The provision of nurse-led follow-up at Norwegian intensive care units.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence, content and administration of intensive care unit diaries and follow-up practices offered to patients and their families in Norway. BACKGROUND: Intensive care treatment has been associated with risks for new or increased health impairments affecting both patients and their families. These impairments have the potential of continuing beyond the acute phase of treatment. In parallel, preventive actions have gradually become an integrated part of critical care nursing, and in Norway, national recommendations for the use of intensive care unit diaries have been established. DESIGN AND METHODS: A survey was conducted in Norwegian intensive care units offering care for adult patients, using a questionnaire asking about the frequency, administration and content of the follow-up offered to patients, their relatives, as well as bereaved family members. RESULTS: Thirty-nine of 66 (59.1%) invited intensive care units answered the questionnaire. The majority (n = 33, 84.6%) of the responding units had follow-up routines. The provision of diaries was the most frequent follow-up activity (n = 24, 61.5%), and consultations postdischarge formed an integrated part of the diary practice. Consultations with bereaved were conducted in 21 (53.8%) of the intensive care units. About one quarter of the responding intensive care units had positions for follow-up nursing staff. CONCLUSION: Nurse-led follow-up after critical care was a common activity in Norwegian intensive care units, comprising diaries and consultations offered to patients and family members. The follow-up was mainly driven by bottom-up processes conducted by dedicated nurses motivated by the patients' and their families' situation and feedback. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Adherence to recommendations, as well as the availability of defined positions for aftercare nurses or teams, may improve the implementation of follow-up practices and reduce suffering after discharge from Norwegian intensive care units.

Assessing changes in a patient's condition - perspectives of intensive care nurses.

AIM: To explore the phenomenon of assessing changes in patients' conditions in intensive care units from the perspectives of experienced intensive care nurses. BACKGROUND: Providing safe care for patients in intensive care units requires an awareness and perception of the signs that indicate changes in a patient's condition. Nurses in intensive care units play an essential role in preventing the deterioration of a patient's condition and in improving patient outcomes. DESIGN AND METHODS: This hermeneutic phenomenological study conducted close observations and in-depth interviews with 11 intensive care nurses. The nurses' experience ranged from 7 to 28 years in the intensive care unit. Data were collected at two intensive care units in two Norwegian university hospitals. The analysis was performed using the reflective methods of van Manen. FINDINGS: An overarching theme of 'sensitive situational attention' was identified, in which the nurses were sensitive in relation to a patient and understood the significance of a given situation. This theme was further unfolded in four subthemes: (1) being sensitive and emotionally present, (2) being systematic and concentrating, (3) being physically close to the bedside and (4) being trained and familiar with the routines. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses understand each patient's situation and foresee clinical eventualities through a sensitive and attentive way of thinking and working. This requires nurses to be present at the bedside with both their senses (sight, hearing, smell and touch) and emotions and to work in a concentrated and systematic manner. Knowledge about the unique patient exists in interplay with past experiences and medical knowledge, which are essential for nurses to understand the situation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Clinical practice should develop routines that enable nurses to be present at the bedside and to work in a concentrated and systematic manner. Furthermore, providing safe care requires nurses to be sensitive and attentive to each patient's unique situation.

Underestimation of Patient Breathlessness by Nurses and Physicians during a Spontaneous Breathing Trial.

RATIONALE: Breathlessness is a prevalent and distressing symptom in intensive care unit patients. There is little evidence of the ability of healthcare workers to assess the patient's experiences of breathing. Patient perception of breathing is essential in symptom management, and patient perception during a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) might be related to extubation success. OBJECTIVES: To assess mechanically ventilated patients' experiences of breathlessness during SBT. METHODS: This was a prospective observational multicenter study of 100 mechanically ventilated patients. We assessed the agreement between nurses, physicians, and patients' 11-point Numerical Rating Scales scores of breathlessness, perception of feeling secure, and improvement of respiratory function at the end of an SBT (most performed with some level of support). We also determined the association between breathlessness and demographic factors or respiratory observations. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Sixty-two patients (62%) reported moderate or severe breathlessness (Numerical Rating Scales ≥ 4). The median intensity of breathlessness reported by patients was five compared with two by nurses and physicians (P < 0.001). Patients felt less secure and reported less improvement of respiratory function compared with nurses' and physicians' ratings. About half of the nurses and physicians underestimated breathlessness (difference score, ≤-2) compared with the patients' self-reports. Underestimation of breathlessness was not associated with professional competencies. There were no major differences in objective assessments of respiratory function in patients with moderate or severe breathlessness, and no apparent relationship between breathlessness during the SBT and extubation outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Patients reported higher breathlessness after SBT compared with nurses and physicians. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01928277).

