Table 5 Quotations: Patient satisfaction

A. Satisfaction with clinic staff

Oh, I am more than pleased. I'm absolutely more than pleased. I think they're wonderful. The nurses are wonderful – you know, taking my blood, and phoning me, and giving me instructions. (P1)

I think they've been 100 percent. From my cardiologist to the family physician and to the pharmacists, because they're just amazing. (P10)

My doctor thought my blood was, I guess, too thick. They did an INR and recommended the Coumadin, which I didn't want to get on, because I knew it was warfarin and you associate that with rat poisoning. Anyway, she took the time and very patiently explained what the purpose of it was, and highly recommended it. I really like her. I like everybody there. They're very caring, supportive people. They're just dear. (P4)

B. Satisfaction with warfarin regime

This is a pill that keeps your blood thin, and you have to check it out [INR level]. I just do as I'm told and I'm thrilled that they keep me at 2-point-something....I go every week, or every other week, or once a month, depending on my stability. It doesn't bother me going. (P1)

It's worked out well [the regime]. I know it has to be done, and I'm lucky in the fact that it has regulated it. It has totally regulated itself – I'm taking 4 mg a day now. I'm only coming in once a month. (P18)

Oh, yes [happy with warfarin regime]. They let me know what the status is each week, whether it's going to level out, and whether I'm going to be able to stay on the same dosage and then stop going up there every week. I started going every week, and now it's been levelled to every two weeks. (P7)

I really couldn't say anything bad about it [warfarin regime]. Apparently I've been outstanding in how steady I would go with it, and I've been going – normally, for years, I've been going once a month, pretty well. A couple of times it would go up and I'd come back in two weeks, or something. (P2)

C. Sources of dissatisfaction

Nobody tells me anything. That's one of my problems with this whole bloody business. Nobody tells me how I'm doing. All I know is that I'm supposed to be between 2 and 3 [INR levels]. (P7)

I just more or less come when I'm ordered to. From home it's almost an hour on the bus each way, and the parking around here, the cost is wild. They must be financing the place with the parking. No, I would prefer not to come at all. I would prefer to forget the whole deal, but that doesn't seem to be in the offing at the moment. (P12)

I haven't been coming here that long, about two years I think... but I wouldn't say they're fully aware of my history and really understand the depth of it... Considering my history, I think they should know more. They certainly don't have my files. (P13)