Andreas Rantala1,2, Anna Forsberg1,3, Anna Ekwall1. 1. Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. 2. Department of Pre- and Intra-Hospital Emergency Care, Helsingborg General Hospital, Helsingborg, Sweden. 3. Department of Transplantation and Cardiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: What already is known is that as many as 50% of all Swedish Ambulance Care Service assignments are considered as non-emergency. Therefore, due to medical protocols and triage system, patients are refused conveyance to the Accident and Emergency Department by the Ambulance Care Service. AIM: The aim of this study was to psychometrically explore the construct validity of a possible dimension of person-centredness, developed from a previous published qualitative study in a nonemergency ambulance care context. A second aim was to explore patients' experiences of the person-centred climate and to explore possible relationship between it and person-centredness. DESIGN/ METHODS: A retrospective, explorative, cross-sectional survey design with a convenience sample was employed. A total of 111 questionnaires were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistics. An explanatory factor analysis was also conducted. FINDINGS: A one-factor solution for the specific items possibly constructing person-centredness was found. The responses to the Person-centred Climate Questionnaire-Patient version (PCQ-P) revealed that the climate was received as highly person-centred. Relationships were found between the specific items possibly constructing person-centredness and PCQ-P. CONCLUSION: A highly valid construct of person-centredness exists within nonurgent Ambulance Care Service assignments comprising eight aspects of being taken seriously. The climate in which nonemergency ambulance care is provided has great potential to facilitate person-centredness by means of taking patients seriously. The psychosocial aspects of PCQ-P and person-centredness are somewhat related to each other.
BACKGROUND: What already is known is that as many as 50% of all Swedish Ambulance Care Service assignments are considered as non-emergency. Therefore, due to medical protocols and triage system, patients are refused conveyance to the Accident and Emergency Department by the Ambulance Care Service. AIM: The aim of this study was to psychometrically explore the construct validity of a possible dimension of person-centredness, developed from a previous published qualitative study in a nonemergency ambulance care context. A second aim was to explore patients' experiences of the person-centred climate and to explore possible relationship between it and person-centredness. DESIGN/ METHODS: A retrospective, explorative, cross-sectional survey design with a convenience sample was employed. A total of 111 questionnaires were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistics. An explanatory factor analysis was also conducted. FINDINGS: A one-factor solution for the specific items possibly constructing person-centredness was found. The responses to the Person-centred Climate Questionnaire-Patient version (PCQ-P) revealed that the climate was received as highly person-centred. Relationships were found between the specific items possibly constructing person-centredness and PCQ-P. CONCLUSION: A highly valid construct of person-centredness exists within nonurgent Ambulance Care Service assignments comprising eight aspects of being taken seriously. The climate in which nonemergency ambulance care is provided has great potential to facilitate person-centredness by means of taking patients seriously. The psychosocial aspects of PCQ-P and person-centredness are somewhat related to each other.