An Exploration of Family Centred Care (FCC) in UK Inpatient Wards
FCC
Balancing Family and Ethics: An Exploration of Family Centred Care in UK Inpatient Wards
4 other identifiers
observational
30
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This qualitative study will explore how family-centred care is understood and experienced in adult inpatient medical wards in the UK. Family-centred care involves including a patient's family in care and discussions where appropriate. Although family involvement can improve communication, emotional support and shared decision-making, it may also create ethical challenges where family wishes differ from the patient's preferences or clinical judgement. The study will recruit 30 adults at Milton Keynes University Hospital: 10 patients admitted to an internal medicine ward, 10 family members of patients admitted to an internal medicine ward and 10 registered nurses working on an internal medicine ward. Each participant will take part in one semi-structured interview lasting approximately 30-60 minutes, conducted face to face, by telephone or by video call. The study is based on the expectation that patients, family members and nurses may experience family involvement differently, and that cultural values may influence how family-centred care is applied in practice. The interviews will explore issues including privacy, informed consent, patient autonomy and decision-making. The UK findings will also be compared with findings from an identical study being conducted in Israel to examine how cultural and value-based contexts may affect family involvement in hospital care. The findings may help identify practical communication approaches for delivering culturally sensitive family-centred care while protecting patients' rights and supporting nurses' professional responsibilities.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at below P25 for all trials
Started Jul 2026
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
July 24, 2026
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
July 27, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
July 31, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
June 30, 2028
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
June 30, 2028
July 31, 2026
July 1, 2026
1.9 years
July 27, 2026
July 30, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Themes Describing Experiences and Perceptions of Family Involvement in Inpatient Care
Semi-structured interview transcripts will be analysed thematically using the Braun and Clarke framework. Themes and subthemes will describe how patients, family members and registered nurses perceive and experience family involvement in inpatient care, including the family's role, the perceived benefits and challenges of involvement, involvement in care and decision-making, and responses from nursing staff. This is a qualitative outcome and no numerical scale or score will be used.
At the participant's single study interview following enrolment. The interview timing relative to the relevant inpatient episode is not prespecified.
Secondary Outcomes (3)
Themes Describing Ethical Tensions Associated With Family Involvement in Inpatient Care
At the participant's single study interview following enrolment. The interview timing relative to the relevant inpatient episode is not prespecified.
Themes Describing Cultural Influences on Expectations of Family Involvement
At the participant's single study interview following enrolment. The interview timing relative to the relevant inpatient episode is not prespecified.
Themes Describing Nursing Communication and Management of Family Involvement
At the participant's single study interview following enrolment. The interview timing relative to the relevant inpatient episode is not prespecified.
Study Arms (3)
Patients
Patients admitted to an internal medicine ward
Carers
Family members of patients admitted to an internal medicine ward
Professionals
Registered nurses working on an internal medicine ward
Interventions
Each participant will complete one individual semi-structured interview lasting approximately 30-60 minutes. Interviews will be conducted face to face, by telephone or by video call according to participant preference. Open-ended questions will explore experiences and views of family involvement in inpatient care, including issues relating to privacy, informed consent, patient autonomy and decision-making. With consent, interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants may decline to answer any question or stop the interview at any time.
Eligibility Criteria
Participants will be selected from adult inpatient medical wards at Milton Keynes University Hospital. The study population will comprise 3 groups: patients receiving inpatient medical care, family members involved in the care of patients admitted to these wards, and registered nurses working within the same clinical setting. Participants will be recruited using purposive sampling to obtain relevant perspectives on family involvement in inpatient care, nursing practice and associated ethical and cultural issues. Recruitment will take place through clinical teams, nursing leads and study advertisements displayed in relevant patient and staff areas.
You may qualify if:
- Age:
- \- 18 years or older
- Role: Must fall into one of the following categories:
- A patient admitted to an internal medicine ward
- A family member of a patient admitted to an internal medicine ward
- A registered nurse working on an internal medicine ward
- Capacity:
- \- Able and willing to provide informed consent
You may not qualify if:
- Are under 18 years of age
- Are unable to provide informed consent
- Are unable to participate in study interviews (e.g., due to cognitive, linguistic, or medical limitations)
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Milton Keynes University Hospital
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 5LD, United Kingdom
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- observational
- Observational Model
- OTHER
- Time Perspective
- CROSS SECTIONAL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER GOV
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
July 27, 2026
First Posted
July 31, 2026
Study Start
July 24, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
June 30, 2028
Study Completion (Estimated)
June 30, 2028
Last Updated
July 31, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-07
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
There is no plan to make individual participant data publicly available to other researchers. The study involves qualitative interview data that may contain detailed contextual information, and access will therefore be limited to the study team in accordance with the approved protocol and participant consent. Anonymised data may be shared with the named research team conducting the corresponding study in Israel for the planned comparative analysis, but this is not a general IPD-sharing arrangement.