What matters most to the patient - a qualitative study of older patients in a geriatric ward

The ageing of the population is expected to increase the costs and consumption of health care. Care should be patient-centred. Patient-centred care (PCC) has been shown to increase the quality of life for older patients living with frailty, as well as reduce health care costs. As one of the core principles of PCC, it is important to investigate and consider patients' wishes regarding their care.

The aim of this study was to investigate and identify factors and information that older patients find important when planning for their care.

Sixteen patients at the geriatric ward at Örebro University Hospital in Sweden were interviewed using focus group discussions. The patients were ≥ 65 years of age, spoke Swedish, and were cognitively and physically able to participate in a focus group discussion. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using content analysis.

Three main categories were formed to summarize what mattered most to the patients when planning their care were that they maintained autonomy, that no harm was done and that the care had a holistic approach. These were further divided into the subcategories: the right to be well informed, taking part in planning of their care, having accessible care and a feeling of safety and security, considering emotional wellbeing, including relatives and close friends and maintaining their wellbeing.

What mattered most to the patients was closely related to the World Health Organization's recommendations for ethical and good quality health care. Generally, the patients agreed on what mattered most. Further studies are needed to enrich the understanding of what is important to older patients.