Mette Bech Risør

As humans, we can have and maintain relationships because of our relational competence. In L’Abate and colleagues’ book on this subject, Relational Competence Theory, much attention is paid to how ...

Multidose drug dispensing (MDD) provides machine-packed, patient-specific dose pouches to improve medication safety and adherence, streamline medication management, and reduce pressure on healthcare systems. Despite the benefits, uptake in Denmark remains lower than in neighbouring countries, even after MDD prescriptions were integrated into the national electronic Shared Medication Record (SMR). This study explores general practitioners' (GPs) and hospital physicians' experiences with MDD following SMR integration. A qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 15 physicians (8 GPs, 7 hospital physicians) from the Capital Region and the North Region in Denmark between November 2022 and May 2023. Data was analysed using systematic text condensation. Two main code groups with six subgroups were constructed. "A Multi-layered Burden for Physicians", reflects an experience of an increased workload and added complexity resulting from IT challenges, dosing period calculations, and inconsistent communication with pharmacies. "Finding the Right Fit", highlights uncertainty about which patients and medications are suitable for MDD, together with the differentiated roles of healthcare professionals in managing the MDD system. While some physicians considered MDD beneficial for patients with complex needs, others found it unsuitable for those with fluctuating conditions, especially during hospitalisations. Although MDD offers potential benefits, its practical implementation is constrained by digital, organisational, and interprofessional challenges. Assessing patient suitability is essential, but rather than excluding patients, the findings suggest reconceptualising MDD as a flexible, adaptable system, capable of meeting individual care needs and responding to changing clinical situations.

People on long-term sickness absence in Denmark experience the help and support they receive from professionals as problematic. To understand these issues, this study, through interviews with eight interlocutors, investigated how people on long-term sickness absence perceive and experience professionals from both the vocational and health care sectors involved in their situation. Our study led to two main findings: Firstly, the roles of professionals often transcended their formal boundaries, with caseworkers frequently becoming involved in the sick absentees’ health-related issues, and health care professionals frequently becoming involved in the sick absentees’ vocational issues. Secondly, professionals from both sectors were perceived as enacting one of two positions: A “ position of togetherness ,” where professionals were perceived as someone helping the sick absentee in managing their situation, and a “ position of otherness ,” where the professionals were perceived as an additional uncertainty in the sick absentee’s situation. These positions were situational and could change depending on the context and over time. The research highlights the importance of meaningful relationships between professionals and sick absentees, suggesting that fostering a position of togetherness can lead to better outcomes. We believe our findings can help professionals better understand and support people on sickness absence.

Background: Understanding patients’ expectations of health care is central to providing patient-centered care and improving patient satisfaction. However, the current literature is primarily focused on single disease-specific patient expectations. Aim: To develop an in-depth understanding of the expectations patients with musculoskeletal conditions and comorbidities have towards physiotherapists working in private physiotherapy practice. Methods: 35 observations with patients with musculoskeletal conditions and comorbidities receiving treatment in a Danish private physiotherapy setting were conducted. Of these, nine patients participated in interviews. A Grounded Theory analysis was undertaken, and categories were formed and agreed upon through an inductive approach grounded in the data. Results: Three major themes emerged from the data 1) Professional expertise is needed but will not be enough if enthusiasm fades in a long treatment course 2) Being able to laugh about life when you have many health problems 3) The balance of involvement and the sharing of power and responsibility. Patients express a desire for a strong bond with their physiotherapists, fostering intimacy and mutual understanding. They seek light-hearted interactions and wish to share personal aspects like family dynamics and hobbies. The study also underscores their expectations for sharing power and care tailored to their specific needs. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that patients with musculoskeletal conditions and comorbidities have clear expectations of treatment and collaboration with their physiotherapists in private physiotherapy practice. Underscoring personal relationships over physical results and demonstrating that this patient group has resources to support treatment and is clear about levels of involvement and collaboration.

In this article, Risør and Nissen are dedicated to examining the assessment of chronic fatigue and clinical encounters in a clinic in Norway. We particularly attend to affects, which drive the setting of diagnosis and care. In our analysis, intensities, affective attunements, and atmospheres determine the course of the consultations and play a decisive role in enacting the relational encounters. We suggest that affectivity clarifies that being "under diagnosis" (Martin 2007) and working out a diagnosis or treatment advice is an arrangement of affect, practices, relations, and participation in these relations, rather than merely a discursive and linguistic performance.

This special issue explores the evolving landscape of medical semiotics of conventional biomedicine. With expansion we refer to the range of phenomena considered signs or symptoms of underlying disease, but also the growing anthropological attention to the medical sign system in ways which reach beyond classic semiotic analysis. The articles testify to the expansion in terms of empirical foci and theoretical contributions. As part of the introduction, we discuss three modes of reading symptoms within medical anthropology: the hermeneutic, material, and critical readings, all highlighting the crucial role of medical anthropology in understanding the biosocial and cultural dimensions of medical semiotics.

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Norway, primary health care had to reorganize to ensure safe patient treatment and maintain infection control. General practitioners (GPs) are key health care pro...

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a multifaceted condition, and many women live with CPP without receiving any explanation for their complex symptoms. A multimodal approach including physiotherapy is th...