An Exploration of Family Centred Care (FCC) in UK Inpatient Wards

The observational study model is a cross-sectional, multi-perspective qualitative interview design involving patients, family members and registered nurses.

This is a single-centre, multi-perspective qualitative study examining how family-centred care is understood and implemented in adult internal medicine wards at Milton Keynes University Hospital. The study focuses on the ethical and cultural tensions that may arise when family involvement intersects with patient autonomy, privacy, informed consent, clinical judgement and nurses' professional responsibilities under the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code.

A purposive sampling approach will be used to obtain perspectives from patients, family members and registered nurses. Data will be collected through individual semi-structured interviews conducted face to face, by telephone or by video call, according to participant preference. The interview guide will use open-ended questions informed by the literature, subject-matter expertise and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement. Interviews will be audio-recorded with consent and transcribed verbatim.

Interview data will be analysed thematically using the Braun and Clarke framework. The analysis will follow an inductive and constructivist approach and will include familiarisation with the data, coding, development and review of themes, and definition of the final thematic structure. This approach is intended to capture differences and similarities between the perspectives of patients, relatives and nurses and to identify recurring ethical, cultural and practical issues associated with family involvement in inpatient care.

Audio recordings and transcripts will be handled in accordance with Milton Keynes University Hospital data protection and research governance requirements. Transcripts will be anonymised, and names, wards, departments, places of work and other potentially identifying details will be removed or changed where possible. Identifiable information will be stored separately from research data on secure NHS systems. Audio recordings will be deleted at the end of the study.

Anonymised findings from the UK study will be compared with findings from an identical study being undertaken at Rabin Medical Centre-Beilinson Hospital in Israel. The comparison will explore how different cultural and value-based contexts, particularly individualist and collectivist perspectives, may influence family-centred care. No identifiable participant information will be shared with the Israeli research team. The study is intended to support the development of a conceptual understanding of family-centred care and practical communication approaches for culturally sensitive nursing practice.

Inclusion criteria

Age:

• 18 years or older

Role: Must fall into one of the following categories:

• A patient admitted to an internal medicine ward
• A family member of a patient admitted to an internal medicine ward
• A registered nurse working on an internal medicine ward

Capacity:

• Able and willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Are under 18 years of age
• Are unable to provide informed consent
• Are unable to participate in study interviews (e.g., due to cognitive, linguistic, or medical limitations)