Reducing conflict and tension across a children's hospital: pre-post service evaluation after multimodal

Rachel Amos1, Katy Wood1, Samuel Bunn1

  • 1Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

PubMed

Insights

Multimodal interventions in a UK children's hospital reduced reported tensions between healthcare staff and families. Safeguarding concerns significantly decreased, improving the hospital environment for patients and staff.

Area of Science:

  • Healthcare Management
  • Patient Safety
  • Clinical Ethics

Background:

  • Hospital environments can experience significant conflict and tension between healthcare professionals, patients, and families.
  • Addressing these tensions is crucial for patient safety, staff well-being, and overall quality of care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of multimodal interventions on healthcare professional-reported conflict and tension within a UK children's hospital.
  • To measure changes in the prevalence and nature of tensions before and after intervention implementation.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, pre-post, single-centre study was conducted in a 10-ward UK children's hospital.
  • Five interventions were implemented between 2020 and 2023, focusing on conflict resolution, ethics, palliative care, safeguarding, and escalation support.
  • On-ward surveys of nursing and medical teams were conducted in 2019 (pre-intervention) and 2024 (post-intervention).

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of children with reported tensions decreased from 42% (65/153) to 30% (42/138) post-intervention (p=0.03).
  • A statistically significant reduction was observed in unresolved safeguarding concerns (18% to 3%, p<0.0001).
  • Tensions were reduced in children with multiple comorbidities (55% to 38%, p=0.028).

Conclusions:

  • Multimodal, hospital-wide interventions are associated with a reduction in overall healthcare-related tensions.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm reproducibility and explore patient and family perspectives on these interventions.
Abstract

Related Concept Videos

Community Based Intervention01:30

Community Based Intervention

Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
260
Robbers Cave04:49

Robbers Cave

During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension...
14.8K
Modeling in Therapy01:26

Modeling in Therapy

Modeling, a key technique in therapy, uses observational learning to help clients acquire and practice new skills by watching therapists demonstrate desired behaviors. This approach, rooted in Albert Bandura's concept of vicarious learning, plays a significant role in therapeutic interventions for various psychological conditions, including social anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
364
Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

Operant Conditioning Intervention

Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
438
Family Therapy01:30

Family Therapy

Family therapy conceptualizes psychological challenges as arising from dysfunctional interactions within the family unit, rather than as isolated issues within individuals. This approach seeks to address and transform the patterns of communication, roles, and relationships within families to promote healthier dynamics and emotional well-being for all members.
Strategic Family Therapy
Strategic family therapy emphasizes resolving communication barriers and improving problem-solving abilities...
480