A sense of security: Spouses' experiences of participating in an orthopaedic case management intervention (the SICAM-trial)

The aim of the study was to explore and describe spouses' experiences of participating in a case management intervention during older patients' fast-track programme having total hip replacement as well as which intervention elements they found useful. Data were collected through qualitative interviews with 10 spouses from the intervention group of the SICAM-trial, directed by predetermined codes based on elements of the intervention. Data were analysed by both authors using directed content analysis. The results showed that the spouses were very pleased about being a part of the case management intervention. They enjoyed being active participants even though problems sometimes occurred such as coordination difficulties between the case manager and other healthcare professionals and their feeling of being burdened. The spouses experienced the contact with the case manager as the most meaningful part of their participation and the telephone contact with her as the most useful element of the intervention. The fact that not all spouses participated in all the available intervention elements could be explained by their feeling of being burdened and that they were not fully aware of what the intervention elements were.