Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34011321›Full record

Observational studyBMC health services research2021

Understanding what matters most to patients in acute care in seven countries, using the flash mob study design.

Eva S van den Ende, Bo Schouten, Marjolein N T Kremers, Tim Cooksley, Chris P Subbe, Immo Weichert, Louise S van Galen, Harm R Haak, John Kellett, Jelmer Alsma and 13 more

Erratum issuedAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC health services research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 20 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing 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

20 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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  5. Observational
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  9. Hospital 4Ms: Documentation and association with patient characteristics.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2025
    Article
  10. Observational
  11. Article
  12. 'None of Them Know Me': A Qualitative Study of the Implications of Locum Doctor Working for Patient Experience.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Eva S van den Ende *Section of Acute Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, ZH, The Netherlands.
Bo Schouten *Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Marjolein N T KremersDepartment of Health Services Research, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Aging and Long Term Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Tim CooksleyDepartment of Acute Medicine, University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Chris P SubbeDepartment of Acute Medicine, Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital, Bangor, UK.
Immo WeichertDepartment of Acute Medicine, Ipswich Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, UK.
Louise S van GalenSection of Acute Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, ZH, The Netherlands.
Harm R HaakDepartment of Health Services Research, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Aging and Long Term Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
John KellettDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of South West Jutland, Esbjerg, Denmark.
Jelmer AlsmaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Victoria SiegristDepartment of Cognitive and Decision Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Mark HollandSection of Acute Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK.
Erika F ChristensenCenter for Prehospital and Emergency Research, Clinic of Internal and Emergency Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital and Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Colin A GrahamDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Ling Yan LeungDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Line E LaugesenDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of South West Jutland, Esbjerg, Denmark.
Hanneke MertenDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Fraz MirDepartment of Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Rachel M KidneyDepartment of Internal Medicine, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Mikkel Brabrand *Department of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of South West Jutland, Esbjerg, Denmark.
Prabath W B Nanayakkara *Section of Acute Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, ZH, The Netherlands. p.nanayakkara@amsterdamumc.nl.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1555-3682
Christian H Nickel *Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
all local collaborators

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTruly patient-centred care needs to be aligned with what patients consider important, and is highly desirable in the first 24 h of an acute admission, as many decisions are made during this period. However, there is limited knowledge on what matters most to patients in this phase of their hospital stay. The objective of this study was to identify what mattered most to patients in acute care and to assess the patient perspective as to whether their treating doctors were aware of this.

methodsThis was a large-scale, qualitative, flash mob study, conducted simultaneously in sixty-six hospitals in seven countries, starting November 14th 2018, ending 50 h later. One thousand eight hundred fifty adults in the first 24 h of an acute medical admission were interviewed on what mattered most to them, why this mattered and whether they felt the treating doctor was aware of this.

resultsThe most reported answers to "what matters most (and why)?" were 'getting better or being in good health' (why: to be with family/friends or pick-up life again), 'getting home' (why: more comfortable at home or to take care of someone) and 'having a diagnosis' (why: to feel less anxious or insecure). Of all patients, 51.9% felt the treating doctor did not know what mattered most to them.

conclusionsThe priorities for acutely admitted patients were ostensibly disease- and care-oriented and thus in line with the hospitals' own priorities. However, answers to why these were important were diverse, more personal, and often related to psychological well-being and relations. A large group of patients felt their treating doctor did not know what mattered most to them. Explicitly asking patients what is important and why, could help healthcare professionals to get to know the person behind the patient, which is essential in delivering patient-centred care.

trial registrationNTR (Netherlands Trial Register) NTR7538 .

Indexed as

HospitalizationResearch DesignAdultHumansLength of StayNetherlandsQualitative ResearchAcute careEmergency medicinePatient-centred carePatient-physician communicationQuality of careResearch methodsWhat matters most

Identifiers

PMID34011321
PMCPMC8132421

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.