Patient Patients? - Achieving Patient Empowerment through Active Participation

There is much debate over what motivates individuals who suffer from diabetes seeking greater empowerment over their treatment and life situation. The Swedish Health Law states that patients have the right to full information about their disease and to determine what treatment to receive. This book focuses upon the experiences of members of two diabetes branch organisations involved in prosecuting the empowerment of their members. The extent to which patient organisations exert their rights is explored via extensive surveys and interviews among the membership of two particularly influential Swedish diabetic organisations. In light of all the arguments in favour of empowerment, it is concluded here that the organisations? members were more interested in receiving personal information and socialising with each other than gaining greater influence and empowerment. This finding may partly be due to their confident belief in the Swedish health care system. Whatever the case, it is evident that patients and their organisations still have not yet fully explored the potential for greater empowerment.