Patient perception of safety of the hospital at home care model for the treatment of an Acute Exacerbation Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Virtual ward model. A qualitative service evaluation. (ID 562)
Sirona Care and Health
Funding: Advancing practice grant NHSE used to fund transcribing costs.
Abstract
Aim This qualitative service evaluation seeks to expand on the existing evidence to explore if virtual-ward is acceptable to the patients during an acute exacerbation COPD (AECOPD). To gain an understanding of ‘do they ‘feel safe when enrolled on the service. To illicit what factors make a patient feel safe/ unsafe to explore the role of self efficacy.Method; A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews of ten patient’s retrospective perception of the service. Data analysis- coded through process of thematic analysis.
Results: The Respiratory Virtual-ward service is an acceptable intervention and participants feel safe for treatment AECOPD
A responsiveness service with direct contact to clinical staff, which ‘felt joined up’ the healthcare system improved the sense of safety. Participants lived experience influences personal risk assessment of their safety at home. The presentation of breathlessness was central to the risk assessment. Participants reported feeling like experts in the their condition and sort greater shared decision making in their care choices. A sense of safety was created with person-centered communication routed in accessible language and clarity. Participants feel discouraged and frustrated when they perceive not to be believed or heard.
Conclusion: Participants overwhelming talked about a feeling of safety while being cared for by the
virtual-ward. Service responsiveness was a key feature which reinforced the feeling of safety, alongside staff knowledge and conduct. Being treated with kindness and respect vastly improved the patient experience. Patients felt competent to risk assess being at home due to previous lived experience of AECOPD and living with chronic COPD. The experience of breathlessness was central to this risk assessment of being safe at home. Assessment, education and management of breathlessness should be incorporated into acute care. Participants compared the care on the virtual-ward to other settings and favourably reflected on their experience on the Respiratory virtual-ward.
Conflicts of interest: none
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