The patient experience in the emergency department: A systematic synthesis of qualitative research

Jane Gordon, Lorraine Sheppard, Sophie Anaf

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    114 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The aim of this study was to systematically review qualitative literature published between 1990 and 2006 exploring the patient experience within the emergency department (ED) with the intent of describing what factors influence the patient experience. Twelve articles were retrieved following combination of key words using five databases. The overarching categories developed from this integration of literature were; emotional impact of emergency, staff-patient interactions, waiting, family in the emergency department, and emergency environment. The patient experience issue given most emphasis by the articles under review was the caring or lack of caring regarding the patients' psychosocial and emotional needs. This was in contrast to the culture of the ED which emphasised "medical-technical" skill and efficiency. Satisfaction studies need to understand many factors and influences, qualitative methodologies have the ability to do so.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)80-88
    Number of pages9
    JournalInternational Emergency Nursing
    Volume18
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Apr 2010

    Keywords

    • Emergency department
    • Patient experience
    • Patient perceptions
    • Patient satisfaction
    • Review
    • Synthesis

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