A mixed methods thematic review: Health-related decision-making by the older person

Being an older hospitalized patient during the COVID-19 pandemic - A qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND

Older people hospitalized for COVID-19 are a vulnerable group due to the disease itself, aging and often loss of hearing and vision. Person-centered care, where patients have opportunities to communicate and participate in their own care, is important. However, because healthcare staff needed to wear personal protective equipment during the pandemic, to protect the patients and themselves, providing person-centered care was often difficult. This study aims to describe older hospitalized patients' experiences both of being cared for, while having COVID-19, and of the care provided by healthcare staff wearing PPE.

METHODS

Fourteen older patients, over 65 years of age, were interviewed, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The study adhered to Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research guidelines.

RESULTS

Three subthemes and one overall theme, "The desire for survival overshadows difficulties", emerged in the analysis. The main findings revealed that the older hospitalized patients experienced the care they received from the healthcare staff as satisfactory. The older patients reported understanding and accepting that the pandemic situation meant that their ability to participate in their own care and communicate with healthcare staff were given lower priority.

CONCLUSIONS

Older hospitalized patients need to be provided person-centered care, and situations such as a pandemic are no exception. Care tasks that are not acute in nature, e.g., planning for patients' return home, could be conducted by healthcare staff not required to wear PPE.

"My life is about to take care of myself": therapeutic itineraries of care for frail older adults

The present study sought to understand how frail older adults perceive their therapeutic care itineraries. This qualitative research was based on Critical Medical Anthropology. Data were collected through interviews in the homes of 22 older adults, whose average age was 79. The emic analysis was guided by the model of Signs, Meanings, and Actions. All interviewees expressed access to professional care in their trajectories, which are understood as insufficient, unprepared, prejudiced, uncomfortable, contradictory, (un)accessible, realization, respectful, and excessive. Therapeutic itineraries were also revealed in the psychosocial and cultural spheres. Several day-to-day actions were evaluated and interpreted in the record of self-care and justified by this end: the time they wake up, sleep, what they eat, and how they behave. They face the lack of care policies in their trajectories, labeling their bodies as undesirable due to physical, symbolic, communicational, attitudinal, systematic, cultural, and political barriers. Thus, they bring to light therapeutic pluralism, challenges, confrontations, insistence, and resistance in maintaining care when experiencing old age with frailties.

The Mapping of Influencing Factors in the Decision-Making of End-of-Life Care Patients: A Systematic Scoping Review

Decisions in end-of-life care are influenced by several factors, many of which are not identified by the decision maker. These influencing factors modify important decisions in this scenario, such as in decisions to adapt to therapeutic support. This presented scoping review aims to map the factors that influence end-of-life care decisions for adult and older adult patients, by a scoping review. The review was carried out in 19 databases, with the keyword 'clinical decision-making' AND 'terminal care' OR 'end-of-life care' and its analogues, including publications from 2017 to 2022. The study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews. The search resulted in 3474 publications, where the presence of influencing factors in end-of-life decision-making for adults and the elderly was applied as a selection criterion. Fifty-four (54) of them were selected, which means 1.5% of all the results. Among the selected publications, 89 influencing factors were found, distributed in 54 (60.6%) factors related to the health team, 18 (20.2%) to patients, 10 (11.2%) related to family or surrogates and 7 (7.8%) factors related to the decision environment. In conclusion, we note that the decision-making in end-of-life care is complex, mainly because there is an interaction of different characters (health team, patient, family, or surrogates) with a plurality of influencing factors, associated with an environment of uncertainty and that result in a critical outcome, with a great repercussion for the end of life, making it imperative the recognition of these factors for more competent and safe decision-making.

A systematic review of mixed studies on malaria in Colombia 1980-2022: what the "bifocal vision" discovers

Mixed methods are essential in public health research and malaria control, because they allow grasping part of the complexity and diversity of the factors that determine health-disease. This study analyzes the mixed studies on malaria in Colombia, 1980-2022, through a systematic review in 15 databases and institutional repositories. The methodological quality was assessed with Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE), and Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). The qualitative and quantitative findings were grouped into a four-level hierarchical matrix. The epidemiological profile of malaria morbidity, from traditional epidemiology, has been sustained by environmental problems, armed conflict, individual risk behaviors, and low adherence to recommendations from health institutions. However, the qualitative component reveals deeper causes that are less studied, of greater theoretical complexity, and that reflect challenges to design and implement health interventions, such as socioeconomic and political crises, poverty, and the neoliberal orientation in the malaria control policy; the latter reflected in the change in the role of the State, the fragmentation of control actions, the predominance of insurance over social assistance, the privatization of the provision of health services, the individualistic and economistic predominance of health, and low connection with popular tradition and community initiatives. The above confirms the importance of expanding mixed studies as a source of evidence to improve malaria research and control models in Colombia, and to identify the underlying causes of the epidemiological profile.

