Transitions from healthcare to self-care: a qualitative study of falls service practitioners' views on self-management

Killingback, Clare; Thompson, Mark A.; Chipperfield, Sarah; Clark, Carol; Williams, Jonathan

Abstract

Purpose
The aim of this study was to understand the views of falls service practitioners regarding: their role in supporting self-management of falls prevention; and a transition pathway from National Health Service (NHS) exercise-based falls interventions to community-run exercise programmes.

Method
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with physiotherapists, nurses, and rehabilitation assistants (n = 8) who worked in an NHS falls service. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results
Certain aspects of supporting patients in self-management were deemed to be within or beyond the scope of falls service practitioners. Challenges in supporting transition to community-run programmes included: practitioner awareness and buy in; patient buy in; and patient suitability/programme availability.

Conclusion
Practitioners sought to be patient-centred as a means to engage patients in self-management of falls prevention exercises. Time-limited intervention periods and waiting list pressures were barriers to the promotion of long-term self-management approaches. A disconnect between falls service interventions and community-run programmes hindered willing practitioners from supporting patients in transitioning. Unless falls risk and prevention is seen by healthcare providers as a long-term condition which requires person-centred support from practitioners to develop self-management approaches, then falls services may only be able to offer short-term measures which are potentially not long lasting.

Citation

Killingback, C., Thompson, M. A., Chipperfield, S., Clark, C., & Williams, J. (2022). Transitions from healthcare to self-care: a qualitative study of falls service practitioners' views on self-management. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(12), 2683-2690. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1849423

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 6, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Nov 19, 2020
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Dec 3, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 20, 2021
• Journal: Disability and Rehabilitation
• Print ISSN: 0963-8288
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 44
• Issue: 12
• Pages: 2683-2690
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1849423
• Keywords: Self-management; Falls prevention; Falls service; Patient-centred care; Physiotherapists; Rehabilitation assistants; Nurses; Community exercise programmes
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3664918