Investigating the attitudes of health-care professionals towards the use of integrated care pathways in a district general hospital: a thematic analysis of focus group discussion

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Claridge ◽  
D. Parker ◽  
G. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
District General Hospital ◽  
Care Pathways ◽  
Integrated Care Pathways

Investigating the Attitudes of Health-Care Professionals towards the Use of Integrated Care Pathways in a District General Hospital: A Thematic Analysis of Focus Group Discussion

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanya Claridge ◽  
Dianne Parker ◽  
Gary Cook
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Discussion ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
District General Hospital ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Integrated Care Pathways

Context: Integrated care pathways (ICPs) are an increasingly common approach to the standardization and integration of health-care practice in the NHS. They delineate interdisciplinary critical decision points and evidence-based daily treatment regimens for patients in specific disease groups. ICP champions assert that they have the potential to decrease medical errors, increase the accuracy of data capture, increase the efficiency of personnel and ultimately improve the quality of patient care. Despite the theoretical benefits of ICP use, there was anecdotal evidence of staff unease and audit evidence of variable compliance with ICPs at a district general hospital (DGH). Objective: This focus group study was one of the three interdependent methodologies used to investigate the attitudes of health-care professionals towards ICPs in a DGH. It was anticipated that thematic analysis of the focus group discussion would facilitate further the interpretation of qualitative data already analysed in a previous phase of the project, and inform the development of a survey questionnaire investigating the attitudes of the health-care professionals towards ICPs. Design: Ten focus groups comprising on average, six health-care professionals were conducted. The staff involved included doctors, nurses, professions allied to medicine, a member of the Community Health Council and non-clinical managers. The focus groups included staff with a range of seniority and speciality. Results: Analysis of the data achieved facilitated the confirmation and identification of themes underpinning the focus group discussion. These are reported here and illustrated by representative quotations. Conclusion: The focus group study provided a valuable insight into the attitudes regarding ICPs of over 60 health-care professionals. The themes identified were used to facilitate the development of a survey questionnaire to explore them in a quantifiable way. Focus group methodology proved to be a useful way to explore emerging issues in depth, and to observe areas of disagreement among staff.

Attitudes towards Integrated Care Pathways in the UK NHS: A Pilot Study in One UK NHS Trust

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianne Parker ◽  
Tanya Claridge ◽  
Gary Cook
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Care Pathways ◽  
Junior Staff ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Integrated Care Pathways ◽  
The Uk

Background: Integrated care pathways (ICPs) offer an increasingly common approach to the standardization and integration of health-care practice in hospitals. The questionnaire study reported here was the final phase in a systematic investigation of the attitudes of health-care professionals towards ICPs in one acute UK NHS Trust. Method: A total of 314 health-care professionals working in a medium-sized NHS hospital in the UK completed a survey questionnaire, representing 34% of those approached. Results: Ten dimensions of attitude to ICPs were uncovered. Junior staff had less positive attitudes than senior staff on all dimensions. Across all professional groups (doctors, nurses, professions allied to medicine), staff were more unhappy with the idea of ICPs than with the evidence they are based on or the quality of the documentation itself. Conclusions: The investigation provided information about how widespread the dislike of ICPs was in the Trust and details of what was giving rise to staff unease. This enabled the authors to make recommendations to the Trust about the future development and implementation of ICPs in the Trust. The most central of these was that investing time and effort in changing the presentation of ICPs will not meet with success until more fundamental aspects of staff unease have been addressed. Overall, respondents from this Trust felt uneasy about ICPs because they do not like the idea of being told what to do. Therefore, if the ICP development programme is to continue at this hospital and be successful, the hearts and minds of those expected to use ICPs must be won over.

scholarly journals “Repeated Hierarchies”: Uneven Participation in Research of Ethical Spaces in Hospitals

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 493-495
Author(s):  
Brenda Bogaert ◽  
Catherine Dekeuwer ◽  
Nadja Eggert ◽  
Claire Harpet
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Ethical Reflection ◽  
Full Participation ◽  
The Status ◽  
Study Process ◽  
Participation In Research

We present a case study of uneven participation in a focus group discussion with health care professionals involved in local ethical committees. We conclude that the status of the different participants did not give adequate space for full participation of the members involved. Two commentators were invited to comment on the case study to enable further reflection on the methodology used for the target group. The first reviewer investigated whether research should address power relations and hierarchies of knowledge encountered in the study process. She also discussed whether researchers should be held ethically and politically responsible for the consequences of producing relations and hierarchies. The second reviewer looked at what focus groups say about professional practices in hospitals, what participants are willing (or unwilling) to invest, and what are the conditions for setting up ethical reflection.

scholarly journals Nursing staff’s experience of appearance issues in various nursing situations

BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Bringsén ◽  
Johanna Sjöbeck ◽  
Pia Petersson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Professional Nursing ◽  
Group Interviews

Abstract Background Health care professionals frequently interact with unknown patients in a process involving appearance-based judgements and priority-setting, all of which has an effect on health care equality. The healthcare provider–patient interaction is also highly relevant for the awareness and support of patients’ appearance concerns, with an associated possibility for improving patients’ satisfaction with their appearance and health. The aim was therefore to explore nursing staff’s experience of patients’ appearance issues in various nursing situations, with the purpose to facilitate awareness raising and knowledge development. Method A qualitative research approach with focus group interviews was chosen due to the exploratory aim of the study. Five semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 24 nursing staff in total (19 women and five men). The participants’ ages varied (20 to 45 years) as did their professional nursing experience. The interviews lasted approximately one hour, were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed through thematic analysis. Results The thematic analysis resulted in the two themes Patient perspective and Professional nursing role, with associated subthemes. The findings showed the importance and impact of appearance issues in nursing situations and how these are linked to the health of the patients. Some groups of patients were identified as more vulnerable than others, which was associated with health care inequalities and health disparities. Value-based strategies along with knowledge, and skills for holistic person-centred care were identified as important resources for the development of appearance-related awareness and support in various nursing situations. Conclusion Strategies for improvement can be realised through the educational system for nursing staff, but mainly by using collective reflective learning forums in different workplaces. An empowerment approach is considered a useful framework for the implementation of holistic person-centred care, functioning as a resource for appearance-related awareness and support in various nursing situations. However, more research is needed on the complex and challenging phenomenon of appearance issues in nursing situations. Knowledge development related to successful person-centred strategies for appearance-related awareness and support is important, especially strategies with a salutogenic perspective.

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