What Is So Great about Inpatient Rehabilitation from the Patient Experience Perspective: Qualitative Content Analysis of an Appreciative Inquiry during a Bedside Experience Rounding.

Background: Positive person-centered attributes of inpatient rehabilitation need to be identified from the patient's perspective to be further developed and sustained.

Purpose: To identify which attributes patients openly evoke as being great care experiences, using an open appreciative inquiry during the inpatient rehabilitation stay.

Methods: Qualitative secondary analysis of appreciative patient comments during a bedside patient experience rounding facilitated by a neutral party was performed. Two independent analysts employed an inductive, summative form of content analysis.

Results: Among 150 patients rounded, 122 provided categorizable appreciative accounts. Over two-thirds of the patients (67.2%) focused on "" in their great-experience accounts. Those attributes were mostly interpersonal such as being "" and being "". These interpersonal staff attributes were reported with words showing deep levels of personal significance or patient appreciation. Beyond staff attributes, the perceived quality of "" (31.1%) and opportunities for "" (9.0%) were also frequently evoked. Amenities like were the least evoked, rarely so as an exclusive attribute (0.8% for each).

Conclusions: The human(e) factor, especially the interpersonal qualities of staff, emerged as greatly appreciated from the patient experience perspective during inpatient rehabilitation. These experiences help identify which person-centered attributes of care might be further developed and sustained.