Complicated versus complexity: when an old woman and her daughter meet the health care system

BACKGROUND: Detecting infection in frail elderly is a challenge due to lack of specific signs and symptoms. We highlight the complex situation when an elderly woman with urinary tract infection (UTI) and her daughter meet the highly qualified health care system. The aim was to describe and analyze the process when an elderly individual with an acute infection encounters the healthcare system. METHODS: A descriptive, retrospective Single Case Study design with a qualitative approach was used. Data from interviews with the old women and her daughter, medical record data and different regulatory documents were gathered and analysed with a qualitative content analysis. In a second step, the results were interpreted with concepts from the complexity theory. Complexity theory has been used as a conceptual framework for analysis or a framework for interpretation. In this study we are using the theory for interpretation by comparing the results with the complexity theory, which is explored in the discussion. RESULTS: The latent content analysis of the daughter’s story is interpreted as though she perceives the situation as causing a life crisis and a threat to her mother’s entire existence. The old women herself does not take part in what is happening, though after returning to home she is trying to understand her behaviour and what has happened. The health care tries different diagnoses and treatment according to standardized care plans without success. When urinary tract infection is finally diagnosed and treated successfully, the old women recovers quickly. CONCLUSION: The healthcare system should embrace the complexity in the encounter with an elderly individual. However, we found that the immediate reaction from the healthcare system is to handle the patients’ problem as complicated by complexity reduction. Shortcomings are that elderly patients with multiple disorders are difficult to evaluate and triage “correctly” for later placement in the appropriate continuum of care, although the findings of this case study also imply that with time the system instead took on an approach of absorption of complexity.