“As If Neck Injuries Did Not Exist”: An Interview Study of Patients’ and Relatives’ Perceptions of Web Information on and Management of Whiplash Injuries in Sweden

BACKGROUND: If purposefully designed, patient information can help individuals make well-founded health care decisions. This study was initiated to improve the information on whiplash injuries found in the national health care portal Healthcare Guide 1177, operated by the Swedish government. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the thoughts of patients and relatives on (1) information about whiplash injuries presented in the portal and (2) the Swedish health care system’s management of whiplash injuries. METHODS: A total of 5 interviews were conducted with patients (n=10) who had experienced a whiplash injury and with relatives (n=3) of such patients. The interviews were taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by means of conventional content analysis. RESULTS: The following two themes emerged from the latent content analysis: (1) confidence and trust in the public health care system and (2) a disappointment with health care encounters. CONCLUSIONS: We found that most of the study participants felt distress due to insufficient information; respondents perceived a discrepancy between the public health care system's authority and the information provided. The Web information on whiplash injuries may greatly impact patients' care decisions as well as their physical, mental, and social well-being. We would recommend detailed patient information on whiplash injuries, with less emphasis on psychology and more data on pathophysiology, prognosis, and treatment.