Patient complaints about healthcare in a Swedish county : Characteristics and satisfaction after handling

AIM: To describe patient complaints and to examine possible associations between healthcare providers’ statements and reports of satisfaction/dissatisfaction. DESIGN: A retrospective and descriptive design was used to examine filed complaints. METHODS: Complaints from one Patient Advisory Committee in Sweden in 2011 was examined using three different protocols/reading guides (n = 618). Associations between contents in responses from healthcare providers and reports of satisfaction/dissatisfaction from the complainants were analysed. RESULTS: Less than one‐third of the complainants were satisfied after handling and with healthcare providers’ statements about the complaint. The most frequent causes for dissatisfaction were that the healthcare provider ‘did not tell the truth’ or ‘gave insufficient information’. There was a statistically significant association with dissatisfaction if the statement from the healthcare provider included the category ‘disagree/defend themselves’. Four categories were associated with being satisfied and the associations were statistically significant when two or more of these were combined

Which aspects of health differ between working and nonworking women with fibromyalgia? A cross-sectional study of work status and health

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Women with fibromyalgia (FM) describe great difficulties in managing work. Reported work ability in women with FM varies from 34 to 77 percent in studies from different countries. Many factors are suggested to affect the ability to work in women with FM, including pain, fatigue, impaired physical capacity and activity limitations. However, it is difficult to define to which extent symptom severity can be compatible with work. The aim of this study was to investigate which aspects of health differ between working women with FM and nonworking women with FM.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study of 129 women of working age with FM which included clinical assessment, structured interviews, questionnaires and performance-based tests. The women were categorized as working or nonworking. Aspects of health are presented according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Working women with FM presented better health than nonworking women with FM in ratings of body function (FIQ pain <it>p</it> < 0.001, FIQ fatigue <it>p</it> = 0.006, FIQ stiffness <it>p</it> = 0.009, HADS-Depression <it>p</it> = 0.007). Ratings of overall health status were also significantly better in working women with FM than in nonworking women with FM (FIQ total, eight-item <it>p</it> = 0.001 and SF-36 PCS <it>p</it> < 0.001). No significant differences were found between working- and nonworking women in tests of physical capacity. FIQ pain was an independent explanatory factor for work in stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis (OR 0.95, CI 0.93- 0.98), <it>p</it> < 0.001.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Working women with FM reported better health than nonworking women with FM in terms of pain, fatigue, stiffness, depression, disease specific health status and physical aspects of quality of life, which represent body functions and overall health status. However, they were equally impaired in tests of physical capacity. Moderate pain levels were compatible with work, while severe pain appeared to compromise work. Fatigue was better tolerated, as women scoring severe levels of fatigue worked.</p