[Attitudes of the population and patients to regionalization in Oslo]

A representative sample of the population of Oslo was interviewed, and a sample of patients discharged from Oslo-hospitals were surveyed using a standardized questionnaire which focused on their attitudes towards the regionalization of the health services in Oslo. The results clearly demonstrate that the patients and the population at large both have full confidence in Oslo's hospitals. In general, the patients felt secure that their regional hospital had both the capacity and expertise to take proper care of them. Only a small minority would have changed hospital if this had been possible. The majority were in favour of the present regionalization principle, and prefer this to an arrangement where they could choose a hospital themselves.