Report on Third International Intensive Aftercare Conference in Norrköping, Sweden.

The third international conference on intensive care unit (ICU) diaries and intensive aftercare took place in Norrköping, Sweden, on 28 November 2013. The conference was organized by Carl Bäckman and colleagues, Vrinnevi Hospital and NOFI, and represented by Sissell Storli. More than 100 clinicians from across Europe and the USA attended the conference.

Perceived decisional responsibility for mechanical ventilation and weaning: a Norwegian survey.

AIM: To explore variability in perceptions of nurse managers and physician directors regarding roles, responsibilities and clinical-decision making related to mechanical ventilator weaning in Norwegian intensive care units (ICUs). BACKGROUND: Effective teamwork is crucial for providing optimal patient care in ICU. More knowledge on nurses' and physicians' perceptions of responsibility in clinical decision-making for mechanical ventilation is needed. METHODS: Self-administered survey of mechanical ventilation and weaning responsibilities was sent to nurse managers and physician directors of Norwegian adult ICUs. Nurses' decisional influence and autonomy were estimated on a numeric rating scale (NRS) from 0 to 10 (least to most). RESULTS: Response rate was 38/60 (63%) nurses and 38/52 (73%) physicians. On the NRS nurse managers perceived the autonomy and influence of nurses' ventilator decisions higher than physician directors: median of 7 (IQR 5-8) (nurses) versus 5 (3-6) (physicians), (p < 0·01), and 8 (7-9) (nurses) versus 7 (5-8) (physicians), (p < 0·01) respectively. Respondents agreed that nurses collaborated in assessment of patient response to ventilator changes and titrating ventilator settings: 92% of nurses and 87% of physicians, (p = 0·46), and recognizing weaning failure 84% of nurses and 84% of physicians, (p = 0·96). Physician directors perceived significantly less collaborative decision-making on weaning method (p = 0·01), weaning readiness (p = 0·04) and readiness to extubate (p < 0·01) than nurse managers. Both groups acknowledged the importance of 'knowing the patient' for weaning success, and agreed that the assessment of work of breathing, well-being, and clinical deterioration were important for determining weaning tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse managers perceived nurses to have greater autonomy, influence and collaborative interaction regarding decisions on mechanical ventilation than physician directors. Greater awareness and acknowledgment of nurses' role may promote interprofessional collaboration and improve patient care.

'In a way, you have to pull the patient out of that state ': the competency of ventilator weaning.

The introduction of the weaning protocol has reduced weaning time and improved results in patients. However, the evidence is inconsistent. This may reflect that the use of a protocol should not exclude individual considerations and clinical judgement. However, the significant aspects of the context and the competency important in the nurse-patient relationship in weaning have not yet been sufficiently described. This study aimed at exploring these aspects of weaning. Qualitative data from six in-depth interviews and field observations of three experienced intensive care nurses in weaning situations were analysed through systematic text condensation within a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. Competency appeared to be based on thorough knowledge of physiology and ventilator skills, but also on knowing the patient, helping the nurse connect the meaningless to the meaningful for the patient. Behaving competently involves a continuous dialogue with the situation, observation of the patient's body language and symptoms over a period of time and the ability to see the interrelationships of all these elements. Competency in ventilator weaning may thus be linked to personal qualifications, while it is simultaneously dependent on a professional community that both confirms and acknowledges this competency.

Decisional responsibility for mechanical ventilation and weaning: an international survey.

