The Urban Hospitalisation Experience of Rural People: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Hospitalisation is often typically a stressful experience, but in the face of admission into hospital at a distance from home, the experience can be particularly anxiety-provoking. To describe the urban hospitalisation experiences of rural patients and their relatives who have travelled and relocated for treatment and determine the scope and coverage of the literature on this issue. The review utilises a scoping review method. CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE were searched for primary studies dated from inception to October, 2022. Thirty-four articles were included in the review. Using an inductive narrative approach, data were extracted, collated and summarised into key themes. Six themes were identified: Rural Indigenous peoples' experience, the promise of urban quality, separation from support networks, interactions with staff, managing out-of-hospital responsibilities and transitioning home. Underpinned by isolation and unfamiliarity, hospitalisation away from one's local community entails significant psychological stress that compounds the stresses of illness that require admission into the hospital. Findings demonstrate the dynamic nature of the healthcare encounter, illustrating the multiplicity of the experience and how some aspects of the experience cut across others. This scoping review conceptualises the urban hospitalisation experiences of rural people and illustrates the impact of isolation and unfamiliarity on their in-hospital behaviours, perceptions and interactions. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). No Patient or Public Contribution.