Choice cuts: an exploratory study of patients' views about participation in decision-making in a day surgery unit

Patient participation is widely recognized as a principle of ethical health care and linked to benefits in treatment outcome. Even so there is evidence that patients do not recognise their participatory role. This exploratory study aimed to investigate patients' perspectives on choice in a day surgical unit. It involved non-participant observation of 12 patients in a pre-surgical assessment clinic and in depth interviews with 10 patients following surgery. Their expectations of participation can be summarised as "being told" and "going in to get it fixed". Patients had an instrumental model of involvement and considered themselves as the professional's "work object", which constrained scope for participation.