Inner city African-American elderly patients' perceptions and preferences for the care of chronic knee and hip pain: Findings from focus groups

Abstract

Background. African Americans undergo joint replacement less often than do white persons. The authors studied African-American perceptions and preferences for the care of knee and hip pain. Methods. 10 focus groups were conducted in an inner city community. Participants, older persons with chronic knee or hip pain, were asked to discuss their perceptions and preferences for the care of knee and hip pain. Transcripts were coded for thematic structure using NUD*ST software. Results. Cultural preferences and perceptions for care emerged as a major theme. Important subcategories of this theme included respect for the patient's faith and religiosity and perceptions of physician ethnicity, race, and sex. Conclusions. This sample of older inner city African Americans expressed unique cultural perceptions and preferences for the care of their knee and hip pain. Respect for patients' faith was important, whereas physicians' race, ethnicity, and religious background were not.