Coordination for continuity of care in hospitals: ideals and practices

Description

Patients with chronic and complex conditions must often navigate a fragmented, institution/ profession-centric healthcare system. As chronic multi-morbidity increases, so increases the importance and complexity of service models that can ensure continuity of care. This PhD project responds to calls for better understanding of the policy and organizational contexts within which new coordinated care guidelines and practices are implemented. With particular focus on hospitals as a context for coordination work, our aim is to provide knowledge that can support development and implementation of continuity of care-solutions for persons with diverse complex conditions within heterogeneous hospital settings and with hospitals' collaborating entities.

Goals

This is Audhild Høyems PhD project.

Method

The project comprises of two studies, which both employ qualitative methods. The first is an interview study focussing on practitioners’ experiences with taking on coordination responsibility in hospitals. The second is a discourse analysis of policy documents, studying the new statutory patient care coordinator-role contact physician-role in hospitals.

Conclusion

Status March 2017:

The first article, based on the interview-study of professionals, is submitted.

The second article, based on the policy study, is in progress. The third article is planned for submission in 2017.

The third article is planned for submission in 2017.