چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background:Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common chronic bladder dysfunction worldwide. As the first contact
point of health care, primary health care providers are often consulted by patients seeking initial consultation for
OAB. The relatively short history of the existence of OAB in medicine and low public awareness of OAB in Hong
Kong, however, often serve as a challenge to primary health care providers in treating patients with OAB. The
experiences of patients and health care providers are often influenced by the interaction between these two
groups, hence both health care providers and patients are key determinants of the entire treatment experience,
and the perspectives of health care providers should not be overlooked. However, patient experiences have been
the main focus of related studies, few of which have examined the treatment provision experiences and
perspectives of health care providers. This research gap is notable considering that the satisfaction and morale of
health care providers can influence treatment outcome.
Methods:This study adopted a qualitative research approach by conducting semistructured individual interviews
with 30 private practice primary care doctors in Hong Kong between November 2013 and May 2014.
Results:Lacking confidence in treating OAB patients, encountering mismatch with patients in treatment
expectations and communication style, and feeling embarrassed when communicating with OAB patients were the
experiences reported by the sampled doctors.
Conclusion:The sampled doctors’ treatment provision experiences revealed a general lack of knowledge about
OAB among primary care doctors in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the negative stereotype of and lack of trust in
private practice doctors created tension between the doctors and patients. This lack of mutual trust was particularly
unfavourable for the doctors to provide long-term treatment and support to patients with OAB. The embedded
distrust of private practice doctors also affected the prescribing behaviour of the doctors, who prescribed
medication only to satisfy patient demands, which may lead to antibiotic abuse and resistance. Finally, the
expectations of doctor professionalism and behaviour in Chinese cultures and the cultural perceptions of urinary
diseases caused challenging treatment provision experiences for the sampled doctors.