Patients' control and the information imperative: clarification and confirmation.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Health Psychology
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Previous research identified patient activities fostering a sense of control during hospitalization.
• Original study focused on military medical-surgical patients, highlighting information, role fulfillment, decision-making, and interaction control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate and extend previous findings on patient control during hospitalization.
• To investigate control perspectives in a diverse civilian medical-surgical patient population.

Main Methods:

• Employed Q-methodology, a qualitative research technique, to explore patient perspectives.
• Integrated data from 90 subjects across two studies using second-order factor analysis.
• Sample included 30 adults hospitalized in a civilian medical center with diverse diagnoses.

Main Results:

• Findings confirmed and clarified four primary patient control orientations.
• Information on diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle implications was crucial for patient control.
• Identified control orientations: patient role fulfillment, healthcare decision-making, personal integrity preservation, and global self-determination.

Conclusions:

• Patient control during hospitalization is multifaceted, extending beyond simply being informed.
• The four identified control orientations provide a framework for understanding patient empowerment.
• Findings are generalizable across different healthcare settings and patient populations.