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Published on: February 16, 2011
Dance of the call bells: using ethnography to evaluate patient satisfaction with quality of care
Lynn Deitrick1, Joanna Bokovoy, Glenn Stern
1Department of Health Studies, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, Allentown, PA 18105, Lynn.Deitrick@lvh.com.
Abstract:
Ethnographic methods can provide insights into patients' perceptions of quality of care. We used ethnographic methods to examine problems related to answering patient call lights on one inpatient unit in the hospital. Communication through call bells consisted of 3 interrelated components. These included answering the call bell, communicating the patient's request, and following through with the request. Results of this study provided a deeper understanding of the nuances of power and control embedded within the issue of patient-caregiver communication and empowered unit staff to find solutions to the call bell problem.
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