Table 3 Categories and subcategories extracted from the qualitative content analysis of participants’ experiences
From: Self-medication among the elderly in Iran: a content analysis study
Subcategories | Categories | Theme |
|---|---|---|
Underrating disease | Patient’s attitudes towards disease, treatment and physicians | Self-medication |
Mistrust in physicians | ||
Considering medication safe and effective | ||
Fear of going to a doctor | ||
Severity of symptoms | Living with disease | |
Prolonged and persistent symptoms | ||
Urgent need for treatment | ||
Overcrowded clinics | Unfriendly environments | |
Unsuitable clinics for the elderly | ||
Unsuitable environment for elderly transportation | ||
Drug accessibility | Enabling health system | |
Unregulated availability of medication | ||
High doctor’s fees | ||
Cheap medicines | ||
Confusion in choosing a care provider | ||
Weak patient information system | ||
Patient confusion after the visit | ||
Interfering friends | Influential others | |
Family defining the treatment path | ||
Active caregiver involved in the treatment | ||
Others patients’ success stories |