Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32430447›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2020

Maximising comfort: how do patients describe the care that matters? A two-stage qualitative descriptive study to develop a quality improvement framework for comfort-related care in inpatient settings.

Cynthia Wensley, Mari Botti, Ann McKillop, Alan F Merry

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Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed.

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  2. Effectiveness of smartphone-based virtual reality relaxation (SVR) for enhancing comfort in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Cynthia WensleySchool of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand c.wensley@auckland.ac.nz.ORCID 0000-0002-6224-7514
Mari BottiCentre for Quality and Patient Safety Research - Epworth HealthCare Partnership, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
Ann McKillopSchool of Nursing, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Alan F MerryFaculty of Medical & Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo develop a multidimensional framework representing patients' perspectives on comfort to guide practice and quality initiatives aimed at improving patients' experiences of care.

designTwo-stage qualitative descriptive study design. Findings from a previously published synthesis of 62 studies (stage 1) informed data collection and analysis of 25 semistructured interviews (stage 2) exploring patients' perspectives of comfort in an acute care setting.

settingCardiac surgical unit in New Zealand.

participantsCulturally diverse patients in hospital undergoing heart surgery. MAIN OUTCOMES: A definition of comfort. The Comfort ALways Matters (CALM) framework describing factors influencing comfort.

resultsComfort is transient and multidimensional and, as defined by patients, incorporates more than the absence of pain. Factors influencing comfort were synthesised into 10 themes within four inter-related layers: patients' personal (often private) strategies; the unique role of family; staff actions and behaviours; and factors within the clinical environment.

conclusionsThese findings provide new insights into what comfort means to patients, the care required to promote their comfort and the reasons for which doing so is important. We have developed a definition of comfort and the CALM framework, which can be used by healthcare leaders and clinicians to guide practice and quality initiatives aimed at maximising comfort and minimising distress. These findings appear applicable to a range of inpatient populations. A focus on comfort by individuals is crucial, but leadership will be essential for driving the changes needed to reduce unwarranted variability in care that affects comfort.

Indexed as

InpatientsQuality ImprovementHumansNew ZealandPatient ComfortQualitative Researchcomfortcompassionpatient experienceperson and family centred carequalitative researchquality in health care

Identifiers

PMID32430447
PMCPMC7239554

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.