title: The experiences of family members in the nursing home to hospital transfer decision.
abstract: The objective of this study was to better understand the experiences of family members in the nursing home to hospital transfer decision making process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 family members who had recently been involved in a nursing home to hospital transfer decision.
  
  
  
  Family members perceived themselves to play an advocacy role in their resident's care and interview themes clustered within three over-arching categories: Family perception of the nursing home's capacity to provide medical care: Resident and family choices; and issues at 'hand-off' and the hospital. Multiple sub-themes were also identified.
  
  
  
  Findings from this study contribute to knowledge surrounding the nursing home transfer decision by illuminating the experiences of family members in the transfer decision process.
authors.affiliation: Purdue University School of Nursing, 502 N. University Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA. kaabraha@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abrahamson
authors.affiliation: Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.|Regenstrief Institute, Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Brittany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magnabosco
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Arif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazir
authors.affiliation: Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.|Regenstrief Institute, Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.|Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Unroe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011368:Professional-Family Relations / Q000941:ethics; D036301:Qualitative Research; D058996:Quality Improvement; D014481:United States