[Patients' attitude towards the hospital system in eastern and western Denmark. Patient involvement, patient orthodoxy and information gathering].
BACKGROUND
Based on results from the Danish National Patient Satisfaction Survey (2000, 2002), which showed that patients treated in hospitals in western Denmark (West) had more positive experiences than patients treated in hospitals in eastern Denmark (East), the Unit of Patient Evaluation examined what factors may be creating the regional differences in patients' experiences.


METHODS
This research is based on qualitative research methods and has decoded the sense ascribed by each patient, based on his or her own understanding, norms and values, to phenomena and experiences during hospitalisation. The research was carried out in four orthopaedic departments, and hip patients were chosen as the target group. In all, 16 interviews with patients, 9 interviews with medical personnel and 4 observations were carried out.


RESULTS
All the patients preferred to be informed about their treatment possibilities. Nevertheless, compared to patients in the West, patients in the East had more specific expectations of being involved in their hospitalisation, they had more often tried to get involved and they were less orthodox and more engaged in obtaining information.


CONCLUSIONS
This research indicates that the difference in patients' experiences between eastern and western Denmark may be caused by their different expectations of involvement. An individual patient's evaluation of hospitalisation may be more positive if the patient does not have a high expectation of having his or her individual needs fulfilled.
Schulze
Stina Bradt
SB
Amtssygehuset i Glostrup, Enheden for Brugerundersøgelser i Københavns Amt, Afsnit 87.
Gut
Rikke
R
Freil
Morten
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001318:Authoritarianism; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations