Creating a patient experience film to convey experiences and emotions of older people and their carers’ interaction with general practice following discharge from hospital

Problem

The immediate post-discharge period for older, vulnerable patients is a complex and error-prone time for GPs and patients/carers to navigate. The GP-MATE study uses a co-production technique, Experience Based Co-Design (EBCD), to create a communication-based solution to this problem. Creating a patient experience film is a perquisite for of EBCD. The film allows participants to tell their own stories of general practice care following discharge from hospital. The aim of this study was to create a patient experience film to convey the experiences and insights of older people and their carers which triggers emotional and creative responses to stimulate co-production.

Approach

Nine older patients discharged from hospital in the last three months or their carers were recruited from five practices in the West Midlands Participants were interviewed in person on film, in their homes or at a University site. The interview guide was developed using a journey format, allowing participants to talk about their post-discharge experiences and the communication that followed with their GP practice with minimal interruption. Results were analysed using framework analysis based on Leveque’s Conceptual Access Framework. Key clips from this analysis were incorporated into a half hour film.

Findings

We present video clips from the film interviews that impactfully convey the experiences of older people and their carers following discharge from hospital. Participants spoke about the difficulties accessing general practice care following discharge due to; vulnerability, frailty and rapid change in appointment systems in general practice. They also spoke about the difficulties being empowered at this time of care transition, with a general preference for proactivity from the GP practice. Continuity of care was highlighted as key, with participants stating the importance of seeing the same clinician to ensure more personalised care is provided. Participants also spoke about the importance of being seen/heard as a person Our participants were very aware of the pressures in general practice and did not want to place addition burden on the system.

Consequences

The film clips from these interviews are a powerful catalyst for the co-production process and highlight participants’ personal stories following discharge from hospital. Themes such as the importance of enhancing access will be bought forward to the co-production stage of EBCD, where participants will be directly involved in the design and development of a communication intervention that aims to enhance patient experiences of post-discharge care.