NL
Patients experience and recognize care that is of low value, and see the disadvantages of this for themselves and society. This is evident from an interview study with 24 patients, in which Eva Verkerk and Tijn Kool of IQ Health collaborated. Patients can therefore play an important role in identifying and preventing inappropriate care and are an essential target group for de-implementation initiatives.
In an interview study, 24 patients were surveyed about their experiences with inappropriate or unnecessary care. These patients had previously indicated in a questionnaire that they had experienced this. They mentioned many types of care that did not add value for various reasons, such as care that did not fit their wishes or preferences, care that was repeated for no apparent reason, unnecessary administrative actions, or care that could have been prevented. In doing so, they outline a broader palette of inappropriate care than caregivers usually mean when they talk about inappropriate care: they focus mainly on care that is not medically effective (enough).
The main causes according to patients are inadequate communication between the provider and the patient, and adherence to protocols rather than providing tailored care. As a result of inappropriate care, patients name patient burden, higher care costs, and less room for care that is valuable, among other things. Consequently, they believe that better provider-patient communication and more patient-centered care are important solutions to prevent inappropriate care.
Patients experience and recognize care that is of low value, and see the disadvantages of this for themselves and society. They can therefore play an important role in identifying and preventing (perceived by them) inappropriate care. It is important that initiatives to reduce inappropriate care also focus on patients. Possible interventions include better informing patients about the pros and cons of care, encouraging patient-centered care and collaborative decision making, and discussing care that they feel does not add value.
Read the publication here:
Verkerk EW, Boekkooi JAH, Pels EGM, Kool RB: Exploring patients' perceptions of low-value care: An interview study - ScienceDirect