Aim: The aim of the study was to describe and analyse the hospital delivery system for patients recovering from myocardial infarction, applying the offering and value concepts from service management theory.
Background: In Nordic hospital care patients traditionally played a minor role. But changes have taken place. By means of information giving and systematic education from the staff many chronically ill patients are now taking a significant part in their treatment and care.
Method: The method was a case study including 12 individual interviews.
Conclusions: The principal conclusion is that the short and intense periods of hospital inpatient stay make it advantageous to consider the patient a member of the health care team taking an active part in the caring process.