A care policy and its implementation

Chief physicians, nurse managers and head nurses (n = 50) in hospital care and primary health care in Västerbotten, Sweden, were interviewed to explore their views on adopting and implementing a new care policy. The results indicated agreement among the respondents concerning the values of the care policy and its adaptability to the health-care system. More respondents in hospital care than in primary health care expressed a positive view (63%, respectively 55%), reported involvement in the implementation process (64%, respectively 35%) and planned or ongoing activities (63%, respectively 45%). Obstacles in the implementation process due to a frustrated situation and barriers between professional groups were, however, expressed by 67% of the respondents, more among the respondents in primary health care than among those in hospital care (75%, respectively 62%). Divergent views among respondents working in the same department were seen in both hospital care and primary health care. The findings indicated demands for further efforts if the implementation is to move on from its early stages, especially in primary health care.