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Continuing care after cancer treatment.
Brian Pateman1, Kate Wilson, Gretl McHugh
1School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, University of Manchester, UK. brian.pateman@man.ac.uk
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|October 3, 2003
Summary
Hospital discharge referrals for cancer patients in the UK are problematic due to differing expectations between hospital and district nurses. Improving patient care transitions requires addressing these competing views on referral criteria.
Area of Science:
- Oncology Nursing
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Transition of Care
Background:
- Hospital discharge and patient referral processes in the UK remain challenging despite policy guidance.
- District nurses provide essential home care but often do not receive appropriate referrals from hospitals.
- Government policy emphasizes inter-provider partnerships for seamless care transitions post-hospitalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hospital discharge and referral procedures for cancer patients.
- To specifically examine referrals from hospital nurses to district nurses.
Main Methods:
- Conducted in-depth interviews with nurses involved in hospital discharge referrals.
- Interviewed 20 nurses from a regional cancer center and 20 district nurses.
- Thematic analysis of interview transcripts, comparing themes between hospital and community settings.
Main Results:
- Competing expectations exist between hospital and community nursing settings.
- Discrepancies in expectations were also found among district nurses.
- These differing expectations hinder agreement on referral criteria and satisfaction with the referral process.
Conclusions:
- Conflicting expectations between healthcare professionals are a significant barrier to effective patient referral.
- Addressing these diverse expectations is crucial for improving the hospital discharge process for cancer patients.
- Enhanced communication and alignment of expectations are needed to ensure patient needs are met during care transitions.