Implementation of healthy lifestyle promotion in primary care: Patients as coproducers

• We present a theory of being healthy.
• The theory highlights processes that are important for implementation of lifestyle promotion.
• Patients coproduced the implementation of lifestyle promotion.
• Coproduction occurred through degree of transparency.
• A patient typology suggested that different approaches to lifestyle promotion is needed.

ObjectivesTo explore and theorize how patients perceive, interpret, and reactin healthy lifestyle promotion situations in primary care and to investigate patients’ role in implementation of lifestyle promotion illustrated by typologies.MethodsGrounded theory was used to assess qualitative interview data from 22 patients with varied experience of healthy lifestyle promotion. Data were analyzed by constant comparative analysis.ResultsA substantive theory of being healthy emerged from the data. The theory highlights the processes that are important for implementation before, during, and after lifestyle promotion. Three interconnected categories emerged from the data: conditions for being healthy, managing being healthy, and interactions about being healthy; these formed the core category: being healthy. A typology proposed four patient trajectories on being healthy: resigned, receivers, coworkers, and leaders.ConclusionPatients coproduced the implementation of lifestyle promotion through the degree of transparency, which was a result of patients’ expectations and situation appraisals.Practice implicationsDifferent approaches are needed during lifestyle promotion depending on a variety of patient-related factors. The typology could guide practitioners in their lifestyle promotion practice.