The Seamless Communication on a Rural Island in Japan: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Healthcare Professionals
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Setting
2.2. Participants
2.3. Data Collection Method
2.4. Data Analysis
2.5. Ethical Considerations
3. Results
3.1. Collection and Communication of Information between Residents
3.1.1. Watching and Taking Care of Each Other Based on Close Relationships
“We look out for each other, asking questions such as ‘How is that old man?’ We have concern for one another because we have lived in the same island.”
“There tends to be a lot of people who get sick without us becoming aware, and at times, the community residents tend to know more about one another. The community is small enough for each person to know each other well, and quite often, islanders notice changes in the islanders’ conditions faster than we (HCPs) do.”
3.1.2. Residents Consulting Local Leaders
“The head of districts have to distribute local works for people who have lost their jobs and need money. So, they naturally step in-to a private situation.”
“She worked as the head of a district for more than 10 years. Thus, lots of residents trust and rely on her, and they still tell her some essential information.”
3.1.3. Presence of Potential Healthcare Human Resources
“All of us took care worker courses together back in the day. Even if it was not used for work, it helped in providing caregiving for our parents. I think it is also useful that there are some people with nursing qualifications.”
3.2. Communication of Information from Non-HCPs to HCPs
3.2.1. Limitations of Communication between Non-HCPs
“The relationship (between islanders) may be too close. There might be a bit of hesitation since knowing too much about one another might affect the existing relationship.”
3.2.2. Ambiguous Boundaries between the Work and Private Lives of Professionals with a High Affinity to the Region
“I’ve lived here 20 years and have been working as a care worker for 15 of those years. Because of this, I know who to turn to when I need to ask something. You become familiar in 5 to 10 years, but not in 2 to 3 years.”
“I heard about Mr. A from the girl at the supermarket. I went to visit him at home after the girl said that he was acting unusual because he didn’t look at her and didn’t seem to be eating either.”
“A lot of islanders know that I take care of elderly, such as Mr. B and C. Thus, people told me wherever I was; not only at my office but also at the street or the post office, when their condition seemed to be bad.”
3.2.3. Preparation for the Collection of Information by HCPs
“When a guy told me that the light of an old lady’s house continued turning on at midnight these days, I felt that the guy was taking care of and watching over the neighbor. I told him to let me know immediately if anything happened to the old lady.”
“We always exchange greetings, whether or not there is a problem. For example, there was an older man who cared deeply for his goat. He wasn’t very friendly with people, but he was open to showing his goat when I asked to see it. This sort of everyday connection might be important. This could help avoid rejection. Being acquainted with one another before any problem occurs is much better than meeting for the first time after the problem occurs.”
3.2.4. History of Public Health Nurses
“’Ko-kan san (original public health nurses in Okinawa)’ used to go around changing bandages for bedsores and changing diapers. There were public health nurses even at a time when there were no caregiving insurance and no doctors on the island. The current situation might be a remnant of that. I think this is why islanders rely on modern-day public health nurses during times of trouble.”
3.3. Sharing of Information between HCPs
3.3.1. Conducting Regular Meetings
“I tend to look through the minutes of the meetings even if I cannot go to the meetings themselves.”
3.3.2. The Connection between HCPs as Residents
“We always share information. We always speak out if we notice something and speak to one another on the streets. If I am close by, I tend to stop by their workplaces when I am worried or even call them if the situation is urgent.”
3.3.3. Public Health Nurses as an Information Hub
“The public health nurse is the go-to person when something happens. The information always goes through them.”
3.3.4. Ingenuity and Consideration in Sharing Information among HCPs
“We tend to share it once. There is a lot of information about older adults. If the person in charge is already handling the situation, we leave it as it is. I tend to make visits personally if I know the person well. We share information in that manner and start getting involved.”
“We don’t discuss every single piece of information together. We manage the information with the individual’s permission if we judge that it is necessary.”
3.4. HCPs Taking Action to Initiate Their Approach
3.4.1. Division of Roles through Various Meetings
“The public health nurse calls for meetings and formulates care plans, and the nurses at the clinic administer medications. I think it is a good example of interprofessional collaboration.”
3.4.2. Efforts for Better Collaboration with Facilities Outside the Island
“The hospital staff in the mainland may not be aware of the situation on the island, such as the lack of resources. Sometimes, they send patients back to the island without enough preparation.”
“Care managers exchange information with the hospital outside the island when our patients need admission. This is done because it is difficult when they are sent back to the island without calling in advance even though we don’t have enough facilities. Thus, we call and write to the hospital frequently.”
3.5. The Conceptual Diagram of This Study
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Themes | Concepts |
---|---|
Collection and communication of information between residents | Watching and taking care of each other based on close relationships Residents consulting local leaders Presence of potential healthcare human resources |
Communication of information from non-HCPs to HCPs | Limitations of communication between non-HCPs Ambiguous boundaries between the work and private lives of professionals with a high affinity to the region Preparation for the collection of information by HCPs History of public health nurses |
Sharing of information between HCPs | Conducting regular meetings The connection between HCPs as residents Public health nurses as an information hub Ingenuity and consideration in sharing information among HCPs |
HCPs taking action to initiate their approach | Division of roles through various meetings Efforts for better collaboration with facilities outside the island |
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Kuroda, M.; Ohta, R.; Kuroda, K.; Yamashiro, S.; Kita, K. The Seamless Communication on a Rural Island in Japan: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Healthcare Professionals. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 9479. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189479
Kuroda M, Ohta R, Kuroda K, Yamashiro S, Kita K. The Seamless Communication on a Rural Island in Japan: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Healthcare Professionals. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(18):9479. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189479
Chicago/Turabian StyleKuroda, Moe, Ryuichi Ohta, Kaku Kuroda, Seiji Yamashiro, and Keiichiro Kita. 2021. "The Seamless Communication on a Rural Island in Japan: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Healthcare Professionals" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 18: 9479. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189479