A Hospital Ethnography of Family Involvement in the Care of Hospitalized Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment

The investigators will use three complementary ethnographic approaches to achieve the study aims: direct observation (Aim 1); interviews with key informants (Aims 1 and 2); and analysis of artifacts such as policy documents related to visitation, care of cognitively impaired older adults, and family-centered care in the hospital (Aim 2).

AIM 1: To identify facilitators and barriers to family member involvement in the care of hospitalized older adults with cognitive impairment using in-context, semi-structured interviews and unobtrusive direct observation of patients, families, and healthcare workers. The investigators will employ participant observation and semi-structured interviews for each enrolled patient-family member dyad. For each dyad, the investigators will conduct two interviews, each lasting approximately 30-60 minutes. One interview will occur within 24 hours of admission ("entry interview") and one within 72 hours of discharge ("exit interview"). Both interviews will address how the participant (patient if able to contribute, and family member) perceive the family member in relation to the healthcare team and their experiences of involvement in care. Each dyadic patient/family interview will be conducted by the Principal Investigator or her delegate and digitally recorded, with the consent of participants, for subsequent transcription and analysis. In addition, three periods of direct observation will occur. Direct observations will focus on interactions between hospital staff, patients, and families, and what family members do during a patient's hospital stay. Observations will be recorded as field notes. Finally, the investigators will interview one to three healthcare workers (physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses) involved in the patient's care for each enrolled patient-family dyad. Healthcare worker interviews will take place either during the patient's hospitalization or within a week of the patient's discharge and may take place in person or remotely (phone or videoconference). Demographic and baseline data from the patient, family member, and healthcare workers that may affect family involvement will also be collected.

AIM 2: To understand hospital leadership perspectives on barriers to integration of family members into care for hospitalized older adult patients with cognitive impairment. For this aim, the investigators will conduct one-on-one interviews hospital leadership. After consent is obtained, study staff will conduct each interview using a semi-structured interview guide which queries topics on system-level facilitators and barriers to family involvement in the care of hospitalized older adults with cognitive impairment (e.g., visiting hour policies, rounding schedules). Aim 2 will also include an artifact analysis of policy documents related to visitation, care of cognitively impaired older adults, and family-centered care in the hospital.