Discharge planning: Narrated by nursing staff in primary healthcare and their concerns about using video conferencing in the planning session – An interview study

Background/Objective: This paper sets out to describe experience-based reflections on discharge planning as narrated by nursing staff in primary healthcare, along with their concerns about how the introduction of video conferencing might influence the discharge planning situation. Methods: Interviews were conducted with nursing staff working at a primary healthcare centre in South East Sweden. Each interview took place was conducted on a one-to-one basis in dialogue form, using open questions and supported by an interview guide. It was then analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutic method. Participants were eligible for the study if they had given their informed consent and if they worked with discharge planning and home-based healthcare provision. In total, 10 of the 30 persons working at the primary healthcare centre participated in the study. Results: It was found that nursing staff in primary healthcare regarded the planning session as stressful, time-consuming and characterised by a lack of respect between nursing staff at the hospital and nursing staff in primary healthcare. They also described uncertainty and hesitation about using video conferences where patients might probably be the losers and nursing staff the winners. Conclusions: It is suggested that there is a need for improvement in communication and understanding between nursing staff at the hospital and nursing staff in primary healthcare in order to develop discharge planning. There is also a need for the nursing staff in primary healthcare to obtain more information about how Information Technology (IT) solutions could support their work and help them to find ways to collaborate.