The 'Fundamentals of Care Framework' in health care settings: a scoping review protocol

This review will map the use of the Fundamentals of Care (FoC) Framework in health care.

Health care systems are increasingly complex, but person-centered care remains central to nursing, and the FoC Framework provides a structured approach to embedding this principle in practice. It emphasizes therapeutic relationships and the integration of physical and psychosocial needs through relational actions, supported by an enabling context. Despite growing evidence on person-centered care, no review has mapped the use of this framework to guide health care professionals and organizations.

This scoping review will consider sources reporting the use of the FoC Framework to guide or structure activities in any health care setting (eg, hospital, primary care, community, disability, social care), with no geographic restrictions. Eligible sources will include quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies, systematic reviews, and selected gray literature, such as dissertations, theses, discussion pieces, or opinion papers. Sources will be excluded if they do not reference the framework, lack empirical or descriptive data, or report solely on educational contexts (eg, student training, curricula).

This review will follow the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Searches will be conducted in key bibliographic and gray literature sources, including CINAHL Ultimate (EBSCOhost), Embase (Embase.com), MedNar, ProQuest Central (ProQuest), OpenAlex, PubMed, and PsycINFO (APA PsycNet), with no language restrictions. Titles and abstracts, then full texts, will be screened against the eligibility criteria. Data will be extracted using a structured tool and analyzed descriptively, and results will be presented using tables and figures, with a narrative summary.

https://osf.io/srbe9/.