Experiences of hospitalized adult patients and their relatives concerning rooming-in

Abstract

Background: Rooming-in of relatives with hospitalized adult patients offers relatives to stay for 24 hours a day in the hospital. Little is known about rooming-in experiences of adult patients and relatives. Aim: To (1) develop two surveys to assess rooming-in experiences of hospitalized adult patients and their relatives during hospital admission, and establish content validity; (2) use these surveys to describe their rooming-in experiences targeted at developing procedures. Method: This two-part study was conducted at a university hospital in the Netherlands. In the first part a patient- and relative-survey were developed and validated following three stages: item generation, item review and a cross-sectional pilot. In the second part these surveys were cross-sectionally administered to patients and relatives. An item pool was scored by an expert panel using the content validity index, and descriptive statistics were performed to describe rooming-in experiences. Results: A 22-item patient-survey and 37-item relative survey were developed, and were both considered content valid (S-CVI/Ave = 0.90). Fifty-one patients and 60 relatives were included in the second part of the study. Rooming-in experiences were very good according to patients (80% ≥ 8) and relatives (73% ≥ 8). Relatives (90%) were involved in care, reported higher levels of emotional burden (55%), almost two-third (63%) did not experienced physical burden, and 28% perceived worse sleep quality. Patients felt more comfortable (84%) and calmer (70%) due to a relative’s presence. Conclusion and implications: Two content valid surveys were developed that assess rooming-in experiences of hospitalized adult patients and their relatives during hospital admission. Results of this study may help to develop procedures regarding rooming-in. Clear information about healthcare policies is essential to improve patient- and relative satisfaction, guarantee continuity of care, and increase quality of care.