Families' Medical Self-Care Management in a Primary Health Care Area in Sweden

Abstract

Medical self-care (MSC) is the range of activities undertaken to promote or restore health when dealing with a medical problem (MP). The aim of the study was to map out families' MPs and how these were managed in terms of reactive and restorative MSC. In a primary health care area in Sweden, 93 consecutive families were interviewed by telephone eight times during a jour-month period. The instruments used were structured questions and ill ness diaries about MPs, which were analysed using descriptive statistics. In total, 621 MPs were reported and the most common complaints were ear-nose-throat problems. The mean number of MPs and mean duration of days for children were 1.9 and 13> for mothers 1.7 and 15, and for fat hers 0.9 and 7.0, respectively. In five percent of all MP cases the families tried to manage their MPs by reading medical books and pharmacy brochures. In one-fifth of the MPs the families tried non-medical treatments comprising both external and internal application. The hospital's department of paediatrics was the professional authority most frequently involved regarding health care advice (9% of MPs) as well as visits (37% of MPs). Anti-cold drugs, analgesics and antibiotics, with or without prescription, were the drugs most commonly used; by mothers 1.1 drugs/MP, children 1.2 drugs/MP and fathers 1.3 drugs/MP As families were found not to be very active in their MSC as well as turned to the inappropriate professional authority, an obvious implication, from a primary health care perspective, seems to be to distribute more and correct MSC information to families on how to manage an MP One research issue is to evaluate the effects of an educational programme, which builds on either self-instructive learning material or informative meetings, and which is performed by personnel from the primary health care or the pharmacies.