INTRODUCTION: Optimal management of mechanical ventilation and weaning requires dynamic and collaborative decision making to minimize complications and avoid delays in the transition to extubation. In the absence of collaboration, ventilation decision making may be fragmented, inconsistent, and delayed. Our objective was to describe the professional group with responsibility for key ventilation and weaning decisions and to examine organizational characteristics associated with nurse involvement. METHODS: A multi-center, cross-sectional, self-administered survey was sent to nurse managers of adult intensive care units (ICUs) in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands and United Kingdom (UK). We summarized data as proportions (95% confidence intervals (CIs)) and calculated odds ratios (OR) to examine ICU organizational variables associated with collaborative decision making. RESULTS: Response rates ranged from 39% (UK) to 92% (Switzerland), providing surveys from 586 ICUs. Interprofessional collaboration (nurses and physicians) was the most common approach to initial selection of ventilator settings (63% (95% CI 59 to 66)), determination of extubation readiness (71% (67 to 75)), weaning method (73% (69 to 76)), recognition of weaning failure (84% (81 to 87)) and weaning readiness (85% (82 to 87)), and titration of ventilator settings (88% (86 to 91)). A nurse-to-patient ratio other than 1:1 was associated with decreased interprofessional collaboration during titration of ventilator settings (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.6), weaning method (0.4 (0.2 to 0.9)), determination of extubation readiness (0.5 (0.2 to 0.9)) and weaning failure (0.4 (0.1 to 1.0)). Use of a weaning protocol was associated with increased collaborative decision making for determining weaning (1.8 (1.0 to 3.3)) and extubation readiness (1.9 (1.2 to 3.0)), and weaning method (1.8 (1.1 to 3.0). Country of ICU location influenced the profile of responsibility for all decisions. Automated weaning modes were used in 55% of ICUs. CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative decision making for ventilation and weaning was employed in most ICUs in all countries although this was influenced by nurse-to-patient ratio, presence of a protocol, and varied across countries. Potential clinical implications of a lack of collaboration include delayed adaptation of ventilation to changing physiological parameters, and delayed recognition of weaning and extubation readiness resulting in unnecessary prolongation of ventilation.

Intensive care patient diaries in Scandinavia: a comparative study of emergence and evolution.

Critical illness and intensive care therapy are often followed by psychological problems such as nightmares, hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Intensive care patient diaries have been kept by nurses and the patients' family since the early 1990s in the Scandinavian countries to help critically ill patients come to terms with their illness after hospital discharge. The aim of the study was to describe and compare the emergence and evolution of intensive care patient diaries in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The study had a comparative international design using secondary analysis of qualitative data generated by key-informant telephone interviews with intensive care nurses (n=114). The study showed that diaries were introduced concurrently in the three Scandinavian countries as a grass-roots initiative by mutual cross-national inspiration. The concept has evolved from a pragmatic practice to an evidence-based domain of inquiry propelled by academically prepared nurses. Several schools of thought were identified in our study: diaries as (i) a therapeutic instrument, (ii) an act of caring, (iii) an expression of empathy, and (iv) a hybrid of the above. Diaries have the potential to fulfill the existential needs of patients who struggle to make sense of their experiences and construct their own illness narrative.

An act of caring - patient diaries in Norwegian intensive care units.

AIM: The aim of this study was to obtain more knowledge about the background, extent and implementation of diaries in Norwegian intensive care units (ICUs) providing mechanical ventilation to adult patients. BACKGROUND: The growing understanding of long-term consequences of intensive care therapy has compelled nurses to introduce patient diaries to prevent problems after discharge from ICU. Research on this practice is limited. DESIGN/METHOD: The study had a qualitative descriptive design, and was conducted by means of semi-structured telephone interviews with 30 participants, all experienced intensive care nurses. The strategy of analysis was a template organizing style. FINDINGS: The findings show that 31 out of 70 ICUs offer patient diaries, and many units have a long history of diary writing. Most of the units have some kind of guidelines, and the study has shown that diaries serve dual purposes; one of caring and another of therapy. Although these two dimensions seemingly present a paradox from a theoretical point of view, a combination appears to be at work in clinical practice. This may be explained by a tendency in nursing to regard caring as superior to therapy. The writing frequency varies, and the units that reported high activity provided follow-up programs in addition to diary writing. Diary writing as a nursing intervention is threatened by a lack of funding.

