title: Case typologies, chronic illness and primary health care.
abstract: When assessing patients, clinicians use typologies developed through their own particular clinical experience. Our aim was to develop a typology, based on the patient's perspective and not specific to one illness, with the potential to enhance person-centred clinical follow-up of those living with chronic illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  We applied the qualitative comparative method of analysis to interview data from 37 people living with type 2 diabetes or with chronic back pain, recruited from UK General Practices. Informed by theory on time and complexity, analysis focused on the ongoing adjustments made by individuals living with chronic illness (their dynamic) in current time. Health professionals (n = 20) and people living with diabetes or living with back pain (n = 14) refined and validated the typology in five focus groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified the following types of dynamic: past reminders, stuck and struggling, becalmed, and submerged. Among interviewees who provided data at different time points, we found some transformed from one dynamic type to another.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This typology may aid personalization of treatment decisions and could be extended to other chronic illness.
authors.affiliation: Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Frances E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lindenmeyer
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borkan
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Donner Banzhoff
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parchman
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sturt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003657:Decision Making; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: chronic illness and disease; comparative analysis; complexity; primary healthcare; semi-structured interviews