Improving Person-Centred Care in Acute Healthcare Settings: An Investigation of Care Mapping in the Clinical Neurosciences

Abstract

This thesis considers the provision of person-centred care (PCC) in acute healthcare. In recent years it has been increasingly recognised that healthcare should be delivered in a person-centred manner and that staff should receive training and support in relation to this. There is a growing body of literature investigating the potential benefits of PCC in relation to both patient and service level outcomes. Paper one of this thesis is a systematic review of the literature examining staff training interventions for improving PCC in acute healthcare settings. The findings offer preliminary support for the positive impact of such training interventions on patient and service level outcomes in hospital environments. The research in this area is not of a uniformly high standard and this paper concludes that further research in this area is required. Paper two is an examination of a modified version of Dementia Care Mapping (Care Mapping - Neurorehabilitation: DCM-NR), an observational tool for measuring and improving PCC. Results provide evidence of the feasibility and validity of DCM-NR in a range of Clinical Neuroscience settings. Future research should examine the impact of DCM-NR on person-centred practices over time.The critical reflection paper considers both the systematic review and the empirical study. It aims to consider both the strengths and limitations of the research, challenges encountered, clinical implications and highlights areas for future research.

Date of Award	31 Dec 2013
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Russell Sheldrick (Supervisor)