Patients' views on chronic illness and its care in general practice.
BACKGROUND
General practitioners have described barriers to the uptake of incentives such as the Enhanced Primary Care items introduced to support care of chronic illness. However patients' attitudes toward chronic illness and planned care are not known.


METHODS
A qualitative study of adult patients with chronic illnesses using semi-structured interviews and a focus group, examining their experience of chronic illness and their attitudes toward health care.


RESULTS
Sixteen patients were interviewed; five participated in the focus group. Patients believed that their illnesses were permanent and progressive, and that GPs had little influence over their prognosis. They preferred to access GPs for acute problems rather than anticipatory care, and most could not see a need for care planning.


CONCLUSIONS
Patient preferences for care delivery may be in conflict with the current reform agenda focussing on anticipatory care provision. Efforts to reform chronic illness care may falter unless this is addressed.
Shortus
Tim
T
Department of General Practice, South Western Sydney Area Health Service, New South Wales. shortust@sesahs.nsw.gov.au
Rose
Vanessa
V
Comino
Elizabeth
E
Zwar
Nicholas
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology