Engagement in the Ambulatory Care Unit 2018

The aim was to understand if anything needs improving in terms of the patient’s experience. We can therefore make suggestions that might support an improved understanding among the public about what Ambulatory Care looks like in practice

What is Ambulatory Care

Ambulatory Care – care provided by specialist team from local hospital but patients stays at home. This is not out-patient care but rather something like a virtual ward with a full hospital clinical service, but without the ‘hoteling’ element of a hospital stay.

What did we ask people? 

What they think of the idea of having a home-ward/virtual ward option.

• What do people see as being the benefits of such a model.
• What concerns might people have about such a model and how could these concerns be addressed.
• What specific features would people like to see in a home-ward / virtual ward service eg, what level /frequency/type of contact with hospital staff, what information/instructions would people need to help make the set-up work/help people trust the set-up, what equipment and supplies might people need, what personal support and supervision would people need, what would people find comforting/upsetting/irritating in such a set up.
• What should we call this type of set up to help people understand what it is and how it works