Delivering psychosocial care and support in traumatic injury follow-up: A qualitative study of clinician's experiences.

Abstract

The purpose of trauma follow-up care after hospital discharge is to support patients with serious injuries recover to their fullest extent. Whilst the physical health of patients is a central focus of follow-up care, psychosocial support is described as challenging and inadequate, with few trauma follow-up services able to provide integrated psychosocial support inclusive of routine access to psychosocial experts. As trauma follow-up care within Australia and New Zealand (Australia and New Zealand) is predominantly provided by nursing and medical trauma clinicians, exploring how psychosocial care and support is provided by these clinicians is warranted. The broad aim of this qualitative study was to explore trauma clinicians' experiences in providing trauma follow-up care with this paper focusing on the provision of psychosocial care and support. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experiences of trauma clinicians in providing follow-up care after hospital discharge to patients who have experienced serious injury. Twenty participants were purposively selected from public hospitals throughout Australia and New Zealand who provided trauma follow-up care after hospital discharge. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive content analysis. Psychosocial care and support provided by trauma service clinicians during follow-up appointments to patients who have experienced serious injuries can be separated into three categories: (i) recognising the importance of psychosocial health after injury; (ii) components of psychosocial care which has three sub-categories of (a) comprehensive psychosocial care and support; (b) variability in assessment; (c) health care practitioner preparedness to provide psychosocial support; and (iii) access to psychological services. Trauma clinicians recognise the importance of providing psychosocial care and support to patients who experience serious injury. In the absence of routine access to expert psychosocial/psychological practitioners, trauma clinicians provided psychosocial support using a variety of approaches which results in disparities in how psychosocial care is provided to patients in Australia and New Zealand. Implementation of a standardised assessment to psychosocial health, in conjunction with an anticipatory framework to assist trauma clinicians in providing psychosocial care and support, may provide a partial solution, and reduce the incidence of psychosocial issues and improve an individual's quality of life following serious injury.