Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with COVID Care and Recovery across the Care Continuum: A Qualitative Study
Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, discharge timelines were accelerated and patients were moved across the continuum of care, from acute to post-acute care, to relieve the strain in health system capacity. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 care pathway from the perspective of pat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ubiquity Press
2023-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Integrated Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://account.ijic.org/index.php/up-j-ijic/article/view/6952 |
| _version_ | 1797777811378798592 |
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| author | Marina B. Wasilewski Zara Szigeti Christine L. Sheppard Jacqueline Minezes Sander L. Hitzig Amanda L. Mayo Lawrence R. Robinson Maria Lung Robert Simpson |
| author_facet | Marina B. Wasilewski Zara Szigeti Christine L. Sheppard Jacqueline Minezes Sander L. Hitzig Amanda L. Mayo Lawrence R. Robinson Maria Lung Robert Simpson |
| author_sort | Marina B. Wasilewski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, discharge timelines were accelerated and patients were moved across the continuum of care, from acute to post-acute care, to relieve the strain in health system capacity. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 care pathway from the perspective of patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to understand their experiences with care and recovery within and across care settings. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study. Patients and their families from an inpatient COVID-19 unit and healthcare providers from an acute or rehabilitation COVID-19 unit were interviewed. Results: A total of 27 participants were interviewed. Three major themes were identified: 1) The perceived quality and pace of COVID-19 care improved from acute care to inpatient rehabilitation; 2) Care transitions were especially distressing; and 3) Recovery from COVID-19 stagnated in the community. Conclusion: Inpatient rehabilitation was viewed as higher quality due to the slower paced care. Care transitions were distressing for stakeholders and enhanced integration between acute and rehabilitation care were suggested to improve patient handover. A lack of rehabilitation access led to recovery stagnating for patients discharged to the community. Telerehab may improve the transition to home and ensure access to adequate rehabilitation and support in the community. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:09:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b52d3e034f7a48d99002cd365d0ec0d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1568-4156 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:09:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Integrated Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-b52d3e034f7a48d99002cd365d0ec0d62023-07-18T08:17:16ZengUbiquity PressInternational Journal of Integrated Care1568-41562023-06-0123272710.5334/ijic.69525377Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with COVID Care and Recovery across the Care Continuum: A Qualitative StudyMarina B. Wasilewski0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1198-2292Zara Szigeti1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7400-183XChristine L. Sheppard2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6487-3287Jacqueline Minezes3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7531-5520Sander L. Hitzig4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9139-9250Amanda L. Mayo5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7061-2529Lawrence R. Robinson6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9590-8745Maria Lung7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5098-5117Robert Simpson8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7107-8679St. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of TorontoSt. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentreWellesley InstituteMusculoskeletal/STAR Rehab and Restorative Transitional Unit, St. John’s Rehab, Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentreSt. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of TorontoSt. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of TorontoSt. John’s Rehab Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of TorontoMusculoskeletal/STAR Rehab and Restorative Transitional Unit, St. John’s Rehab, Sunnybrook Health Sciences CentreDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation & Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of TorontoIntroduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, discharge timelines were accelerated and patients were moved across the continuum of care, from acute to post-acute care, to relieve the strain in health system capacity. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 care pathway from the perspective of patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to understand their experiences with care and recovery within and across care settings. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study. Patients and their families from an inpatient COVID-19 unit and healthcare providers from an acute or rehabilitation COVID-19 unit were interviewed. Results: A total of 27 participants were interviewed. Three major themes were identified: 1) The perceived quality and pace of COVID-19 care improved from acute care to inpatient rehabilitation; 2) Care transitions were especially distressing; and 3) Recovery from COVID-19 stagnated in the community. Conclusion: Inpatient rehabilitation was viewed as higher quality due to the slower paced care. Care transitions were distressing for stakeholders and enhanced integration between acute and rehabilitation care were suggested to improve patient handover. A lack of rehabilitation access led to recovery stagnating for patients discharged to the community. Telerehab may improve the transition to home and ensure access to adequate rehabilitation and support in the community.https://account.ijic.org/index.php/up-j-ijic/article/view/6952covid care qualitycontinuum of carecare transitionrehabilitationqualitative |
| spellingShingle | Marina B. Wasilewski Zara Szigeti Christine L. Sheppard Jacqueline Minezes Sander L. Hitzig Amanda L. Mayo Lawrence R. Robinson Maria Lung Robert Simpson Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with COVID Care and Recovery across the Care Continuum: A Qualitative Study International Journal of Integrated Care covid care quality continuum of care care transition rehabilitation qualitative |
| title | Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with COVID Care and Recovery across the Care Continuum: A Qualitative Study |
| title_full | Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with COVID Care and Recovery across the Care Continuum: A Qualitative Study |
| title_fullStr | Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with COVID Care and Recovery across the Care Continuum: A Qualitative Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with COVID Care and Recovery across the Care Continuum: A Qualitative Study |
| title_short | Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with COVID Care and Recovery across the Care Continuum: A Qualitative Study |
| title_sort | patients caregivers and healthcare providers experiences with covid care and recovery across the care continuum a qualitative study |
| topic | covid care quality continuum of care care transition rehabilitation qualitative |
| url | https://account.ijic.org/index.php/up-j-ijic/article/view/6952 |
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