User Involvement in Transition Care in Virtual 4‐Party Meetings
A Qualitative Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19506583 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ditte Høgsgaard (0000-0003-2752-881X, University of Southern Denmark, corresponding author), Janet Froulund Jensen (0000-0003-0021-6242, University of Southern Denmark), Heidi Myglegård Andersen (Department of Regional Health Research University of Southern Denmark Odense Denmark), Andersen Hr (University of Southern Denmark) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | e70566-e70566 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Health Expectations (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-6513 • E-ISSN: 1369-7625 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/hex.70566 |
| PMID | 41578895 |
| OpenAlex | W7125597974 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 29 |
BACKGROUND: Older adults with multimorbidity often experience fragmented transitional care between the hospital, primary care, and municipal services. Insufficient communication and limited user involvement can compromise safety, satisfaction, and continuity. To address these challenges, a structured cross-sectoral intervention, the Virtual 4-Party Meeting (V4M), was developed to enhance patient and family involvement in discharge planning. AIM: To explore how older adults with multimorbidity and their relatives experienced involvement in transitional care through V4M. METHODS: A qualitative hermeneutic design was applied. Eleven patients ( + 65 years) and their relatives participated in semi-structured interviews immediately after V4M and again 14 days post-discharge. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis within a Gadamerian hermeneutic framework. RESULTS: Three themes emerged: (1) Bridges between Systems. V4M reduced fragmentation and improved coordination through shared dialog; (2) A Relational Space of Alignment, the meetings created emotional safety and supported patient autonomy and relational understanding; and (3) Involvement and Responsibility are deeply interconnected. Meaningful involvement occurred when accountability was shared between patients, relatives, and professionals. CONCLUSION: V4M provided an effective model for integrating user involvement into transitional care by combining structural coordination with relational engagement. Patients and relatives felt acknowledged, informed, and reassured when professionals gained a clearer sense of shared responsibility. The study highlights that genuine user involvement depends on both emotional recognition and concrete accountability mechanisms across sectors. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Older adults with multimorbidity and their relatives contributed to the development of the V4M intervention. In this study, patients and relatives participated as interviewees but were not involved in data analysis or manuscript preparation
eHealth · Lived experience · MEDLINE · Qualitative analysis · Qualitative property · Qualitative research · Transition (genetics) · Chronic Disease Management Strategies · Heart Failure Treatment and Management · Interprofessional Education and Collaboration
The Care Transitions Intervention
The global burden of multiple chronic conditions
Patient Involvement in Health Care Decision Making
Deficits in Communication and Information Transfer Between Hospital-Based and Primary Care Physicians
Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (Coreq)
Engaging patients in designing a transmural allied health pathway
Transitional care decision‐making through the eyes of older people and informal caregivers
User experience and care for older people transitioning from hospital to home
Patient Involvement in Shared Decision-Making
Classical and Philosophical Hermeneutics
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |