Managing intravenous medications in the non-hospital setting: an ethnographic investigation.
Little published information exists about the issues involved in conducting complex intravenous medication therapy in patients' homes. An ethnographic study of a local hospital-in-the-home program in the Australian Capital Territory explored this phenomenon to identify those factors that had an impact on the use of medicine in the home environment. This article focuses on one of the three themes identified in the study-Clinical Practice. Within this theme, topics related to the organization and management of intravenous medications, geography and diversity of patient caseload, and communication in the practice setting are discussed. These findings have important implications for policy development and establishment of a research agenda for hospital-in-the-home services.
Gardner
Glenn
G
Research Centre for Nursing Practice, University of Canberra, Canberra Hospital, PO Box 11, Woden ACT 2606, Australia.
Gardner
Anne
A
Morley
Greg
G
Watson
D Ashley R
DA
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D020958:Australian Capital Territory; D003142:Communication; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D018718:Home Infusion Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload