Striking a balance: Health care providers’ experiences with home-based,patient-centered care for older people—A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

ObjectiveThe aim of this article was to synthesize research findings about health care providers’ experiences of patient-centered care in the home setting.MethodsThis is a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings using the analytical method of meta-ethnography developed by Noblit and Hare. We performed a systematic literature search in seven databases and assessed potential studies against eligibility criteria and quality. Subsequently, 10 primary studies were included for analysis.ResultsThe core theme “being a balance artist” emerged from the synthesis, incorporating the participants’ experiences when faced with conflicting and competing responsibilities and needs. Two subthemes—“balancing the older clients’ needs against organizational demands” and “balancing the older clients’ needs against professional standards”—further elaborated on this core theme.ConclusionHealth care providers’ experiences indicate that organizational factors play a crucial role in shaping the conditions for patient-centered care for older people in the home setting.Practice implicationsTo motivate and facilitate health care providers to move to a more patient-centered practice, it is important to expand the values of patient-centered care beyond the clinical encounter into the organization.