Details that matter: Patients’ perspectives on meaningful care to enhance learning with, from, and about each other.

Background: Preparing healthcare professionals for future practice requires understanding patients’ perspectives on care quality. Since patients’ values concerning quality of care are formed within everyday care interactions, we aimed to explore how the interpersonal dynamics of situational care encounters shape patients’ care experiences, with the intention of creating learning opportunities within clinical encounters in the future. This study was conducted in collaboration with two patient co-researchers to ensure that the findings reflect lived experiences of care.

 

Approach: Between September 2024 and March 2025, we conducted a focused ethnography. The research took place at the Amalia Children's Hospital, in the general paediatric ward, neonatology, and the outpatient clinic. Nine patients (children, 0 – 21 years old) were observed during situational interactions with healthcare professionals to gain insight into direct healthcare experiences. In addition, we conducted eight in-depth interviews with parents and, where possible, with patients themselves to explore their perspectives in greater detail. The data was analysed thematically using an iterative approach inspired by grounded theory, with in vivo coding in Atlas.ti. For validation purposes, a member check was carried out with the Parent Advisory Council of the Amalia Children's Hospital.

 

Results: Children and their parents indicated that they wanted to feel truly seen and recognised, for example addressing questions directly to the child, using humour, or making personal comments. At the same time, there was a need for clarity and security, reinforced by a fixed healthcare professional who knows the child well, offers continuity in the treatment plan and can act as a trusted contact for questions, concerns or celebrating progress.

 

 For the feeling of an equal and reciprocal relationship, it was important that children and parents felt that their experiences were taken seriously and that there was mutual trust. It was helpful when healthcare professionals actively provided space to express emotions and offered support in dealing with them. Calmness on the part of the healthcare providers also proved to be essential, as it helped children and parents to calm down themselves and process the emotional strain of the hospital context. The results of this study underline the importance of interpersonal aspects in the experience of receiving paediatric care.

 

Implications:Our results suggest that meaningful paediatric care arises in small, everyday moments in which children and their parents feel recognised, safe, calm and equal. Subtle forms of interpersonal contact, such as eye contact, a compliment, a joke or a specific question, can directly influence the perceived quality of care.

 

This is in line with the framework of relationship-centred care, which describes how good care arises in the context of human relationships. It emphasises reciprocity, involvement and coordination between care professionals, patients and their loved ones, with the quality of the interaction and giving meaning together being central. We therefore recommend that (future) healthcare professionals consciously pay attention to interpersonal interactions that promote trust, recognition and a sense of equality, so that these can ultimately contribute to strengthening learning from, with and about each other.