Search results

The Department of Health's introduction of intermediate care recognised the need for rehabilitation following acute hospital care. The importance of rehabilitation was also stressed by a review carried out across England and Wales by District Audit. This article reports a phenomenological study carried out to explore service users' experiences of a 22‐bedded intermediate care service. Face‐to‐face, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight service users who were older people, with a further follow‐up interview two weeks later. Data was analysed using an open‐coding and theming approach. One of the six emergent themes is discussed in this article: service users' rehabilitation experiences. Data was themed into a rehabilitation framework of users' understanding, assessment and goal setting, interventions and transfer home. Intermediate care was found to provide support for service users between discharge from acute hospital and return to their own homes, but service users lacked understanding and awareness of the potential of the intermediate care service. They did not feel involved in their assessment and goal setting and so were unable to make individual contributions regarding their own rehabilitation needs. Interventions were subsequently not linked to their needs and transfer home experiences were variable. Users' experiences did not reflect the Department of Health's four principles that underpin the delivery of intermediate care: person‐centred care; whole system working; timely access to specialist care; promoting health and an active life. Recommendations are made to address these and to incorporate the recommendations from District Audit.

The purpose of this paper is to understand and develop ways to enhance patients’ experiences of preoperative education received prior to surgery for colorectal cancer.

Based in the UK, three-action research cycles were undertaken to evaluate preoperative education, identify changes seen by patients and staff as likely to improve the service and to re-evaluate such changes following implementation. Data in each cycle were collected from: observations of clinic interactions; patient questionnaires; individual semi-structured interviews with multidisciplinary colorectal unit staff; longitudinal semi-structured interviews with patients and carers pre-surgery, two weeks post-surgery and 12 weeks post-surgery; patient and carer focus groups post-surgery; and existing educational material.

In total, 138 participants shared their experiences of either giving or receiving preoperative education. Findings were themed into why patients want preoperative education, and patients’ views of the educational processes.

Patients emphasised the need for educational provision to be fully understandable, comprehensive and client-centred using a range of communication processes. Patients emphasised the need for educational provision to be more fully understandable, comprehensive and client-centred and that important messages should be reinforced using a range of media. At a time of many uncertainties for patients’ lives, such education needed to encompass the experiences patients could expect, delivered by confident healthcare professionals.

Contextualising understanding and facilitating their own actions, enabled patients to regain control in circumstances particularly disruptive of bodily and other life routines. Establishing a sense of control is confirmed as important for patient's wellbeing in preparing for surgery and postoperative rehabilitation.

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).