Inner city African-American elderly patients' perceptions and preferences for the care of chronic knee and hip pain: findings from focus groups.
BACKGROUND
African Americans undergo joint replacement less often than do white persons. The authors studied African-American perceptions and preferences for the care of knee and hip pain.


METHODS
10 focus groups were conducted in an inner city community. Participants, older persons with chronic knee or hip pain, were asked to discuss their perceptions and preferences for the care of knee and hip pain. Transcripts were coded for thematic structure using NUD*ST software.


RESULTS
Cultural preferences and perceptions for care emerged as a major theme. Important subcategories of this theme included respect for the patient's faith and religiosity and perceptions of physician ethnicity, race, and sex.


CONCLUSIONS
This sample of older inner city African Americans expressed unique cultural perceptions and preferences for the care of their knee and hip pain. Respect for patients' faith was important, whereas physicians' race, ethnicity, and religious background were not.
Ibrahim
Said A
SA
Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh HealthCare System, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA. said.ibrahim2@med.va.gov
Zhang
Amy
A
Mercer
Mary Beth
MB
Baughman
Marcy
M
Kwoh
C Kent
CK
D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006615:Hip; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D012067:Religion