Continuity of Care

About Continuity of Care

The research platform «Continuity of Care» at Lovisenberg Diaconal University College was established during spring 2020 with an aim to produce sustainable knowledge of relevance for patients and their relatives, healthcare- professionals and organisations, regardless of context, as well as for higher education. A second aim is to establish a programmatic research environment with several coordinated research projects aiming to achieve an overarching goal, in this regard to improve Continuity of Care.

Our research departs from theoretical and methodological frameworks the development of research designs that ensure research relevance, add value to the research, and ensure research quality.

Theoretical framework

The present knowledge base regarding the concept of continuity within health service and nursing research reflects fragmented evidence whilst also highlighting an interchangeable use of different concepts such as transitional care, integrated care, coordinated care and continuity of care. At present Freeman and colleagues (2000; 2002) are those offering the most comprehensive definition of continuity of care (Box 2). Their definition is yet to be explored and tested but it will initially offer a solid departure base for the research platform’s unifying concept of continuity (or discontinuity). Considering the present evidence concerning the operationalisation and definition of Continuity of Care, each unique research project is therefore expected to, within its project design, to succinctly articulate its specific and wider contribution to the concept of Continuity of Care within health service research, nursing, nursing education and nursing research.

Methodological frameworks

The projects within the platform will depart from a set of strategical frameworks of importance for the development of sustainable research (Table 2). Using a set of strategic methodological frameworks will assure that effectiveness and usability aspects are strong parts of our projects’ design. Each project will be designed with a strong external, but unique relation, to the programmatic research platforms overarching and unifying core concept i.e., Continuity of Care. Amalgamating projects around the core concept will support the development of a knowledge loop (learn, create, share, and learn again) regarding the concept per se, whilst it also will contribute to a sustainable knowledge development with health service research, with the specific focus on nursing and nursing science, and the individual topics in foci.

References:

1. Freeman, G, Shepperd, S, Robinson, I, Ehrich, K, Richards, S (2000). Continuity of Care: Report of a Scoping Exercise for the SDO Programme of NHS R&D. National Co-ordinating Centre for Service Delivery and Organisation: London.

2. Freeman, G, Weaver, T, Low, J, de Jonge, E, Crawford, M (2002). Promoting Continuity of Care for People with Severe Mental Illness whose Needs Span Primary, Secondary and Social Care. National Co-ordinating Centre for Service Delivery and Organisation: London.

3. Skivington K, Matthews L, Simpson SA, Craig P, Baird J, Blazeby JM, et al. A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance. BMJ. 2021;374:n2061. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n2061

4. Gray R, Brasier C, Zirnsak T-M, Ng AH. Reporting of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in clinical trials published in nursing science journals: a descriptive study. Res Involv Engagem. 2021;7(1):88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-021-00331-9

5. EViR Ensuring Value in Research. Southampton: EViR; 2022: https://evir.org

Members

The platform is currently led by Professor Edith Roth Gjevjon in close collaboration with Professor Gunilla Borglin and Professor Siren Eriksen. The three professors are principal investigators PhD projects within the platform.

There are three research fellows associated with the platform:

International collaboration and networks

The Nordic Researcher Group “Continuity & Quality of Care”

As part of LDH’s investment in a platform for research, a formalised collaboration with Karlstad University (KAU) was established early 2021. At present the collaboration between LDH and KAU comprises four PhD students, three employed by LDH and one by KAU. The Nordic Researcher group currently consists of the PhD students’ supervisors. The LDH-KAU collaboration is programmatic and founded on theoretical frameworks (Continuity of Care and Quality of Care) and methodological frameworks. (see Table 2). We work vertically within each PhD project and horizontally across supervisor teams to further strengthen the knowledge base on continuity and quality of care within health services, nursing and nursing education.

European Academy of Nursing Science (EANS)

All of our PhD students currently attend the European Academy of Nursing Science’s (EANS) Summer School, a three-year summer school for European PhD students within nursing. Several of the memes of the Nordic Researcher Group have been students, and/or teachers, are members as well as board member of EANS. In 2023 LDH hosted the EANS Summer School and Conference. The members of the research platform planned, coordinated, and organised these events, see video.

Publications

Nordaunet, O. M., Gjevjon, E. R., Olsson, C., Aagaard, H., & Borglin, G. (2024). What about the fundamentals of nursing—its interventions and its continuity among older people in need of home- or facility-based care: a scoping review. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 59. doi:10.1186/s12912-023-01675-1

Nordaunet, O.M., Gjevjon E.R, Olsson, C., Aagaard, H. & Borglin, G. (2023). How Nursing Care and Models of Care are Described and Understood in Relation to Older Peoples Basic Care Needs and Continuity of Long-term Care: A Scoping Review Protocol. BMJ Open 2023;13:e069798. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069798

Overen, C. K., Larsson, M., Hillestad, A. H., & Eriksen, S. (2022). Process of pain assessment in people with dementia living in nursing homes: a scoping review protocol. BMJ open, 12(9), e063230. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063230

Flyum, I. R., Gjevjon, E. R., Josse-Eklund, A., Lærum-Onsager, E., & Borglin, G. (2022). Nursing, frailty, functional decline and models of care in relation to older people receiving long-term care: a scoping review protocol. BMJ open, 12(8), e061303. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061303

Sandberg K., Olsson, C., Gjevjon, E.R. & Borglin, G. (2022). Nursing care and models of care in relation to older people in long-term care contexts: A scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 2022;12:e064610. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064610

Borglin, Gunilla; Eriksen, Siren; Olsson, Cecilia; Gjevjon, Edith Roth (2022). Strategiske grep for å designe og produsere bærekraftig forskning. Sykepleien,110(90602). doi: 10.4220/Sykepleiens.2022.90602

Borglin, Gunilla; Eriksen, Siren; Olsson, Cecilia; Gjevjon, Edith Roth (2022). Bare 15 prosent av forskningen er direkte nyttig. Sykepleien, 110(05) s. 86-88. URL: https://sykepleien.no/meninger/2022/12/bare-15-prosent-av-forskningen-er-direkte-nyttig