Hospital Experiences of Carers in Relation to the Comprehensive Care Standard: A Mixed Method Study.

AIMS

To explore the care experiences of informal carers of people with chronic conditions in hospitals and identify areas for improvement in the context of comprehensive care delivery.

DESIGN

A explanatory sequential mixed-method study.

METHODS

This study was conducted, involving a survey with 182 carers and interviews with 31 carers of individuals who attended an Australian hospital. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data was performed using RStudio, while thematic analysis of qualitative data was conducted using NVivo.

RESULTS

The findings revealed seven overarching components of care that influenced carers' hospital experiences and their perceptions of care quality. Areas requiring improvement were identified within these categories.

CONCLUSION

This review identifies common perspectives of informal carers of people with chronic conditions in hospital settings and highlights important areas that require attention to improve carers' hospital care experiences. Carers should be welcomed, involved, informed and supported during hospital attendance to foster the most positive care experiences.

IMPLICATIONS

Healthcare professionals should involve carers in assessment, shared decision-making and the care process and recognise and address carers' needs.

IMPACT

The findings revealed the carer's hospital experiences in the context of comprehensive care delivery and identified areas requiring improvement.

REPORTING METHOD

The CROSS and the COREQ guidelines were followed.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The study protocol was presented to stakeholders from two hospitals in Australia, a Patient and Carer Advisory Board (attached to the parent project: evaluating Quality of Care (eQC)) and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, and discussions were held to assess the relevance and significance of this study to clinical practice and health policy.