Introduction: Scarce health resources and differing views between persons with hand osteoarthritis (OA) and health professionals concerning care preferences contribute to sustaining a gap between actual needs and existing clinical guidelines for hand OA. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of persons diagnosed with hand OA in their encounters with health services and how those experiences influence negotiations and decision-making in hand OA care.
Methods: Data from 21 qualitative interviews with persons diagnosed with hand OA were collected, transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: Three main themes were developed: symptoms are perceived as ordinary ageing in everyday life, consultations are shaped by trust in healthcare and the responsibilities of prioritisation and self-care govern interactions.
Conclusion: Ideas of ageing, professional knowledge and self-management dominate hand OA health encounters and contribute to shaping illness perceptions, preferences and opportunities to negotiate decisions in consultations.
Patient or public contribution: Two patient research partners with hand OA are members of the study project group. One of them is also a co-author of this manuscript.
Keywords: agenda-setting; chronic condition; decision-making; hand osteoarthritis; healthcare consultations; self-management.
© 2023 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.