Older people and their families' perceptions about their experiences with interprofessional teams.
Sherry Dahlke, Kim Steil, Rosalie Freund-Heritage and 3 others
PMID 29599991WHAT IT FOUND
Older people and families said clear, honest communication from care teams helped them feel less anxious and trust care.
When professionals did not talk to each other or the family, families felt invisible and became strong advocates.
Key findings
01Older people and families said families should be included in communication and decision-making, especially when the older person could not speak for themselves.
02Families said they felt more confident when professionals listened, answered questions, explained what was happening, and gave them a clear contact person.
03When communication was lacking, families perceived a strong need to advocate and linked this to a lack of concern for older people.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 11 families (22 individuals) took part, and they came from three teams, so the range of experiences is limited. Almost all older participants had dementia, so family members strongly shaped the findings and the older person's own voice was limited. Families were likely self-selected toward very positive or very negative experiences. The study did not ask interprofessional team members for their views, so it cannot explain why communication worked or failed. It reports perceptions, not tested effects on care quality, anxiety, or outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that a communication intervention improves outcomes. The study reports families' perceptions, mostly from families of people with dementia, and did not test an intervention or measure outcomes.