Using narrative inquiry with older people to inform practice and service developments

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Services Research
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• Narrative inquiry offers a method for exploring personal experiences in healthcare.
• Understanding patient experiences can inform healthcare service development and delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of older adults' hospitalization narratives for practice and service improvements.
• To explore how patient stories can guide healthcare development.

Main Methods:

• Employed narrative interviewing with 28 participants aged 65+ in a rehabilitation unit.
• Utilized a problem-solution pattern framework to reconfigure narratives.
• Conducted multidisciplinary seminars to analyze narratives for practice and service development.

Main Results:

• Narrative analysis identified areas for improving care delivery and evaluating existing procedures.
• Challenges in integrating narrative approaches into practice were noted.
• Some nurses adopted narrative interviewing in their practice.

Conclusions:

• Narrative inquiry enhances care needs assessment and patient-provider interactions.
• The framework for translating narratives into practice plans requires further validation with diverse professionals.
• Older adults' hospitalization stories are a useful basis for identifying practice development areas.