title: Involving patients in treatment decisions - a delicate balancing act for Swedish dentists.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study focuses on patients' participation in treatment decisions related to the delivery of oral health care in the social welfare state of Sweden. In 1985, the National Dental Service Act gave dental patients the right to take an active role in decisions regarding their treatment and, in doing so, strengthened them as consumers. Little is known how dentists in Sweden have adapted to this change.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study explores how dentists in Sweden perceive and experience involving patients in dental treatment decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from open-ended interviews with nineteen dentists, and an inductive qualitative content analysis was chosen to analyse the transcribed interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Involving patients in treatment decisions appeared to be delicate balancing acts between the ideals of patient involvement and the reality of how it is practised in Sweden. These balancing acts in turn revealed obstacles to patient involvement and the role that economy can play on the decisions of some patients regarding their treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has given insight into a relationship in which some dentists in Sweden find it hard to adapt to and change their professional role with patients who appear to act more as consumers. For these dentists, better practice of patient involvement may require adoption of a more consumerist approach. However, in situations where economy influences patients' treatment choices, the ideals of patient involvement may remain unattainable.
authors.affiliation: Doctor, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Health Services Research, Uppsala University, SwedenProfessor, School of Health and Medicine, Örebro University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Röing
authors.forename: Inger Knutsson
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Holmström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D024382:Professional Role; D011897:Random Allocation; D013548:Sweden; D035502:Trust