title: Information sharing with rural family caregivers during care transitions of hip fracture patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Following hip fracture surgery, patients often experience multiple transitions through different care settings, with resultant challenges to the quality and continuity of patient care. Family caregivers can play a key role in these transitions, but are often poorly engaged in the process. We aimed to: (1) examine the characteristics of the family caregivers' experience of communication and information sharing and (2) identify facilitators and barriers of effective information sharing among patients, family caregivers and health care providers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an ethnographic approach, we followed 11 post-surgical hip fracture patients through subsequent care transitions in rural Ontario; in-depth interviews were conducted with patients, family caregivers (n = 8) and health care providers (n = 24).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Priority areas for improved information sharing relate to trust and respect, involvement, and information needs and expectations; facilitators and barriers included prior health care experience, trusting relationships and the rural setting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As with knowledge translation, effective strategies to improve information sharing and care continuity for older patients with chronic illness may be those that involve active facilitation of an on-going partnership that respects the knowledge of all those involved.
authors: School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
authors: Jacobi
authors: J
authors: Elliott
authors: Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors: Dorothy
authors: D
authors: Forbes
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Canada.
authors: Bert M
authors: BM
authors: Chesworth
authors: Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Ceci
authors: School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Stolee
keywords: continuity of care; ethnography; family caregivers; hip fracture; rural health care