Healthcare Consumers' Need for Brain-injury Services: The Critical Importance of Timing in Planning Future Services

作者：O'Callaghan Anna^*; McAllister Lindy; Wilson Linda

来源：Brain Impairment, 2012, 13(3): 316-332.

DOI：10.1017/BrImp.2012.26

• rehabilitation
• consumers' preferences
• best practice
• timing

Developing an awareness of the preferences of healthcare consumers is essential in determining the 'reality' of service provision, in planning the provision of brain-injury services and in service evaluation. Consumers should be given the opportunity to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the services they receive, offering their perceptions of barriers to service access, which could be removed once known. This article presents narratives of the healthcare journeys of three adults with a moderate to severe brain injury. The experiences of these participants were elicited through in-depth interviews. The aim of this article is to convey how the needs and experiences of adults with brain injury change throughout time, affecting their ability to access care over time. Previous research by the authors of this paper identified five factors that affect consumers' experiences of care: acceptance and readiness, support, advocacy, the right service at the right time and mismatched expectations. The fluidity and interaction of these factors through time is demonstrated in this article as facilitating and impeding access to services. The implications for clinicians in considering these factors when planning services for adults with moderate to severe brain injuries are explored.

• 出版日期2012-12