Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Associate Professor Karin Bergkvist, Uppsala University
- Second opponent: Professor II Simen Steindal, VID Specialized University
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Lisbeth Thoresen, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Associate Professor Anders Dahm, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Senior Consultant Anders Eivind Myhre, Oslo University Hospital
Summary
Home-based models, including Hospital at Home (HaH), aims to substitute traditional hospitalisation by delivering hospital-level care to patients at home. The models address challenges related to population growth, rising healthcare costs, and limited resources, while also aiming to enhance patients’ experiences during illness and treatment. HaH has increased globally, including in haematology and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, there is limited research concerning the subjective experiences with home-based models.
This thesis contains three studies with a qualitative research design, using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis to identify themes across the collected data. Haematology patients and family caregivers were interviewed individually about their experiences with HaH following HSCT. Patients’ experiences were explored in Study I, family caregivers’ experiences were examined in Study II, and their perceptions of safety in HaH were investigated in Study III.
Findings revealed several advantages of participating in HaH. Patients experienced an improved recovery process compared to in the hospital, highlighting living closer to normal with their family. Additionally, they valued the home environment with easy kitchen access, enhancing their appetite, and more space for activity.
Caregivers appreciated participation as it allowed them to support their family member during the treatment process. They gained better insight into what the patient was experiencing, and felt more included as a resource than in hospitals.
Both patient and family caregivers found HaH to be safe, reassured by the predictable, close follow-up provided by qualified healthcare professionals. Findings demonstrate benefits from participating, suggesting HaH can be an attractive alternative to traditional hospitalisation.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.