Going home from hospital - an appreciative inquiry study

Abstract

This paper reports on a project that involved a number of agencies and groups, including older people, working together to examine and develop practice in an area of shared concern -- going home from hospital. The project was stimulated by a 'whole-system event', and was based on appreciative inquiry (AI) methodology, which has roots in both action research and organisational development. In AI, the research is directed towards appreciating what it is about the social world that is positive, and exploring this. The study was planned around three workshops to streamline data collection and analysis. Group members were also required to carry out some activities between workshops. Invitations were sent out to groups and individuals previously identified as involved or interested in the discharge process across one health district (n = 71). Workshop one discussed the planned research schedule, and introduced the basic concepts of AI. This workshop also took participants through the interview process. Each participant was asked to undertake two interviews. Thirty-five individual interviews and one focus group were completed. At workshop two, interview data were analysed by the group using the nominal group technique. Subsequent group discussion produced 'provocative propositions'. At the third workshop, provocative propositions were developed into action plans. This paper gives an overview of the study, and explores some of the issues involved when working with service users and providers as co-researchers.

Collaboration between doctors and nurses in children's cancer care: Insights from a European project

“…The focus on positive rather than negative and critical analysis, created a framework which provided fresh thinking and stimulus for dealing with the expected and the inevitable problems encountered. In fact, discussing strengths rather than problems seemed to minimize resistance, thus rendering an easier dialogue among members of teams (Reed et al, 2002).…”

“…The capacity to bring about a change is, in fact, often only mediated by considering the different roles and power bases in organizations (Reed et al, 2002).…”

Research Integration Using Dialogue Methods

“…The researchers responsible for this process (Reed et al 2002) reported that most of the participants were pleased with the appreciative inquiry process to which they had contributed. They pointed out, though, some of its limitations, including the perception that it ignored problems (by focusing on the positives), the challenges to the evaluation of the process and the fact that (on this occasion) the quality of the action plans was adversely affected owing to the limited participation in the process by high-level decision makers.…”

“…Appreciative inquiry was used to bring together people from 37 agencies who were concerned about this problem (Reed et al 2002). It involved clarifying agency personnel visions for better hospital discharge experiences for older people and developing action plans to help turn these visions into reality.…”

“…• Interviewers asked people to tell them about a time when they felt that a hospital discharge had gone well • Interviewers then asked probing questions to explore what people had valued about their contribution to that discharge experience and what they felt had helped them to contribute • Interviewees were asked to imagine that a miracle had occurred overnight that had helped discharges to go well every time (Reed et al 2002).…”