Towards reduction of preventable hospital readmission: Older people and family members' views on planned self-management of care at home

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To reduce the likelihood of preventable readmissions, the aim was to investigate how older people (with their family members) managed their chronic health conditions at home following hospital discharge. The objectives explored older people and their family members' perspectives on how discharge plans assisted self-management of their chronic conditions, their recognition of deterioration and when to seek treatment/re-attend hospital.

BACKGROUND

Chronic conditions have challenged older adults' self-management, particularly after hospital discharge and can impact on preventable readmission. Few studies have examined patients' and their family members' perspectives on the management of their conditions at home after hospitalisation.

DESIGN

A qualitative exploratory design known as Interpretive Description was utilised.

METHODS

Purposeful sampling involved 27 community-dwelling older adults; nineteen were discharged patients with one or more chronic health conditions. Eight nominated family members were also recruited to enhance understanding of the older persons' self-management at home. Interviews were undertaken and thematic data analysis followed the COREQ guidelines.

RESULTS

Five themes emerged: (1) Post-Discharge Advice; (2) Managing at Home; (3) Recognition and Response to Deterioration; (4) Community Care and Support; and (5) The "Burden" on Others of Post-Discharge Care.

CONCLUSION

Older people sought a clear plan for self-management at home prior to discharge. This plan should contain potential signs of deterioration and guidance on future action. We found that support given to older people from family and friends was critical to prevent readmission. In addition, their local General Practitioner and Pharmacist played an essential part in the support of their care. For some, social support services were also important. Nurse telephone follow-up in the week following discharge was mostly absent. However, this strategy would be strongly recommended.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

To mitigate against preventable readmission, we recommend the above strategies to assist the older person at home with self-management of their chronic conditions.

Patient preferences for using technology in communication about symptoms post hospital discharge

Background

Technology is increasingly transforming the way we interact with others and undertake activities in our daily lives. The healthcare setting has, however, not yet realised the potential of technology solutions to facilitate communication between patients and healthcare providers. While the procedural and policy requirements of healthcare systems will ultimately drive such solutions, understanding the preferences and attitudes of patients is essential to ensure that technology implemented in the healthcare setting facilitates communication in safe, acceptable, and appropriate ways. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine patient preferences for using technology to communicate with health service providers about symptoms experienced following discharge from the hospital.

Methods

Primary data were collected from patients admitted to a large metropolitan hospital in Australia during three consecutive months in 2018. Participants were asked about their daily use of technology including use of computers, email, phone, text messaging, mobile applications, social media, online discussion forums, and videoconference. They were then asked about their use of technologies in managing their health, and preferences for use when communicating about symptoms with health service providers following discharge from hospital.

Results

Five hundred and twenty-five patients with a wide range of differing clinical conditions and demographics participated. Patients indicated they used a range of technologies in their everyday lives and to manage their health. Almost 60% of patients would prefer to return to hospital if they were experiencing symptoms of concern. However, if patients experienced symptoms that were not of concern, over 60% would prefer to communicate with the hospital via telephone or using technology. Admitting condition, income, and age were significantly associated with preferences for communication about symptoms following hospital discharge.

Conclusions

Patients have varied preferences for communicating with their health service providers post-hospital discharge. Findings suggest that some, but not all patients, would prefer to use technology to traditional methods of communicating with the healthcare team. Health services should offer patients multiple options for communicating about their recovery to ensure individual needs are appropriately met.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06119-7.

Experiences in the Decision-Making Regarding the Place of Care of the Elderly: A Systematic Review

The objective of this review was to understand how participants experience the decision-making process regarding the place of care for the elderly. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies. The articles were included if they were original studies with qualitative/mixed methodology, written in English/Spanish, and that approached the decision-making process regarding the place of care for the elderly, already experienced by the participants. Forty-four articles were included, identifying experiences, both negative and positive. Negative experiences have been the most frequently reported experiences by all population groups; fear was the most relevant experience for the elderly, whereas concern was the most relevant for family members and professionals. This review has not only found a great variability of experiences, but also, it has deepened the differences between groups and the situations motivating/generating these experiences. This review highlights a wide range of experiences of those directly involved in the entire decision-making process on the place of care for the elderly. In future research it would be interesting to carry out qualitative primary studies conducted with professionals and other relevant people involved in this decision-making process, in order to know first-hand how they experience this process.

Reasons for the Place of Care of the Elders: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Relocation is a very important event in people's lives in general, but really significant in old age. However, some predictors of relocation still need to be improved. The objective of this review was to synthesize qualitative evidence to understand the reasons of the participants to decide on the place of care of the older people.

METHODS

Systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted in six databases: Scopus, SciELO, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL, from its beginning until 29 November 2017. Qualitative or mixed studies, written in English or Spanish and addressing the decision-making process (already experienced by participants) on the place of care of older persons (65 years or older), were included in the review. PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42018084826).

