Wishes and needs of community-dwelling older persons concerning general practice: A qualitative study

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 7; p. e0200614
• Main Authors: van Blijswijk, Sophie C E, de Waard, Claudia S, van Peet, Petra G, Keizer, Dagmar, von Faber, Margaret, de Waal, Margot W M, den Elzen, Wendy P J, Gussekloo, Jacobijn, Blom, Jeanet W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 17-07-2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Accessibility; Activities of Daily Living; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Arthritis; Biology and Life Sciences; Data processing; Delivery of Health Care - organization & administration; Delivery of Health Care - standards; Diagnostic Self Evaluation; Drugs; Elderly patients; Engineering and Technology; Ethical aspects; Female; Focus groups; Follow-Up Studies; General Practice - organization & administration; General Practice - standards; General practitioners; Geriatrics; Health aspects; Health care policy; Health education; Health problems; Humans; Interviews; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Older people; Pain; Participation; Patients; Patients' rights; People and Places; Physician-patient relations; Practice; Primary care; Professionals; Public health; Qualitative research; Research and Analysis Methods; Social Sciences; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States > US; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200614

Community-dwelling older persons often experience hindering health complaints that disturb daily activities. If general practitioners (GPs) are unaware of such complaints, this could lead to a mismatch in provided care and needed or expected care. In this qualitative study with community-dwelling older persons we investigated how older persons experience hindering health complaints, how they deal with them, and what they expect from their GP.
Participants (aged ≥80 years) with pain and/or problems with walking/standing were invited to participate in a (group)interview about hindering health problems and expectations from general practice. Data were analysed using the framework method and results were discussed with a client panel.
Participants experienced various hindering health complaints in addition to pain and/or problems with walking/standing. Complaints affecting social activities were experienced as the most hindering. Participants actively tried to remain independent and, to achieve this, GPs were expected to be involved and be easily accessible. However, they did not expect specific help from their GP for pain or problems with walking/standing. Suggestions for improvement of care from GPs included optimisation of accessibility (continuous availability by telephone), a yearly check including medication review, open communication, and empathy and support during major life events.
According to older persons with hindering health complaints, GPs could improve their accessibility/relationship with patients by: 1) continuous telephonic availability, 2) initiating regular contact with medication reviews, and 3) initiating support during major life events. This might lower the reported barriers to contact the GP for hindering health complaints.