Abstract
Background/Aims Shared medical appointments (SMAs) or group visits have been touted as a primary care system change to overcome the challenges of short visits, underused self-management education, and to relieve physician shortage. However, few studies have examined SMAs from the patient’s perspective. Using data collected through focus groups, we present the thoughts and experiences of patients participating in SMAs.
Methods We conducted five focus groups with participants who had attended SMAs at a large, non-profit, multispecialty group practice in northern California which serves four counties and more than 700,000 patients. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded according to study aims. Transcripts were coded at the paragraph level. Disagreements in coding were discussed until consensus was reached.
Results Similar themes emerged across the focus groups. Patients expressed many benefits to SMAs including enhanced learning by being able to cover more information than what would be provided in a traditional visit, increased motivation for health behavior change, and were able to connect with others in a similar situation. Patients also felt that the SMA altered their relationship with their physician. Patients now saw the more “human” side to their physician which placed them at ease for future visits. Overall, the power dynamic between patient and physician was lessened as the patient now viewed themselves as being able to impart information to the physician.
Conclusions Given the upcoming Affordable Care Act and existing primary care shortage, SMAs provide a way for patients to improve access, relationships with physicians, and an increased knowledge of health, but also to help ease patient load for physicians. Thus, SMAs are an innovative form of delivery that can improve efficiencies and better use the scare resource of primary care physicians.