Nurses' experiences of ICU diaries following implementation of national recommendations for diaries in intensive care units: A quality improvement project.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate critical care nurses' experiences of ICU diaries following the implementation of national recommendations for the use of diaries for critically ill patients. DESIGN: A quality improvement project describing the development and implementation of national recommendations (2011), as well as the assessment of the use of diaries in intensive care nursing practice (2014). SETTING: Norwegian intensive care units (ICUs). PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-nine Norwegian ICUs took part in the study. INTERVENTION: A multi-component process for developing national recommendations for the use of diaries in Norwegian ICUs, including recommendations for the target group, when to start, health professionals as authors, diary content, structure, language, use of photographs, handover, access and storage within patient medical records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: A questionnaire asking about experiences of implementing national recommendations on diaries in Norwegian ICUs, as well as their impact and how they are used. RESULTS: Three years after the implementation of the national recommendations, diaries were provided in 24 (61.5%) of the responding ICUs. Fifty-six per cent of the ICUs had revised their routines, of which 62% had updated and 38% had developed new protocols. Most ICUs kept the diary along with other medical information describing patient care, but only 50% of the ICUs scanned handwritten diaries into the electronic medical records before handing them over to patients or the bereaved. ICU nurses reported that implementing national recommendations had increased their awareness and knowledge on patient and family needs, as well as the long-term effects of critical illness. CONCLUSION: The results of this quality improvement project indicate that access to national recommendations on the use of diaries for critically ill patients have a potential of changing routines and increase standardisation.

The meaning of follow-up in intensive care: patients' perspective.

The growing understanding of correlations between experiences and memories from a period of intensive care treatment and complaints of mental character has led to the development of various patient follow-up offers. Little, however, is known about what follow-up may mean to patients. The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of patients' lived experience of being followed-up in a programme consisting of patient diaries, post-intensive care unit (ICU) conversations and visits back to the ICU. Field notes were made from encounters with patients (n = 10) during follow-up. Then they were interviewed twice, at about 6 months (n = 8) and at about 18 months (n = 6) after discharge from hospital. The first interview focused on the patients' experience during intensive care and on their reflections on the experience. The second interview had a particular focus on the meaning for each individual of the sources for understanding that they had been offered. The data was analysed by using a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. The study corroborated earlier research that found that patients seek to understand experiences they have undergone. They search for meaning in experiences and memories. It is realized that the diary as text and photos, in addition to conveying care and love, is important to induce postexperience reflections. It provided guideposts that follow-up conversations could pursue in the patient's quest for meaning. The conversation also provided an opening for, and could in itself be essential to, the patient's willingness to talk about experiences. It allowed the nurse to accompany the patient in his quest for meaning. The return visit appeared to be significant in the patient's quest for meaning. It was via 'feeling' the room that 'things' fell into place. The study is important in elucidating aspects that are beneficial in the patient's follow-up and which lay the basis for further development of existing and new follow-up offers.

A journey in quest of meaning: a hermeneutic-phenomenological study on living with memories from intensive care.

BACKGROUND: In a short-term perspective, a high incidence of psychological problems linked to memories from intensive care has been found in survivors of critical illness. Little is known about what kinds of memories patients might carry with them and what it is like to live with memories from intensive care as years go by. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of living with memories from intensive care. METHODS: A hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews with ten former intensive care patients 10 years after their admission. FINDINGS: Memories of bodily sensations and memories containing strong emotions were surprisingly well kept. Memories residing in the body at a prereflective level and that could be awakened without being triggered by will or conscious thought comprised an important segment of the memory spectrum. Complaints such as panic attacks and anxiety were strongly linked to these kinds of memories and experienced as flashbacks of frightening experiences that entailed strong emotions. Some informants still strove to understand experiences and reactions. Living with these memories and flashbacks was interpreted as a journey in quest of meaning. Having someone and something to live for implied strength on the journey. The presence of close relatives at the bedside provided strength to go on and someone with whom to share experiences afterwards. CONCLUSION: A period of critical illness and intensive care stay for treatment may leave durable traces in the patient's life. Finding meaning of existential and ontological nature seems to be of decisive significance for how people fare in their lives after having lived through intensive care treatment. The identified journey in quest of meaning points to the need for follow-up programmes, and we must acknowledge close relatives as important resources for the patient both at the bedside and in the subsequent process of discovering meaning in lived experience.

ICU nurses and physicians dialogue regarding patients clinical status and care options-a focus group study.

Nurses and physicians work side-by-side in the intensive care unit (ICU). Effective exchanges of patient information are essential to safe patient care in the ICU. Nurses often rate nurse-physician communication lower than physicians and report that it is difficult to speak up, that disagreements are not resolved and that their input is not well received. Therefore, this study explored nurses' dialogue with physicians regarding patients' clinical status and the prerequisites for effective and accurate exchanges of information. We adopted a qualitative approach, conducting three focus group discussions with five to six nurses and physicians each (14 total). Two themes emerged. The first theme highlighted nurses' contributions to dialogues with physicians; nurses' ongoing observations of patients were essential to patient care discussions. The second theme addressed the prerequisites of accurate and effective dialogue regarding care options, comprising three subthemes: nurses' ability to speak up and present clinical changes, establishment of shared goal and clinical understanding, and open dialogue and willingness to listen to each other. Nurses should understand their essential role in conducting ongoing observations of patients and their right to be included in care-related decision-making processes. Physicians should be willing to listen to and include nurses' clinical observations and concerns.

