Municipal information on assistive devices in Sweden

Background: In Sweden, supply of assistive devices is a municipal/county council responsibility. Earlier research has mainly focused the matching of person and device. In contrast, this study concerns the process before the actual supply is initiated. Aim: Discuss the experience among persons who, for the first time, seek municipal information on assistive devices and the provision thereof through internet pages and contacts with prescribers. Methods: A combined analysis of data from two earlier studies was performed, focusing overall process perspectives: Study 1 described the experience of seeking information from municipal internet pages, and study 2 described the experience of personal contacts with municipal prescribers. Results: Internet pages and prescribers were, in general, perceived as lacking information on assistive devices, whereas information on provision was clearer. Internet sites were difficult to 1 Department of Social work, Faculty of Health and society, Malmö University, Sweden. E-mail: [email protected]. 2 Department of Care science, Faculty of Health and society, Malmö University, Sweden. E-mail: [email protected]. Correspondence to: Oskar Krantz, Malmö University, Health and society, SE-205 06 Malmö. The authors report no declaration of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing