Safety in Intensive Home Care for Ventilated Patients: Professional Players' Perspective

Abstract

There is an increasing number of ventilated and other technology-dependent patients, cared for in their own homes or in shared apartments in Germany. Issues of patient safety have hardly been examined in this context. In this follow-up of a survey of patients and their relatives, the perspective of professional players on the subject of safety in intensive home care is explored. Professional players in 6 heterogeneous, non-natural focus groups were faced with experiences and perspectives of ventilated patients and their relatives in a qualitative health care services research. These players were asked for their perspectives on the issue of patient safety in intensive home care. The collected data were analyzed in terms of discourse as well as content. The subjective safety dimensions addressed by the ventilated patients and their relatives was considered as important by the professional players in many respects. However, demands from relatives for more participation were considered with skepticism. Safety in intensive home care was perceived as under threat by a lack of cooperation and coordination, skills shortage and skills gaps. In particular, caregivers with key tasks of care provision and thus with special responsibility for patient safety see these corresponding challenges. The results provide a basis for safety work in intensive home care. Among other things they point out the need to develop user-centered safety concepts, a safety culture at the organizational level as well as accompanying legal regulation.