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Table 1 Data analysis

From: Health professional perspectives on systems failures in transitional care for patients with dementia and their carers: a qualitative descriptive study

Analytic Strategy

Findings/Themes

Coding and recording reflections on data transcripts

2 Perspectives:

1 Acute care perspective (pre discharge, ONE public tertiary facility).

2 Primary care/RACF perspective (post discharge, from multiple acute care facilities).

Sorting data to identify topics

Topics: Discharge planning, cognitive impairment, carer involvement, communication and information, assessment, safety, discharge summaries, documentation, medications, post discharge services needed, key people for communication, multidisciplinary, carer needs, GP needs, RACF needs, PWD exacerbations in acute care, pressure on staff, time, expectations, Webster packs, discontinuity of care, access to services, insufficient information, outcomes

Identify categories and themes

Four main themes identified:

1 Discharging PWD – The Process (not reported in this paper)

2 Barriers to effective discharge planning for PWD and their carers

3 Transitional Care process failures and associated outcomes for PWD

4 Factors that would facilitate effective transitional care for PWD (not reported in this paper)

Identifying commonalities and differences among data

Commonalities: Complexity, variation in processes, multiple key stakeholders, patient safety, tensions between health staff in acute and community settings.

Differences: Acute care HP and Community Care HP Perspectives about transitional care for PWD and their carers.

Deciding groups and generalisations that are true for the data

1 Contrasting Pre and post discharge perspectives (Acute care vs Community health professionals)

2 Processes and stakeholders needs are variable and complex

3 Barriers to continuity of care occur in acute and community settings

4 Transitional care process frequently fails and results in poor outcomes for PWD and their carers

Examining generalisations in the light of existing knowledge

Consideration of results in comparison with previous studies.