Continuity of care in hospital rehabilitation services: a qualitative insight from inpatients' experience.
Francesc Medina-Mirapeix, Silvana L Oliveira-Sousa, Pilar Escolar-Reina and 3 others
PMID 28460715WHAT IT FOUND
Patients in hospital rehabilitation reported breaks in continuity when therapists lacked prior information, changed providers, gave conflicting advice, missed sessions, or left them without post-discharge instructions.
Key findings
01All interviewed patients reported at least one experience that made them perceive a gap in continuity of care, involving informational, relational, or management continuity.
02A regular therapist was seen as necessary for a good relationship, but some participants said it was not sufficient to ensure one.
03Patients described management breaks when therapy did not happen as scheduled or when advice conflicted with other providers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 15 adult inpatients from one acute hospital in Spain, so the themes may not fit other hospitals, countries, or patient groups. Participants had to speak Spanish and were excluded if physical or mental disability prevented an interview, so the findings may miss people with deafness, learning disability, or more severe impairment. Of 25 potential participants, 15 agreed to be interviewed, so the accounts are from a self-selected group. Interviews occurred after discharge and asked patients to recall hospital experiences, which may affect memory. The authors state the findings are specific to the participants and not generalizable to other settings.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that continuity changes clinical outcomes. The study only asked 15 Spanish inpatients to describe their perceptions after discharge, and it did not test any intervention.