Volume 16, Issue 2 pp. 287-295
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Person-centred care in nurse-led outpatient rheumatology clinics: Conceptualization and initial development of a measurement instrument

Sidona-Valentina Bala

Corresponding Author

Sidona-Valentina Bala

Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Helsingborg Central Hospital, Sweden

Correspondence

Sidona-Valentina Bala, Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Helsingborg Central Hospital, SE-251 87 Helsingborg, Sweden.

Email: [email protected]

Search for more papers by this author
Kristina Forslind

Kristina Forslind

Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Helsingborg Central Hospital, Sweden

Department of Clinical Science, Section of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Search for more papers by this author
Bengt Fridlund

Bengt Fridlund

School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden

Search for more papers by this author
Karin Samuelson

Karin Samuelson

Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Search for more papers by this author
Björn Svensson

Björn Svensson

Department of Clinical Science, Section of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Search for more papers by this author
Peter Hagell

Peter Hagell

The PRO-CARE Group, School of Health & Society, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 08 February 2018
Citations: 12

Abstract

Background

Person-centred care (PCC) is considered a key component of effective illness management and high-quality care. However, the PCC concept is underdeveloped in outpatient care. In rheumatology, PCC is considered an unmet need and its further development and evaluation is of high priority. The aim of the present study was to conceptualize and operationalize PCC, in order to develop an instrument for measuring patient-perceived PCC in nurse-led outpatient rheumatology clinics.

Methods

A conceptual outpatient PCC framework was developed, based on the experiences of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), person-centredness principles and existing PCC frameworks. The resulting framework was operationalized into the PCC instrument for outpatient care in rheumatology (PCCoc/rheum), which was tested for acceptability and content validity among 50 individuals with RA attending a nurse-led outpatient clinic.

Results

The conceptual framework focuses on the meeting between the person with RA and the nurse, and comprises five interrelated domains: social environment, personalization, shared decision-making, empowerment and communication. Operationalization of the domains into a pool of items generated a preliminary PCCoc/rheum version, which was completed in a mean (standard deviation) of 5.3 (2.5) min. Respondents found items easy to understand (77%) and relevant (93%). The Content Validity Index of the PCCoc/rheum was 0.94 (item level range, 0.87–1.0). About 80% of respondents considered some items redundant. Based on these results, the PCCoc/rheum was revised into a 24-item questionnaire.

Conclusions

A conceptual outpatient PCC framework and a 24-item questionnaire intended to measure PCC in nurse-led outpatient rheumatology clinics were developed. The extent to which the questionnaire represents a measurement instrument remains to be tested.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.