Norms for priority setting among health professionals

A view from Norway

Bibliographic Data

ID2248602
AuthorsOlaug S Lian (0000-0002-5752-1486, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, corresponding author), Olaug Lian
Year2001
Volume23
Issue3
Pages357-385
Publication date2001-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociology of Health & Illness (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0141-9889 • E-ISSN: 1467-9566
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-9566.00256
OpenAlexW1970628633
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited15

Which patients should be treated, and who should be treated first? In this paper, the attitudes of health professionals towards setting priorities are examined through an analysis of interview and questionnaire data answered by senior physicians and senior nurses in Norwegian hospitals. The data indicate that patients' needs remain the most important motive behind such decisions, especially among the eldest respondents. Expected medical effects of the intervention are also important, but not the ratio of effects to costs. Some, especially the youngest respondents, say that they give priority to patients' on sick leave. Differences between age groups may be a sign of a changing normative orientation. The two professions usually agree, except that nurses are more concerned about financial aspects than physicians are. Differences between departments and hospitals suggest that their normative orientation is influenced by the clinical problems with which they are dealing

Family medicine · Health care · Health professionals · Intervention (counseling) · Normative · Norwegian · Orientation (vector space) · Political science · Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life · Healthcare cost, quality, practices · Healthcare Quality and Management · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology