Service Allocators’ Experiences of Ethical Dilemmas and Strategies in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative Study
The provision of long-term care services for older adults is characterised by increasing needs and scarce resources, leading to ethical dilemmas. This qualitative study explored the ethical dilemmas experienced by healthcare professionals when allocating long-term care services to older adults and t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Health Services Insights |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329241238883 |
| _version_ | 1797260508990013440 |
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| author | Ann Katrin Blø Pedersen Marianne Sundlisæter Skinner Maren Sogstad |
| author_facet | Ann Katrin Blø Pedersen Marianne Sundlisæter Skinner Maren Sogstad |
| author_sort | Ann Katrin Blø Pedersen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The provision of long-term care services for older adults is characterised by increasing needs and scarce resources, leading to ethical dilemmas. This qualitative study explored the ethical dilemmas experienced by healthcare professionals when allocating long-term care services to older adults and the strategies used to handle ethical dilemmas. Data from semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, and observations of service allocators assessing needs and assigning long-term care services to older adults were analysed using content analysis. The overarching theme was the struggle for safe and equitable service allocation. The identified dilemmas were: (i) Struggles with A Just Allocation of Services due to Limited Time and Trust, (ii) Pressure on Professional Values Concerning Safety and Dignity, and (iii) Difficulties in Prioritising One Group Over Another. The strategies to deal with ethical dilemmas were: (i) Assessing Needs Across the Entire Municipality, (ii) Ensuring Distance to Service Recipients, (iii) Working as a Team, and (iv) Interprofessional Decision-Making. Scarce resources, organisational limitations, and political expectations drive the ethical dilemmas in long-term care service allocation. An open public discussion regarding the acceptable minimum standard of long-term care is needed to reduce the ethical pressure on service allocators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:26:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e49ae0cea70f4da6a163ae1ea4060c4a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1178-6329 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:26:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Services Insights |
| spelling | doaj.art-e49ae0cea70f4da6a163ae1ea4060c4a2024-03-16T01:03:35ZengSAGE PublishingHealth Services Insights1178-63292024-03-011710.1177/11786329241238883Service Allocators’ Experiences of Ethical Dilemmas and Strategies in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative StudyAnn Katrin Blø PedersenMarianne Sundlisæter SkinnerMaren SogstadThe provision of long-term care services for older adults is characterised by increasing needs and scarce resources, leading to ethical dilemmas. This qualitative study explored the ethical dilemmas experienced by healthcare professionals when allocating long-term care services to older adults and the strategies used to handle ethical dilemmas. Data from semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, and observations of service allocators assessing needs and assigning long-term care services to older adults were analysed using content analysis. The overarching theme was the struggle for safe and equitable service allocation. The identified dilemmas were: (i) Struggles with A Just Allocation of Services due to Limited Time and Trust, (ii) Pressure on Professional Values Concerning Safety and Dignity, and (iii) Difficulties in Prioritising One Group Over Another. The strategies to deal with ethical dilemmas were: (i) Assessing Needs Across the Entire Municipality, (ii) Ensuring Distance to Service Recipients, (iii) Working as a Team, and (iv) Interprofessional Decision-Making. Scarce resources, organisational limitations, and political expectations drive the ethical dilemmas in long-term care service allocation. An open public discussion regarding the acceptable minimum standard of long-term care is needed to reduce the ethical pressure on service allocators.https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329241238883 |
| spellingShingle | Ann Katrin Blø Pedersen Marianne Sundlisæter Skinner Maren Sogstad Service Allocators’ Experiences of Ethical Dilemmas and Strategies in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative Study Health Services Insights |
| title | Service Allocators’ Experiences of Ethical Dilemmas and Strategies in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative Study |
| title_full | Service Allocators’ Experiences of Ethical Dilemmas and Strategies in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative Study |
| title_fullStr | Service Allocators’ Experiences of Ethical Dilemmas and Strategies in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Service Allocators’ Experiences of Ethical Dilemmas and Strategies in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative Study |
| title_short | Service Allocators’ Experiences of Ethical Dilemmas and Strategies in Long-Term Care: A Qualitative Study |
| title_sort | service allocators experiences of ethical dilemmas and strategies in long term care a qualitative study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329241238883 |
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