Trust building in a Norwegian municipal acute ward
B Gjerstad, SI Nødland, IL Teig - Journal of health organization and …, 2020 - emerald.com
B Gjerstad, SI Nødland, IL Teig
Journal of health organization and management, 2020•emerald.comPurpose Trust plays an important role in the organisation of healthcare services. In Norway,
the establishment of mandatory municipal acute wards with 24 h inpatient services
introduces a new unit into the healthcare system. This article discusses how this new health
care service succeeds in building trust with patients and among healthcare workers.
Design/methodology/approach The article is an in-depth case study of a single, exemplary
inter-municipal acute ward. The study draws on interviews with COPD patients, the leader …
the establishment of mandatory municipal acute wards with 24 h inpatient services
introduces a new unit into the healthcare system. This article discusses how this new health
care service succeeds in building trust with patients and among healthcare workers.
Design/methodology/approach The article is an in-depth case study of a single, exemplary
inter-municipal acute ward. The study draws on interviews with COPD patients, the leader …
Purpose
Trust plays an important role in the organisation of healthcare services. In Norway, the establishment of mandatory municipal acute wards with 24 h inpatient services introduces a new unit into the healthcare system. This article discusses how this new health care service succeeds in building trust with patients and among healthcare workers.
Design/methodology/approach
The article is an in-depth case study of a single, exemplary inter-municipal acute ward. The study draws on interviews with COPD patients, the leader and doctors at the ward. The study also includes observations of daily work at the municipal acute ward. Moreover, administrators and healthcare workers at related healthcare institutions have been interviewed. Data were analysed using a qualitative method.
Findings
The study reveals that trust is built in complex relations and that it has both individual and systemic factors. The practices employed in the daily treatment and care of patients and in encounters between health care personnel and patients are important trust-building processes; however, these processes depend on structures and routines that promote efficient and adequate inter-organisational communication and patient-oriented procedures.
Practical implications
The study provides insight into how trust dynamics work on multiple organisational levels and how they depend on both individual and systemic factors. Additionally, the study may provide a picture of the importance of trust in organising healthcare services in the future.
Originality/value
Lessons regarding trust building inspired by data from a case-study care institution can be applied in different care settings and countries.
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