A survey study of family members' encounters with healthcare services within the care of older people, psychiatric care, palliative care and diabetes care.
Pardis Momeni, Kristofer Årestedt, Anette Alvariza and 5 others
PMID 35808909WHAT IT FOUND
Family members rated healthcare professionals' approach as highly important, but their actual experience was lower.
This gap was widest in diabetes care, where families felt the least positive approach. Most did not feel alienated, though psychiatric care families reported higher alienation than those in older people's care.
Key findings
01Participants rated the importance of the healthcare professionals' approach higher than their actual experience of it, with 63% agreement between the two ratings.
02Family members in diabetes care reported a significantly more negative actual approach from healthcare professionals compared to those in care of older people, psychiatric care, and palliative care.
03Family members in psychiatric care reported a higher level of alienation from professional care compared to those in the care of older people.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The response rate was low (33% distributed, 28% analysed), threatening external validity and generalisability. The sample was predominantly female, well-educated, and born in Sweden, limiting applicability to other demographic groups. No a priori power analysis was conducted; sample size was determined by psychometric evaluation needs rather than statistical power for this specific comparison. It is unknown if questionnaires distributed by patients in diabetes care reached the intended family members. The study used convenient sampling, so the participants may not represent the wider population of family members.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a low reported level of alienation means families are satisfied. The study found a significant discrepancy where families rated the importance of the healthcare professionals' approach higher than their actual experience, suggesting unmet needs for better communication and inclusion.