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. 2020 Jul 15;17(14):5118.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17145118.

The Feasibility of Connecting Conversations: A Narrative Method to Assess Experienced Quality of Care in Nursing Homes from the Resident's Perspective

Katya Sion  1   2 , Hilde Verbeek  1   2 , Erica de Vries  1   2 , Sandra Zwakhalen  1   2 , Gaby Odekerken-Schröder  3 , Jos Schols  1   2 , Jan Hamers  1   2
Affiliations

The Feasibility of Connecting Conversations: A Narrative Method to Assess Experienced Quality of Care in Nursing Homes from the Resident's Perspective

Katya Sion et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Currently, residents living in nursing homes and their caring relationships are being placed more centrally in the care experience. Experienced quality of care is influenced by the interactions between residents, family and caregivers, who each have their own experiences and needs. Connecting Conversations is a narrative method aimed at assessing experienced quality of care in nursing homes from the resident's perspective by having separate conversations with residents, family and caregivers (triads), adopting an appreciative inquiry approach. This study presents how to use Connecting Conversations and its feasibility. Feasibility was assessed as performance completeness, protocol adherence and interviewers' experiences. Conversations were conducted by trained nursing home staff (n = 35) who performed 275 Connecting Conversations in another nursing home than where they were employed (learning network). Findings show it is feasible to perform separate appreciative conversations with resident-family-caregiver triads by an interviewer employed in another nursing home; however, protocol adherence was sometimes challenging in conversations with residents. Interviewers valued the appreciative approach, the learning network and the depth of the separate conversations. Challenges were experienced with scheduling conversations and receiving time and support to perform the conversations. Stakeholders should continue collaboration to embed Connecting Conversations into daily practice in nursing homes.

Keywords: feasibility; interviews; narrative; quality assessment; quality of care; relationship-centered care; resident perspective; triad.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Supportive visual for Connecting Conversations.
Figure A2
Figure A2
Screen shots from the Connecting Conversations app: triad list (left) and conversation with resident (right).
Figure 1
Figure 1
Connecting Conversations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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