Table 2.
Summary of included studies.
| Author | Population and setting | Sample | Design | Aim (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolu et al. (24) 2021 Turkey |
Healthcare providers. Both public and private community healthcare sectors in an urban area of Turkey. |
N = 13 (5 general physicians and 8 nurses) The average age of healthcare staff was 41.6 years. |
Qualitative study, purposive sampling, In-depth semi structured interviews, thematic analysis | To explore the perspectives of healthcare providers, including nurses and physicians, regarding transitional care from hospital to home in an urban area of Turkey |
| Dolu et al. (25) 2021 Turkey |
Older patients and family caregivers. Patients' home. |
N = 25 (14 older patients and 11 family caregivers) The mean age of the older adults was 79 years. |
Qualitative exploratory descriptive study, purposive sampling, in-depth semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis, proactive rehabilitation model | To explore the perspectives of patients aged 65 years and over and their family caregivers transitioning from hospital to home in an urban area of Turkey. |
| Neiterman et al. (38) 2015 Canada |
Older patients and family caregivers. Patients' home. |
N = 36 (17 older patients and 19 family caregivers) The mean age of the older adults was 79 years. |
Qualitative study, purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis | To examine how the care transition was experienced, organized, and coordinated by patients and their informal caregivers at home. |
| Bull (41) 1992 America |
Older adults and family members. Patients' homes. |
N = 55 (17 older patients and 19 family caregivers) The mean age of the older adults was 67 years. |
Qualitative study, purposive sampling, semi-structured interview, contant comparative method | To describes the period of transition from hospital to home based on the perspectives of the older adults and family members who experience it |
| Bull and Jervis (42) 1997 America |
Older women and caregiving daughter. Participants' homes and private offices. | 33 mother-daughter pairs at 2 weeks post-discharge (response rate 94%) and 32 pairs at 2 months post-discharge. The average age of the mothers was 73.9 years. |
Qualitative study, grounded theory study, purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews, content analysis and constant comparison | To learn how older women and their caregiving daughters managed care following the mother's hospitalization because of a chronic illness. |
| Backman et al. (43) 2018 Canada |
Patients with multiple chronic conditions and family members. Patients' home. |
N = 9(4 older adults alone, 3 family members alone, and 2 older adult/family member together) Mean age of 77.6 years. |
Descriptive qualitative study, participatory visual narrative methods, convenience sampling, thematic analysis, socio-ecological perspective | To engage older adults with multiple chronic conditions and their family members in the detailed exploration of their experiences during transitions across health care settings and identify potential areas for future interventions. |
| Allen et al. (4) 2018 Australian |
Patients and caregivers. Patients' home. |
N = 26 (19 Patients and 7 carers) Participants were aged on average 78.9 years. |
Descriptive qualitative study, purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis, constructivism | How do older people and their carers/families as care recipient service users, experience discharge and transitional care across the trajectories of acute, subacute and community care? |
| La Manna et al. (39) 2018 America |
Older Patients. Patients' home. |
N = 96 (Multimorbidity was prevalent among study participants) Mean age of 75.15 years. |
Quantitative-qualitative, mixed-method design, inductive content analysis techniques, transition theory | To examine self-described hospital-to-home transition challenges encountered by older adults with a diagnosis of diabetes within the first 30 days following discharge |
| Graham et al. (49) 2009 America |
Older person and cares. NR | Twenty focus groups (n = 159 caregivers included family members, friends, and paid informal caregivers) and focus group (n = 5, The five seniors selected were age 60 or older). | Qualitative study, purposive sampling, qualitative thematic analysis, social ecological model of health behavior | To assess the needs of patients and caregivers during the transition from hospital to home. |
| Backman and Cho-Young (46) 2019 America |
Patients and informal caregivers. NR |
N = 8 (Patients and informal caregivers). Mean age of 72.29 years. |
Qualitative descriptive study semi-structured telephone interviews, convenience sampling, thematic analysis | To describe patients and informal caregivers' perspectives on how to improve and monitor care during transitions from hospital to home |
| Davis et al. (50) 2012 America |
Health care professionals, clinicians, care teams, and administrators from the inpatient general medicine services at one urban, academic hospital; Two outpatient primary care clinics. | 13 focus groups and two in-depth interviews with 75 health care professionals and administrators. The average age of healthcare staff was 42 years. |
Cross-sectional qualitative study, purposive sampling, thematic analysis | To understand care transitions from the perspective of diverse healthcare professionals, and identify recommendations for process improvement. |
| Hvalvik and Reierson (48) 2015 Norway |
The next of kin to an older patient (age 67 and older):such as spouse, sons, or daughters. NR | N = 11 (one son, two spouses, and eight daughters) | Phenomenological hermeneutic design, individual, narrative interviews, purposive sampling | To describe and illuminate the meaning of the next of kin's lived experiences during the transition of an older person with continuing care needs from hospital to home. |
| McKeown (45) 2007 Ireland |
Older people (in their homes two weeks following discharge from acute hospital). Patients' home. |
N = 11 (6 males and 5 females) The age of elderly entry ranged from 71–92 years old. |
Qualitative study, phenomenological approach, semi-structured interview, purposive sampling | To explore the experiences of older people on discharge from hospital following assessment by the public health nurse |
| Plank et al. (47) 2012 Italy |
Informal caregivers. Rehabilitation unit. | N = 18 (8 participating in individual interviews and 10 participating in post discharge focus groups, three caregivers attended both the interview and the focus group) | Qualitative phenome nological approach, in-depth interview, focus group, purposive sampling | To explore and understand the experience of new informal caregivers in Italy in the time of transition from hospital to home, focusing on their thoughts and reflections. |
| Baxter et al. (44) 2020 UK |
Multidisciplinary staff. Six high-performing general practices and hospital specialtie. | N = 157(including doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, allied health professionals, discharge coordinators, district nurses, community matrons, specialist nurses and receptionists/administrators). | Qualitative study, focus groups, interviews and brief observations, in semi-structured focus groups or interviews and meetings, opportunity and maximum variation purposive sampling, pen portrait approach, positive deviance framework | To explore how high-performing general practice and hospital teams successfully deliver safe care to older adults during transitions from hospital to home |
| Foust et al. (26) 2011 America |
Older adults, carers, health providers. Patients' home and hospital |
N = 90 (40 patients, 35 informal caregivers, and 15 clinicians). The mean age of patients was 64.8 years. |
Descriptive qualitative, semi-structured Interview, content analysis, purposive sample | To describe the hospital-to-home transition from the three perspectives of home health patients, their informal caregivers, and home health care clinicians |
| Nikbakht-Nasrabadi et al. (40) 2021 Iran |
Family caregivers. Either in their home or other else | N = 15 (family caregivers of patients with multiple chronic conditions). | Descriptive exploratory qualitative study, in-depth semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, purposive sample, content analysis | To explore the experiences of family caregivers of transitional care in diabetes with concurrent chronic conditions |