Scholarlink

Background <p>People living with dementia (PLWD) have poorer outcomes than cognitively normal people when admitted to hospital. One reason for this difference is related to the challenges in learning and integrating the needs and preferences of PLWD into clinical care. We aimed to obtain a range of perspectives on the challenges in supporting PLWD in hospital and explore opportunities for improvement.</p> Methods <p>Using an exploratory qualitative study design, we conducted interviews with nine people supporting PLWD (current / ex-spouses or children of PLWD) and 11 nursing, medical and allied health staff members at a single Australian hospital. Data were thematically analysed using a framework approach.</p> Results <p>Participants described how best practice in supporting PLWD included understanding and integrating patient needs and highlighted the importance of family and the multidisciplinary team working in partnership. A number of factors inhibiting quality care provision were described, including uncertainty around responsibility for communicating with families to understand needs of PLWD; unsuitable tools; lack of opportunities for families to communicate with staff; and, resource and environmental constraints. Participants discussed potential for improvement, emphasising the need for a pre-emptive, rather than reactive solution. They expressed support for the idea of a ‘hospital admission kit’, containing both information about PLWD and their familiar items. Implementation considerations were also noted, with various perspectives on the timing of initiation, updating, responsible person(s), format, content and how it should be incorporated into clinical workflows.</p> Conclusions <p>We found that hospital staff and those supporting PLWD felt that integrating the needs and preferences of PLWD into hospital care was important. The concept of a pre-prepared ‘toolkit’ that was ready in the case of a need to attend hospital was felt to be valid and potentially helpful. More work is required to design aspects such as format, content and the workflows needed to generate accountability and reliability in creating, updating and incorporating it into hospital care.</p> Clinical trial number <p>Not applicable.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Understanding and integrating the needs and preferences of people living with dementia in the inpatient setting: a qualitative study

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月15日

查看全文
  • Alyse Lennox,
  • Denise Goodwin,
  • Felicity Leavold,
  • Renae Nicol,
  • Velandai Srikanth,
  • Darshini Ayton,
  • Madeleine Berends,
  • Myra Thiessen,
  • Daphne Flynn,
  • Chris Moran

摘要

Background

People living with dementia (PLWD) have poorer outcomes than cognitively normal people when admitted to hospital. One reason for this difference is related to the challenges in learning and integrating the needs and preferences of PLWD into clinical care. We aimed to obtain a range of perspectives on the challenges in supporting PLWD in hospital and explore opportunities for improvement.

Methods

Using an exploratory qualitative study design, we conducted interviews with nine people supporting PLWD (current / ex-spouses or children of PLWD) and 11 nursing, medical and allied health staff members at a single Australian hospital. Data were thematically analysed using a framework approach.

Results

Participants described how best practice in supporting PLWD included understanding and integrating patient needs and highlighted the importance of family and the multidisciplinary team working in partnership. A number of factors inhibiting quality care provision were described, including uncertainty around responsibility for communicating with families to understand needs of PLWD; unsuitable tools; lack of opportunities for families to communicate with staff; and, resource and environmental constraints. Participants discussed potential for improvement, emphasising the need for a pre-emptive, rather than reactive solution. They expressed support for the idea of a ‘hospital admission kit’, containing both information about PLWD and their familiar items. Implementation considerations were also noted, with various perspectives on the timing of initiation, updating, responsible person(s), format, content and how it should be incorporated into clinical workflows.

Conclusions

We found that hospital staff and those supporting PLWD felt that integrating the needs and preferences of PLWD into hospital care was important. The concept of a pre-prepared ‘toolkit’ that was ready in the case of a need to attend hospital was felt to be valid and potentially helpful. More work is required to design aspects such as format, content and the workflows needed to generate accountability and reliability in creating, updating and incorporating it into hospital care.

Clinical trial number

Not applicable.