Consumer and provider perceptions of the specialist unit model of care : A qualitative study
Journal article
Long, Janet C., Carrigan, Ann, Roberts, Natalie, Clay-Williams, Robyn, Hibbert, D, Zurynski, Yvonne, Maka, Katherine, Loy, Graeme and Braithwaite, Jeffrey. (2024). Consumer and provider perceptions of the specialist unit model of care : A qualitative study. PLoS One. 19, pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293025
Authors | Long, Janet C., Carrigan, Ann, Roberts, Natalie, Clay-Williams, Robyn, Hibbert, D, Zurynski, Yvonne, Maka, Katherine, Loy, Graeme and Braithwaite, Jeffrey |
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Abstract | Background: Specialist care units cater to targeted cohorts of patients, applying evidence-based practice to people with a specific condition (e.g., dementia) or meeting other specific criteria (e.g., children). This paper aimed to collate perceptions of local consumers and health providers around specialist care units, as a model of care that may be considered for a new local healthcare facility. Methods: This was a qualitative study using two-hour workshops and interviews to collect data. Participants were consumers and health providers in the planned facility’s catchment: 49 suburbs in metropolitan Australia. Consumers and health providers were recruited through advertisements and emails. An initial survey collected demographic details. Consumers and health providers participated in separate two-hour workshops in which a scenario around the specialist unit model was presented and discussion on benefits, barriers and enablers of the model was led by researchers. Detailed notes were taken for analysis. Results: Five consumer workshops (n = 22 participants) and five health provider workshops (n = 42) were conducted. Participants were representative of this culturally diverse region. Factors identified by participants as relevant to the specialist unit model of care included: accessibility; a perceived narrow scope of practice; coordination with other services; resources and infrastructure; and awareness and expectations of the units. Some factors identified as risks or barriers when absent were identified as strengths and enablers when present by both groups of participants. Conclusions: Positive views of the model centred on the higher perceived quality of care received in the units. Negative views centred on a perceived narrow scope of care and lack of flexibility. Consumers hinted, and providers stated explicitly, that the model needed to be complemented by an integrated model of care model to enable continuity of care and easy transfer of patients into and out of the specialist unit. |
Keywords | healthcare providers; specialist care units; evidence-based practice; model of care; interview; healthcare design |
Year | 01 Jan 2024 |
Journal | PLoS One |
Journal citation | 19, pp. 1-16 |
Publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
ISSN | 1932-6203 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293025 |
Web address (URL) | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0293025 |
Open access | Open access |
Research or scholarly | Research |
Page range | 1-16 |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 12 Feb 2023 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 04 Oct 2023 |
Deposited | 17 Sep 2024 |
Additional information | © 2024 Long et al. |
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. | |
Place of publication | United States |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/90y9v/consumer-and-provider-perceptions-of-the-specialist-unit-model-of-care-a-qualitative-study
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Publisher's version
OA_Carrigan_2024_Consumer_and_provider_perceptions_of_the.pdf | |
License: CC BY 4.0 | |
File access level: Open |
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