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Institutional ethnography as a unique tool for improving health systems
Emily Rowland1, Myuri Manogaran2,3,4, Ivy Lynn Bourgeault3,4,5
11 Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Healthcare Management Forum
|April 11, 2019
Summary
Institutional ethnography reveals how health system structures impact patient experiences. Understanding these influences is key for improving care delivery and health outcomes in healthcare settings.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Sociology of Health
- Qualitative Health Research
Background:
- Qualitative research increasingly focuses on patient experiences within health systems.
- Internal organizational factors (structures, policies, people) influencing patient experiences are often overlooked.
- Institutional ethnography offers a framework to analyze the social organization of healthcare delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how families experience care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) using institutional ethnography.
- To understand the influence of institutional structures and policies on patient and family experiences in healthcare.
- To provide evidence on the impact of care organization on patient perceptions and health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Application of an institutional ethnographic framework.
- Qualitative data collection within two research studies.
- Analysis of social contexts within institutional boundaries.
Main Results:
- Care organization and delivery significantly influence patient experiences and perceptions.
- Institutional structures and policies shape the "everyday life" of individuals using health services.
- Understanding social contexts within healthcare is crucial for improving care.
Conclusions:
- Institutional ethnography is a valuable qualitative method for health system research.
- Health leaders can use this approach to inform health system reform.
- Organizational factors critically impact patient outcomes and experiences in healthcare.
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