Abstract

VARGAS DAZA, Emma Rosa et al. Health educational groups and the reasons patients drop out. Salud(i)ciencia [online]. 2017, vol.22, n.6, pp.532-538. ISSN 1667-8682.

Abstract Introduction: Patients and health professionals in educational groups have contrasting views of the institutional world, its objectives and the role played by each group of people in health care. Objective: To investigate the reasons why patients drop out of the Educational Strategy Groups for self-care in a social security institution. Materials and methods: Qualitative phenomenological design. A total of 29 patients were interviewed. They had a diagnosis of overweight, obesity, hypertension or diabetes and were sent to educational groups. Some never appeared, some dropped out after just one educational session, while others attended the four sessions. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the Giorgi method. During the analysis the following categories were established: a) power to choose, b) need to be heard, c) perceptions of institutional functions. Results: The main drop-out motive for patients is dissatisfaction as they perceive that their needs or expectations for health care are not being met by the institution. The patients look for other services or activities that, in their own view, can solve their problem. They build this choosing power through the perception and definition they make of themselves, their health concepts and the institutional functions. Conclusion: An educational group is not considered to be a first option to solve the patient's health problem since it breaks the healing function assigned to the institutions through their appointments with their family doctor, the medicines, surgeries and visits to specialists.

Keywords : family practice; focus groups; health education; self care; self-help groups.

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