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Shadowing patients at the end of life

Joanna Goodrich, Damien Ridge, Tina Cartwright 14 September 2020 Evidence

The aim of this study was to explore the acceptability of patient shadowing for healthcare staff, the impact of the experience and subsequent motivations to make improvements.

Topics and programmes

Quality ImprovementSupporting health and care staffPatient Experience Programme OLDPatient Experience programme

‘As soon as you’ve been there, it makes it personal’: The experience of healthcare staff shadowing patients at the end of life.

Patient shadowing is an experiential technique intended to enable those who shadow to understand care experience from the patient’s point of view. It is used in quality improvement to bring about change that focuses on what is important for patients.The aim of this study was to explore the acceptability of patient shadowing for healthcare staff, the impact of the experience and subsequent motivations to make improvements. The study shows that with the right preparation and support, patient shadowing is a technique that engages and motivates healthcare staff to improve patient‐centred care.

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