The breath of life. Patients' experiences of breathing during and after mechanical ventilation.

INTRODUCTION: Breathlessness is a prevalent and distressing symptom in intensive care, underestimated by nurses and physicians. Therefore, to develop a more comprehensive understanding of this problem, the study had two aims: to compare patients' self-reported scores of breathlessness obtained during mechanical ventilation (MV) with experiences of breathlessness later recalled by patients and: to explore the lived experience of breathing during and after MV. METHOD: A qualitatively driven sequential mixed method design combining prospective observational breathlessness data at the end of a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) and follow up data from 11 post-discharge interviews. FINDINGS: Four out of six patients who reported breathlessness at the end of an SBT did not remember being breathless in retrospect. Experiences of breathing intertwined with the whole illness experience and were described in four themes: existential threat; the tough time; an amorphous and boundless body and getting through. CONCLUSION: Breathing was not always a clearly separate experience, but intertwined with the whole illness experience. This may explain the poor correspondence between patients' and clinicians assessments of breathlessness. The results suggest patients' own reports of breathing should form part of nursing interventions and follow-up to support patients' quest for meaning.

Foresight and awareness of incipient changes in a patient' clinical conditions--Perspectives of intensive care nurses.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the phenomenon of becoming aware of incipient changes in patient condition from the perspectives and experiences of intensive care nurses. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This study involved close observations of and in-depth interviews with 11 experienced intensive care nurses. The text was analysed using a hermeneutic phenomenological method that was inspired by van Manen. SETTING: This study was undertaken at two different high-technology intensive care units (ICUs) in Norwegian university hospitals. FINDINGS: Nurses formed images of individual patients composed of signs (of changes in a patient's condition) that were sensory, measurable, and manifested as the mood of the nurse. The signs may be viewed as separate from and opposed to one another, but they are tightly interwoven and interact with one another. Care situations are powerful stimuli for the patient, and it is of great importance for nurses to become aware of signs in these situations. Nurses also ascribe that following the patient over time is important for becoming aware of signs. CONCLUSION: An awareness of incipient changes in patient clinical condition requires understanding the ever-changing dynamics of patient condition and dialogic images composed of signs. Care situations and the following of patients through shifts are essential in enabling nurses to detect these signs.

The patient experience of intensive care: a meta-synthesis of Nordic studies.

BACKGROUND: Sedation practices in the intensive care unit have evolved from deep sedation and paralysis toward lighter sedation and better pain management. The new paradigm of sedation has enabled early mobilization and optimized mechanical ventilator weaning. Intensive care units in the Nordic countries have been particularly close to goals of lighter or no sedation and a more humane approach to intensive care. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to systematically review and reinterpret newer Nordic studies of the patient experience of intensive care to obtain a contemporary description of human suffering during life-threatening illness. DESIGN: We conducted a meta-synthesis in which we collected, assessed, and analyzed published qualitative studies with the goal of synthesizing these findings into a new whole. Analysis was based on the scientific approach of Gadamerian hermeneutics. SETTINGS: Nordic intensive care units. PARTICIPANTS: Patients in Nordic intensive care units. METHODS: We performed a literature search of qualitative studies of the patient experience of intensive care based on Nordic publications in 2000-2013. We searched the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and PsycINFO. Each original paper was assessed by all authors using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program instrument for qualitative research. We included 22 studies, all of which provided direct patient quotes. RESULTS: The overarching theme was identified as: The patient experience when existence itself is at stake. We constructed an organizing framework for analysis using the main perspectives represented in the included studies: body, mind, relationships, and ICU-environment. Final analysis and interpretation resulted in the unfolding of four themes: existing in liminality, existing in unboundedness, existing in mystery, and existing on the threshold. CONCLUSIONS: Our main finding was that human suffering during intensive care is still evident although sedation is lighter and the environment is more humane. Our interpretation suggested that patients with life-threatening illness descend into a liminal state, where they face the choice of life or death. Caring nurses and family members play an important role in assisting the patient to transition back to life.

