Qualitative health research
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Observational Study
The Patient's Situation During Interhospital Intensive Care Unit-to-Unit Transfers: A Hermeneutical Observational Study.
Interhospital intensive care unit-to-unit transfers are an increasing phenomenon, earlier mainly studied from a patient safety perspective. Using data from video recordings and participant observations, the aim was to explore and interpret the observed nature of the patient's situation during interhospital intensive care unit-to-unit transfers. ⋯ The patient's situation can be viewed as an involuntary journey, one where the patient exists in a constantly changing space drifting in and out of the health personnel's attention and where movements from the journey become part of the patient's body. Interhospital transfers of vulnerable patients emerge as a complex task, challenging the health personnel's ability to maintain a caring atmosphere around these patients.