[Shared Medical Appointments: experiences of patients and care givers].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the characteristics of patients participating in a shared medical appointment (SMA); to what extent SMAs fulfil patients' needs; to evaluate if patients are better informed after an SMA and how they evaluate meeting other patients at an SMA, and how health professionals experience SMAs.


METHODS
Descriptive.


METHODS
Fourteen multidisciplinary teams participated in the study. The Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement (CBO) trained them in how to conduct an SMA. The experiences of patients participating in an SMA were compared with the experiences of patients who visited the doctor individually. Patients completed questionnaires before and after the SMA (n = 83) or the individual visit (n = 158).


RESULTS
Patients who participated in an SMA did not differ significantly from the regular patient population in either demographic characteristics or in their experience of health and care uptake. Patients participated in an SMA primarily to share experiences with fellow patients, to learn from others and to obtain more information. Both patients and health professionals (n = 53) reported that patients received more information during an SMA. Patients valued the contact with their fellow patients. SMA offered care givers a different experience and opportunities to learn.


CONCLUSIONS
For patients and health professionals, SMAs seem indeed to have added value. More research is needed to understand the working mechanism and the long-term effects of participation in SMAs.
Zantinge
Else M
EM
Nederlands Instituut voor onderzoek van de gezondheidszorg (NIVEL), Utrecht, The Netherlands. else.zantinge@rivm.nl
Seesing
Femke M
FM
Tol
Frank E
FE
Raats
C J Ilse
CJ
Spreeuwenberg
Peter M M
PM
van Dulmen
A M Sandra
AM
D000328:Adult; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D009819:Office Visits / Q000639:trends*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires