Unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted: a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by Swedish general practitioners
Objectives: To explore informal and unsanctioned techniques general practitioners (GPs) employ as a means to increase the likelihood of sickness certificate approval, following the Swedish Social Insurance Agency’s (SSIA’s) consolidation of the gatekeeping role in sickness benefit evaluation. Design...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2019.1569426 |
| _version_ | 1818587211883347968 |
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| author | Mani Shutzberg |
| author_facet | Mani Shutzberg |
| author_sort | Mani Shutzberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: To explore informal and unsanctioned techniques general practitioners (GPs) employ as a means to increase the likelihood of sickness certificate approval, following the Swedish Social Insurance Agency’s (SSIA’s) consolidation of the gatekeeping role in sickness benefit evaluation. Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with 20 GPs working in Swedish primary care. A thematic analysis of the transcribed material was carried out to map different techniques employed by the practitioners. Results: Eight techniques were identified, particularly with respect to the way in which the sickness certificate is written to ensure approval by the SSIA. The identified techniques were most commonly adopted when the patient’s case was perceived to be at high risk for rejection by the SSIA (such as psychiatric illnesses, chronic pain etc.). Conclusions: The findings imply that the informal and unsanctioned techniques are complex and ambiguous. They are used intentionally and covertly. The study also suggests that, while the consolidation of SSIA’s gatekeeping role may have resolved some sickness absence issues, a consequence may be that GPs develop unsanctioned techniques to ensure compliance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T09:05:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b6875b6f43304e63b21bc81889464ba8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0281-3432 1502-7724 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T09:05:16Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6875b6f43304e63b21bc81889464ba82022-12-21T22:37:05ZengTaylor & Francis GroupScandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care0281-34321502-77242019-01-01371101710.1080/02813432.2019.15694261569426Unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted: a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by Swedish general practitionersMani Shutzberg0Södertörn UniversityObjectives: To explore informal and unsanctioned techniques general practitioners (GPs) employ as a means to increase the likelihood of sickness certificate approval, following the Swedish Social Insurance Agency’s (SSIA’s) consolidation of the gatekeeping role in sickness benefit evaluation. Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with 20 GPs working in Swedish primary care. A thematic analysis of the transcribed material was carried out to map different techniques employed by the practitioners. Results: Eight techniques were identified, particularly with respect to the way in which the sickness certificate is written to ensure approval by the SSIA. The identified techniques were most commonly adopted when the patient’s case was perceived to be at high risk for rejection by the SSIA (such as psychiatric illnesses, chronic pain etc.). Conclusions: The findings imply that the informal and unsanctioned techniques are complex and ambiguous. They are used intentionally and covertly. The study also suggests that, while the consolidation of SSIA’s gatekeeping role may have resolved some sickness absence issues, a consequence may be that GPs develop unsanctioned techniques to ensure compliance.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2019.1569426family practicenon-compliancepraxisqualitative researchsickness certificationsweden |
| spellingShingle | Mani Shutzberg Unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted: a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by Swedish general practitioners Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care family practice non-compliance praxis qualitative research sickness certification sweden |
| title | Unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted: a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by Swedish general practitioners |
| title_full | Unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted: a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by Swedish general practitioners |
| title_fullStr | Unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted: a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by Swedish general practitioners |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted: a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by Swedish general practitioners |
| title_short | Unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted: a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by Swedish general practitioners |
| title_sort | unsanctioned techniques for having sickness certificates accepted a qualitative exploration and description of the strategies used by swedish general practitioners |
| topic | family practice non-compliance praxis qualitative research sickness certification sweden |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2019.1569426 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT manishutzberg unsanctionedtechniquesforhavingsicknesscertificatesacceptedaqualitativeexplorationanddescriptionofthestrategiesusedbyswedishgeneralpractitioners |