Exploring how healthcare professionals in burn aftercare approach self-management support for burn survivors: A qualitative, grounded theory study

OBJECTIVES: To explore how healthcare professionals in burn aftercare approach self-management support for burn survivors.

METHODS: An inductive, interpretative qualitative approach was used, with interviews conducted with all six burn physicians, all six burn aftercare nurses/nurse specialists, two occupational therapists, and two medical psychologists providing aftercare in the three specialized burn centres in the Netherlands. Data were analysed using a constant comparative approach to construct a middle-range theoretical model.

RESULTS: The findings show significant variation in how healthcare professionals approach self-management support, and our middle-range theoretical model illustrates that professionals navigate roles and responsibilities between themselves and burn survivors, as well as between themselves and other disciplines within the multidisciplinary team. This navigation is shaped by three subcategories: (1) the challenge professionals face in recognising burn survivors' support needs after burn centre discharge, (2) the struggle in managing complex and often ambiguous boundaries of their tasks and duties, and (3) how professionals contend with unclear team roles, misaligned goals, and lack of time.

CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals vary in their approaches to self-management support; this variation is related to how they interpret and navigate roles and responsibilities.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To aid healthcare professionals in providing self-management support, it may help to offer guidance in recognising patients' needs after discharge, guidance in managing responsibilities, well-defined team roles, aligned care and self-management goals, and sufficient time to deliver support.