DClinPsy Portfolio Volume 1 of 3 - University of Hertfordshire ...

DISCUSSION
Summary of results
The number of professionals that took part in this study varied across the professional
groups. This may represent the distribution of the different professionals within ward
round attendance i.e. in the services the data was collected from there were normally
three Psychiatrists (Consultant, Senior House Officer and Registrar Doctor), but social
workers and occupational therapists that were grouped under ‘Other’ were
underrepresented.
There was agreement about what the most important aspects of ward round best practice
might be amongst the four groups. Explaining of confidentiality to the patient and the
facilitation and encouragement of family attendance was rated by all four professional
groups as important. Psychiatry and Psychology rated the patient’s understanding of the
meeting in the top five of importance. Psychiatry, Nursing and ‘Other’ agreed that
offering patients an appointment time was important and Nursing agreed with the ‘Other’
group that having a structured agenda was ‘very important’. However, the ratings of their
last ward round they attended differed regarding the items of confidentiality and whether
voluntary attendance was explained to the patient. This may be because confidentiality
and voluntary attendance is only explained once when the patient is first admitted and
possibly at the first ward round and not thereafter. The questionnaire specifically asked
participants to answer the questions in relation to the last ward round that they attended
which may not have been any of the patients’ first.
The Psychiatry and Nursing group rated offering refreshments and the patient being
present throughout the discussion of their care with lowest importance. In fact, there was
agreement amongst all professional groups regarding the low importance of offering
refreshments to the patients during the ward round compared with the other factors.
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