title: Patient empowerment in the process of sickness certificates.
abstract: A national patient portal for secure communication between the patients/citizens and primary care (Mina vårdkontakter) is available in Sweden. This system was used in a pilot project in the Stockholm County where patients were invited to prepare the visit to their physician for the discussion on the need for prolonged sickness leave by filling out a web based questionnaire on their current health status and working conditions. The opinions of the patients and their primary care physicians about the system were analyzed with positive feedback.
authors.affiliation: NTNU/NSEP, Trondheim, Norway. gunnar.klein@nsep.no
authors.forename: Gunnar O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification; D003142:Communication; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006747:Hospital Communication Systems; D020407:Internet; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D011209:Power, Psychological; D018582:Sick Leave; D013548:Sweden