The Scope of Family-Centred Care Practices, and the Facilitators and Barriers to Implementation of Family-Centred Care for Hospitalised Children and their Families in Developing Countries: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Problem: Limited knowledge exists regarding the scope practices and implementation from developing countries. This integrative review aims to report research on the scope of FCC practices, facilitators and barriers to the FCC implementation for hospitalised children and their families in developing countries.

Eligibility criteria: Qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method studies, reports, systematic reviews and integrative reviews reporting implementation, barriers and facilitators of FCC, published in English between 2008 and 2018, from developing countries were evaluated. Joanna Briggs Institute Appraisal Tools were used for methodological assessment.

Sample: Eleven studies from developing countries met the inclusion criteria. Four studies were randomised controlled trials, five were cross-sectional, one was a quasi-experimental while one was a qualitative study.

Results: The scope of FCC research focuses on information sharing, family participation, and respect and dignity and FCC implementation focuses on practices and perceptions, measurement and impact of FCC. Both personal and health system facilitators and barriers exist but their influence on FCC implementation is limited. Research on needs of families and hospitalised children is also limited.

Conclusion: FCC practice and research are still in infancy stage in developing countries. There is limited understanding on scope of FCC practices, the needs of parents and children, and the influence of facilitators and barriers.

Implications: The limited findings reported in this review support the need for international collaboration to FCC to critique FCC research and integrate it with other philosophies such as child and family centred care and child centred care as is the case in some developed countries.

Keywords: Barriers; Developing countries; Facilitators; Needs of children and families; Scope of FCC practices; Socio-cultural.