The patient's perspective of care coordination

Background: Patient care coordination is done to reduce inappropriate demand on healthcare services, and to alleviate the burden of care for patients, and their carers. The patient perspective of the services of a care coordinator has rarely been reported.

Aims: To report the experience of patients receiving care coordination via a primary-care based, care coordination program.

Method: Patients were recruited to this study until thematic saturation of semi-structured interviews was reached. They had all received, or were receiving, care coordination in Tasmania in 2013-2014.

Results: Seven interview themes were identified. They were (1) the universality of patient multimorbidty, usually associated with cognitive impairment; (2) patient prioritisation of practical and psychological support from a care coordinator; (3) patient perception that the care coordinator made a difference to the support received, and (4) assisted with the exchange of information with other care providers. However, patients identified that (5) written material left with them was of dubious use. Patients wanted their care coordinator to be (6) patient-centred, empathic and persistent. Patients thought an ideal care coordination program should (7) promote relational continuity of care with their care coordinator, not try to deliver too much at once, deliver what is promised, and liaise closely with the patient’s GP. These themes will be presented using May et al’s ‘burden of treatment theory’.

Conclusion: From a patient’s perspective the work of a care coordinator can help to alleviate the burden of treatment for patients but this is contingent on 1) aspects of the program under which the care coordinator is employed, and 2) the personal attributes, and the activities of the care coordinator.