Empowering patients to need less care and do better in Highland Hospital, South Sweden

Introduction

In 2001, the unit of gastroenterology in the Highland Hospital in Eksjoe (in the South-Swedish Highland with 115,000 inhabitants) had long waiting lists and therefore decided to redesign the care process. The unit looked carefully at the values fundamental to its work and came up with a set of innovative approaches to involve patients more intensively in their own care.