group 4) | 3. Yes, it was a case of depression. I felt that something concrete occurred there. (GP 3, Group 3) | 4. Elderly patients who come to collect their medicines, talk a little, and get support. Seeing me here makes them feel secure. And when I do this it saves on other care facilities. It saves doctors' appointments, maybe visits to the hospital, and lots of other things and the patients still feel good. (N 1, Group 8) |
2. I had some inadequately controlled diabetes patients who did not see this as a major problem. (GP 2, Group 3) | |||
Patient's viewpoint | 5. It may be trifling matters that reduce the patient's quality of life, which, as a member of the medical staff you may not consider to be so serious. However, it may be serious for the patient. They experience it as more of a problem than we do. (N 2, Group 5) | 6. When a patient suffers from globus sensation they assume that they have cancer of the throat. You can explain various mechanisms to the patient and different methods of treatment, but not perform any intervention. But the patient is often very relieved when they leave the surgery. (GP 3, Group 1) | 8. Medicated stockings that are used week after week. The patient insists on having them even if... well there are some small changes in their skin condition. It cannot be very cost-effective to go home to them to put them on. Admittedly the patient buys them him/herself, but that is just money. They insist on having them, but it's not certain that they are of any help. (N 3, Group 5) |
7. It is also of great importance. I mean if they feel very satisfied it has been a great benefit. (N 2, Group 6) |