Data were gathered through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 21 patients. Severity of symptoms and insistence of family and friends were the main triggers to seek professional advice from GPs and NHS 24; no patients reported seeking community pharmacy advice. Several instances of delayed GP appointments were reported, possibly click here resulting in later hospital admission. There was a lack of access to professional support available in community pharmacies. Self-care is a continuum of care from completely independent self-care with patients assuming total responsibility for their health to supported self-care, involving

the clinical judgement of health professionals.1 A number of United Kingdom government initiatives have promoted self-care and community pharmacy supported self-care to enhance access to treatment and advice, and reduce National Health Service direct and indirect costs. There is some evidence that patients inappropriately consult their general practitioners (GPs) rather than adopt self-care approaches or seek community pharmacy advice for colds and coughs.1 However, there is a lack of research on self-care

strategies adopted by those admitted to hospital with infective episodes. The aim of this study was to explore the patient pathway leading to hospital this website admission due to an infective episode, with focus on self-care strategies. Patients admitted to the infection or acute medicine admission units of a major Scottish teaching hospital, and commenced antibiotic therapy post-admission aminophylline were included. Exclusion criteria were: <16 years; no capacity to consent; and insufficient command of English. A draft semi-structured interview schedule was developed, reviewed, piloted in two patients and modified accordingly. The finalised schedule focused on: symptoms prior to admission; self-care strategies; triggers for seeking professional advice; and reflections on any professional advice prior to admission. Participants were identified by medical staff and informed consent obtained. Face-to-face interviews lasting around 15 minutes were audio-recorded and transcribed

verbatim. All transcripts were checked for accuracy prior to thematic analysis, with the coding frame constructed independently by two researchers and agreed by consensus. Data generation for 5 weeks took place during November – December 2012. The study was approved by the university and local NHS ethics committees. Twenty-one patients were invited to participate and all consented to interview. Eighteen transcripts were suitable for analysis (interview recording quality was poor for two patients, one patient was unfit for interview). Mean patient age was 56 years (standard deviation 20.9); eight were female; 11 were prescribed an antibiotic prior to admission; the most common diagnoses were skin and soft tissue infection (n = 9) and respiratory infections (n = 6). Severity of symptoms (e.