Older individuals' experiences during the assistive technology device service delivery process.

OBJECTIVE: Providing assistive technology devices to older individuals living in their ordinary homes is an important intervention to increase and sustain independence and to enable ageing at home. However, little is known about older individuals' experiences and needs in the assistive technology device (ATD) service delivery process. The purpose of this study was to investigate older individuals' experiences during the service delivery process of ATDs. METHODS: Nine older individuals were interviewed three times each throughout the ATD service delivery process. The interviews were analysed within a hermeneutical phenomenological perspective. RESULTS: The results show that the service delivery process could be interpreted as an enigmatic journey and described using four themes: "hope and optimistic expectations", "managing after delivery or needing additional help", "having available help versus being abandoned", and "taking charge or putting up". CONCLUSIONS: The results emphasize the need for occupational therapists to maintain an individualized approach towards older clients throughout the service delivery process. The experiences of older individuals were diverse and related to expectations that were not necessarily articulated to the occupational therapist. The situation when the ATD is delivered to the client was highlighted by the clients as an important event with the potential to facilitate a successful service delivery process.

Living in negotiation: patients' experiences of being in the diagnostic process of COPD.

PURPOSE: To illuminate patients' lived experiences of going through the process of being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A phenomenological-hermeneutic analysis was applied in the interpretation of interviews with eight persons diagnosed with mild or moderate COPD. RESULTS: One main theme 'living in negotiation', and three themes 'living with a body out of step with the diagnosis', 'dealing with the past', and 'being challenged by the future' reflected the process participants were living through in their quest for acceptance and a new balance in life. Participants found that the diagnostic processes were confusing, and that the diagnosis itself was 'a slap in the face'. Unclear messages gave rise to fluctuating between an understanding of the condition as 'not too severe', insecurity, and fear. Shame and guilt related to the diagnosis had origins in the past, and in combination with the idea of 'chronic' the COPD diagnosis interfered with the present moment and gave rise to uncertainty for the future. The understanding of the present is related to negotiations not only with the past, but also with the future. Thus temporal aspects of the diagnosis are of great significance for the process of finding acceptance. CONCLUSION: Regardless of disease severity, the diagnosis seems to be a breakdown of life, which puts life itself at stake. Medical professionals should be aware that the way the diagnosis is disclosed and communicated has considerable significance for how individuals understand and deal with their illness. The diagnosis should be communicated face-to-face, clearly and with empathy, and followed by information about COPD. Physicians should allow time and listen to the patients' stories, and thus develop a shared understanding of the temporal aspect of the illness and patients' needs and concerns. Thus, good communication is essential in determining whether the patient remains in negotiation, or enters a process toward acceptance and new understanding.

A pharmacist-led follow-up program for patients with coronary heart disease in North Norway--a qualitative study exploring patient experiences.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Scientific literature shows that prevention of CHD is inadequate. The clinical pharmacist's role in patient-centred care has been shown favourable in a large amount of studies, also in relation to reduction of risk factors related to CHD. We developed and piloted a pharmacist-led follow-up program for patients with established CHD after hospital discharge from a hospital in North Norway. The aim of the present study was to explore how participants in the follow-up program experienced the program with regard to four main topics; medication knowledge, feeling of safety and comfort with medications, the functionality of the program and the clinical pharmacist's role in the interdisciplinary team. METHODS: We performed semi-structured thematic interviews with four patients included in the program. After verbatim transcribing, we analysed the interviews using "qualitative content analyses" by Graneheim and Lundman. Trial registration http://www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01131715. RESULTS: All participants appreciated the follow-up program because their medication knowledge had increased, participation had made them feel safe, they were reassured about the appropriateness of their medications, and they had become more involved in their own medication. The participants reported that the program was well structured and the clinical pharmacist was said to be an important caretaker in the health-care system. The importance of collaboration between pharmacists and physicians, both in hospital and primary care, was emphasized. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the follow-up program was highly appreciated among the four participants included in this study. The results must be interpreted in the context of the health care system in Norway today. Here, few pharmacists are working in hospitals or in close relation to the general practitioners. In addition, physicians are short of time in order to supply appropriate medication information, both in hospital and primary care. Involving pharmacists in follow-up of patients with CHD seems to be highly appreciated among patients and may be a step towards improving patient care. The study is limited by the low number of participants.