Deconstructing dementia and delirium hospital practice: using cultural historical activity theory to inform education approaches

Abstract

Older patients with dementia and delirium receive suboptimal hospital care. Policy calls for more effective education to address this though there is little consensus on what this entails. The purpose of this clarification study is to explore how practice gaps are constructed in relation to managing the confused hospitalised older patient. The intent is to inform educational processes in the work-place beyond traditional approaches such as training. Adopting grounded theory as a research method and working within a social constructionist paradigm we explored the practice gaps of 15 healthcare professionals by interview and conducted five focus groups with patients, carers and Liaison mental health professionals. Data were thematically analysed by constant comparison and theoretical sampling was undertaken until saturation reached. Categories were identified and pragmatic concepts developed grounded within the data. Findings were then further analysed using cultural historical activity theory as a deductive lens. Practice gaps in relation to managing the confused older patient are determined by factors operating at individual (knowledge and skill gaps, personal philosophy, task based practice), team (leadership, time and ward environmental factors) and organisational (power relationships, dominance of medical model, fragmentation of care services) levels. Conceptually, practice appeared to be influenced by socio-cultural ward factors and compounded by a failure to join up existing "patient" knowledge amongst professionals. Applying cultural historical activity theory to further illuminate the findings, the central object is defined as learning about the patient and the mediating artifacts are the care relationships. The overarching medical dominance emerges as an important cultural historical factor at play and staff rules and divisions of labour are exposed. Lastly key contradictions and tensions in the system that work against learning about the patient are identified. Cultural historical activity theory can be used to advance understanding of practice gaps in order to develop a broader transformative approach to dementia and delirium practice and education. Structural changes at an individual, team and systems level resulting from this novel understanding of practice complexity are proposed. Contradictions can be used as foci for expansive learning. Lastly, interprofessional education (formal and informal) is advocated to further knotwork and improve the care of the older confused patient.

Informed Consent to Research with Cognitively Impaired Adults: Transdisciplinary Challenges and Opportunities

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Using a general theory of implementation to plan the introduction of delirium prevention for older people in hospital

“…Fragmented practices were associated with disciplinary work silos and reinforced by documents that were designed and used solely by nurses. Fragmentation of health services has been identified as a key barrier to the holistic approach to practice required by older patients at risk of developing delirium (Teodorczuk, Mukaetova-Ladinska, Corbett, & Welfare, 2015). Bringing frontline staff and managers together to reshape practices, review adequacy of current forms and policies, and secure adequate resources may address the risks of fragmented practice (Godfrey et al, 2013;Mudge et al, 2015).…”

The Future Hospital: a blueprint for effective delirium care

“…17 Previous qualitative research has identified that the central object of care in terms of managing the delirious patient is to learn about the patient at all levels (individual, ward and systems). 18 Frequent moves undermine this and thereby will inevitably compromise the care of the delirious patient as staff inevitably lose key knowledge as a result of moves between wards. Therefore, it is vital that those with delirium, or those at high risk of developing it, are highlighted as inappropriate candidates for boarding and are only moved if it is deemed absolutely essential for their clinical care.…”