An Exploration of Family Centred Care (FCC) in UK Inpatient Wards
Recruiting now
Conditions studied: Nursing, Family Centered Care, Ethics Nursing, Family Nursing
In brief
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.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07740369
- Run by
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- People needed
- 30
- Starts
- 2026-07-24
- Expected to finish
- 2028-06-30
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-07-31
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
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)
Where it is running
- Milton Keynes University Hospital — Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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