RESULTS

A total of 46 articles were finally included in the analysis. Our main result is the distinction of multiple reasons for each population group involved in the decision-making process, ranking these reasons into three factors: Retention, pull and push.

CONCLUSION

This differentiation allows for a more detailed and in-depth analysis of the motivations of the different groups involved in this process.

"Longing to be independent again" - A qualitative study on older adults' experiences of life after hospitalization

It is important to support older adults' independence after hospitalization and, thus, to increase their perceived quality of life. The present descriptive study took a qualitative approach and aimed to describe older adults' experiences of their life situation after hospital discharge. Fifteen individuals (≥65 years) from two regional hospitals in central Sweden were interviewed between October 2015 and January 2016 in their own home following hospital discharge. The interview data were analyzed using manifest and latent qualitative content analysis. The analysis revealed one theme: "Longing to be independent again" based on four categories: `Dependent on other people and aids´, `Obstacles, impediments and limitations in daily life´, Adapt to the situation´ and `Psychological and physical values´. Understanding older adults' experiences of life after hospitalization is also a prerequisite for being able to provide person-centered care.

Night-time confusion in an elderly woman post-stroke

For patients with acute ischaemic stroke, faster recanalisation improves the chances of a disability-free life and a quick discharge from the hospital. Hospital discharge, certainly after suffering a major life-changing event such as a stroke, is a complex and vulnerable phase in the patient's journey. Elderly are particularly vulnerable to the stressors caused by hospitalisation. Recently hospitalised patients are not only recovering from their acute illness; they also experience a period of generalised risk for a range of adverse events. At the same time, elderly generally prefer living in their own homes and should be discharged from the hospital and return home as quickly as possible. Both premature and delayed discharge are potential threats to patient well-being. We present a 90-year-old patient who underwent successful thrombectomy but suffered from night-time confusion at the hospital and discuss the transition process from hospital to home.

Systematic review of qualitative studies on participants in the decision-making process about the location of care of the elderly

OBJECTIVES

To understand who are the participants in the decision-making process about the location of care of the elderly.

DESIGN

Systematic review of qualitative studies.

DATA SOURCES

The following databases were consulted: Web of Science, MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO and SciELO (from the beginning until 29 November 2017). The bibliographical references in the studies that were finally included in the review were also searched.

STUDY SELECTION

The studies had to deal with the decision-making process (already experienced by the participants) on the location of care of the elderly (adults who are 65 or older), had to use a qualitative methodology and had to be written in English or Spanish.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

A data extraction tool was used. Data analysis was conducted through the constant comparative method from Glaser and Strauss' grounded theory.

RESULTS

46 studies were included in this review. Most of them were carried out in the USA, and in 21 of them the study population focused exclusively on the elderly. This review has found that there are many participants, with different roles and degrees of involvement, who may act jointly, separately or sequentially. These participants may be: the elders, family members, professionals and other relevant.

CONCLUSIONS

The main result of this review has been the variability found on how this decision is made, even varying the way of acting/perceiving the situation of the involved persons on certain occasions, simply due to the influence of some of the other groups of participants studied. Besides, this review has focused its results on the main participant in this process, the elders and how their family members interact with them when it comes to making this decision. This has allowed relevant results to be obtained about roles and degrees of involvement.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42018084826.

Experiences of elderly patients regarding participation in their hospital discharge: a qualitative metasummary

BACKGROUND

Ageing patients are discharged from the hospital 'quicker and sicker' than before, and hospital discharge is a critical step in patient care. Older patients form a particularly vulnerable group due to multimorbidity and frailty. Patient participation in healthcare is influenced by government policy and an important part of quality improvement of care. There is need for greater insights into the complexity of patient participation for older patients in discharge processes based on aggregated knowledge.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to review reported evidence concerning the experiences of older patients aged 65 years and above regarding their participation in the hospital discharge process.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative metasummary. Systematic searches of Medline, Embase, Cinahl, PsycINFO and SocINDEX were conducted. Data from 18 studies were included, based on specific selection criteria. All studies explored older patients' experience of participation during the discharge process in hospital, but varied when it came to type of discharge and diagnosis. The data were categorised into themes by using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Our analysis indicated that participation in the discharge process varied among elderly patients. Five themes were identified: (1) complexity of the patients state of health, (2) management and hospital routines, (3) the norm and preference of returning home, (4) challenges of mutual communication and asymmetric relationships and (5) the significance of networks.

CONCLUSIONS

Collaboration between different levels in the health systems and user-friendly information between staff, patient and families are crucial. The complexity of patient participation for this patient group should be recognised to enhance user involvement during discharge from hospital. Interventions or follow-up studies of how healthcare professionals can improve their communication skills and address the tension between client-centred goals and organisational priorities are requested. Organisational structure may need to be restructured to ensure the participation of elderly patients.