Effects of an interprofessional education programme on patient participation among older people in intermediate care services: A quasi experimental study.
The intention of the IPIC study is to develop and implement an educational learning programme for healthcare professionals working in intermediate care (IC) based on interprofessional simulation.
The learning intervention should be grounded within the initial family meetings when patients are admitted to IC, framing the question, "What is important to you?"
We will assess the learning programme's effect on patient participation, physical function, person-centered care and relative burden.
Patient participation is associated with better rehabilitation outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, strengthened autonomy and quality of life, which can ultimately lead to older people living longer at home.
These benefits translate into lower costs for society as a whole.
Participants
More about the project
As a first step, we will translate and validate two clinical instruments: the 4Ps and the PREM questionnaire.
The project uses mixed methods and is a quantitatively driven project with a qualitative component.
The main project has a quasi-experimental design where the learning programme is based on interprofessional simulation that will produce qualitative data as well.
To measure the effect, one patient group will be recruited from the department where staff has undergone the learning programme and will be compared with a control patient group receiving the usual care.
Three assessments will be carried out throughout the project period: on patient admission day, at discharge and three months after discharge.
The primary outcome is patient participation, while secondary outcomes are patient physical function, patient experiences and relatives' burden.
We expect that the results will increase knowledge and awareness among healthcare professionals, as well as promote good cooperation between the IC institution and the municipal district.
Accordingly, the project will produce knowledge that can result in service innovation, that is, new perspectives and improvement of patient pathways through IC services.
Background
Short-term rehabilitation in IC functions as a bridge between hospitals and homes for older patients with complex health problems.
The goal is to help the patient successfully return home. Patient participation implies that those who receive help have the right to participate.
Even though patient participation is a cornerstone in rehabilitation, a democratic right and a political goal, research reveals that older patients and their relatives in IC often do not experience sufficient involvement.
Healthcare professionals also report that patient participation is difficult to achieve and that standardized procedures and limited resources might conflict with patient needs.
Thus, a need for increased knowledge exists regarding the implementation of patient participation in clinical practice.
Patient participation
To ensure a needs-identified project, we have carried out a pre-project inspired by the James Lind Alliance method, where a steering group consisting of user representatives, relatives and healthcare professionals, through input from the practice field, decided on a top ten priority list regarding how to increase patient participation in IC services.
The priority list is the starting point for the project's aim and research questions. The steering group will follow the project throughout the project period.
Publications
Hartford Kvæl, Linda Aimee; Bergland, Astrid (2021). The practice environment’s influence on patient participation in intermediate healthcare services – the perspectives of patients, relatives and healthcare professionals (bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com).
