Information sharing with rural family caregivers during care transitions of hip fracture patients

INTRODUCTION: Following hip fracture surgery, patients often experience multiple transitions through different care settings, with resultant challenges to the quality and continuity of patient care. Family caregivers can play a key role in these transitions, but are often poorly engaged in the process. We aimed to: (1) examine the characteristics of the family caregivers' experience of communication and information sharing and (2) identify facilitators and barriers of effective information sharing among patients, family caregivers and health care providers. METHODS: Using an ethnographic approach, we followed 11 post-surgical hip fracture patients through subsequent care transitions in rural Ontario; in-depth interviews were conducted with patients, family caregivers (n = 8) and health care providers (n = 24). RESULTS: Priority areas for improved information sharing relate to trust and respect, involvement, and information needs and expectations; facilitators and barriers included prior health care experience, trusting relationships and the rural setting. CONCLUSION: As with knowledge translation, effective strategies to improve information sharing and care continuity for older patients with chronic illness may be those that involve active facilitation of an on-going partnership that respects the knowledge of all those involved.