The experience of patients in an outpatient infusion facility: a qualitative study
ISSN: 0263-2772
Article publication date: 22 December 2020
Issue publication date: 10 April 2021
Abstract
Purpose
As hospitals are now being designed with an increasing number of single rooms or cubicles, the individual preference of patients with respect to social contact is of great interest. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the experience of patients in an outpatient infusion center.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 29 semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analyzed by using direct content analysis.
Findings
Findings showed that patients perceived a lack of acoustic privacy and therefore tried to emotionally isolate themselves or withheld information from staff. In addition, patients complained about the sounds of infusion pumps, but they were neutral about the interior features. Patients who preferred non-talking desired enclosed private rooms and perceived negative distraction because of spatial crowding. In contrast, patients who preferred talking, or had no preference, desired shared rooms and perceived positive distraction because of spatial crowding.
Research limitations/implications
In conclusion, results showed a relation between physical aspects (i.e. physical enclosure) and the social environment.
Practical implications
The findings allow facility managers to better understand the patients’ experiences in an outpatient infusion facility and to make better-informed decisions. Patients with different preferences desired different physical aspects. Therefore, nursing staff of outpatient infusion centers should assess the preferences of patients. Moreover, architects should integrate different types of treatment places (i.e. enclosed private rooms and shared rooms) in new outpatient infusion centers to fulfill different preferences and patients should have the opportunity to discuss issues in private with nursing staff.
Originality/value
This study emphasizes the importance of a mix of treatment rooms, while new hospital designs mainly include single rooms or cubicles.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the University Medical Center of Groningen, The Netherlands. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. The authors are grateful to the full cooperation of the outpatient infusion facility and the director Facilities and Estates, Jan Bouwhuis, of the University Medical Center of Groningen. The authors also like to thank all participants of the study for sharing their experiences.
Citation
Zijlstra, E., Hagedoorn, M., Lechner, S.C.M., van der Schans, C.P. and Mobach, M.P. (2021), "The experience of patients in an outpatient infusion facility: a qualitative study", Facilities, Vol. 39 No. 7/8, pp. 553-567. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-03-2020-0022
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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