Do Simulated Hospital Admissions Reflect Reality? A Qualitative Study of Volunteer Well-Being During a 24-Hr Simulated Hospitalization

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to delineate if and how healthy volunteers admitted to simulated care can aid in understanding real well-being experiences of in-hospital surgical patients. BACKGROUND: Scientific research is necessary to understand the mediating effect of healthcare design on patient outcomes. Studies with patients are, however, difficult to conduct as they require substantial funding, time, and research capacity, and recovering patients are often not willing or able to participate. If studies conducted with volunteers provide similar findings, such studies might serve as fruitful alternatives for future research. METHOD: A multimethod study was conducted between July 2017 and December 2017 with 17 volunteers who underwent a 24-hr simulated inpatient postsurgical care protocol. Data on value experiences, norms, and design requirements for an optimal healing environment were collected via diaries and semi-structured value-oriented interviews, focused on the values of spatial comfort, privacy, autonomy, sensory comfort, safety and security, and social comfort. Volunteers’ outcomes were compared to prior literature on similar patients’ outcomes. RESULTS: Volunteers seem to experience their healing environment similarly to patients with regard to the values of spatial comfort, privacy, autonomy, sensory comfort, and social comfort related to contact with personnel and relatives. Less valuable insights were gained on the values of safety and security, and social comfort related to interaction with other patients, most probably due to the study design and because the participants did not truly experience a diseased bodily state. CONCLUSION: Simulated hospital admissions with volunteers provide a satisfactory alternative for studying real patient outcomes.