J Burn Care Res. 2012 Aug 27. [Epub ahead of print]
Compassionate Care: The Burn Survivor's Perspective.
Source
From the College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
Abstract
Compassion is vital in burn care and some may consider its delivery a moral responsibility-a view supported by various healthcare professionals' codes of ethics. However, there is limited information about compassionate care in the burn literature. This study investigates the concept of compassionate care and how it is described by the burn survivor. A qualitative design with two focus groups at the World Burn Congress was used to examine views of compassionate care through 31 burn survivors' accounts to better understand the concept and its delivery within the context of burn care. Discussions were recorded, and transcripts were analyzed for prominent themes and descriptive components. Participants were primarily Caucasian (77%), female (60%), with an average age of 47.6 years and an average TBSA burn of approximately 49% sustained approximately 12 years previously. Qualitative data analysis yielded the primary themes of 1) respect the person, 2), communication, and 3) provision of competent care, with the first two categories additionally described by subcomponents. The three primary themes are all necessary to comprehensively describe compassionate care; it is not defined by a single characteristic, behavior, or skill but best understood as the convergence of the three themes. Challenges to the delivery of compassionate care despite its centrality in health care and ethical practice are also discussed. Considering the perspective of the burn survivor would assist in the provision of compassionate care.
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