Goals and Action Plans Across Time and Place-A Qualitative Study Exploring the Importance of "Context" in Person-Centered Rehabilitation.
Linda Eggen, Jette Thuesen
PMID 36189011WHAT IT FOUND
People with rheumatic disease said hospital goals and action plans felt useful during admission but often lost relevance after discharge, when work, family, pain and fatigue crowded them out.
They wanted follow-up support at home.
Key findings
01Goals and action plans were seen as relevant during the hospital stay but often became less relevant after discharge because everyday tasks and challenges took priority.
02The hospital stay was described as a protected bubble where participants had time, peace, support from the interdisciplinary team, and felt involved in collaborative goal setting.
03Several participants wanted post-discharge support, including involving relatives or follow-up calls from the hospital, to maintain goals and new habits at home.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 8 participants were interviewed, recruited from patients closest at hand at a hospital, so the themes may not represent all people with rheumatic diseases. The sample included different diagnoses, ages and genders, and the authors say saturation may not have been reached. The study analysed experiences 3 to 5 weeks after discharge, so it says little about longer-term maintenance of goals. Interviews were by telephone due to the pandemic, and the analysis was performed by the first author, so the interpretation may reflect the first author's perspective. No patients or public partners were involved in the research process. The study reports experiences, not outcomes, so it cannot show whether support changes recovery.
Declared interests
The article processing charge was funded by the Professional Danish Society of Rheumatic Nursing and Professor Jette Primdahl at the Danish Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases. The authors declared no commercial or financial relationships that could be a conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that follow-up calls or relative involvement improve rehabilitation outcomes. This qualitative study reports participants' experiences and suggestions only, and did not test a post-discharge support programme.