Table 1_Reported roles of care partners in a specialized weaning centre—perspectives of patients, care partners, and health care providers.docx

BackgroundCare partners are individuals chosen by a person with an illness to support their care during hospitalization. Patients with persistent critical illness have longer than average critical care admission and often other conditions including dysphagia, communication vulnerability, severe physical deconditioning, the need for an artificial airway, and difficulty weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation. Family presence has been identified as important for patients experiencing persistent critical illness in specialized weaning centers. Despite this, the role of care partners in clinical settings for patients with persistent critical illness has not been fully characterized, particularly from the perspectives of patients, care partners, and health care providers. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the roles of care partners during persistent critical illness from the perspectives of patients, care partners, and health care providers.
MethodsWe used qualitative descriptive methodology including semi-structured interviews and content analysis. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Included participants (n = 30) were patient survivors (n = 7), care partners of patient survivors (n = 9), and professionally diverse health care providers (n = 14) of adult patients with persistent critical illness from two specialized units in one community academic hospital in Toronto, Canada.
ResultsParticipants across all groups described care partner roles that included physical, mental health, cognitive, social, and spiritual support of the patient, including the perceived role of safeguarding the multiple dimensions of care for the patient who is experiencing persistent critical care in specialized care settings.
DiscussionThe results of this study are being used to co-design, implement, and evaluate a sustainable care partner program that is acceptable, appropriate, and feasible to implement in clinical settings where the care of patients with persistent critical illness occurs.
Reporting methodConsolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ).

研究背景：照护者（Care partners）指由疾病患者选定、在其住院期间协助其照护的人员。持续性重症疾病患者的重症监护收治时长超出平均水平，且常伴随多种病症，包括吞咽困难、沟通障碍、重度躯体机能减退、需建立人工气道，以及难以脱离有创机械通气。在专业脱机中心中，家属陪伴已被证实对持续性重症疾病患者至关重要。尽管如此，照护者在持续性重症疾病患者临床场景中的角色尚未得到充分阐明，尤其是从患者、照护者及医疗服务提供者的视角出发。本研究旨在从患者、照护者及医疗服务提供者的视角，深入探析持续性重症疾病照护过程中照护者的角色定位。

研究方法：本研究采用定性描述性研究方法，涵盖半结构化访谈与内容分析法。访谈全程录音并逐字转录。本研究共纳入30名研究对象，包括7例成年持续性重症存活患者、9例该类患者的照护者，以及来自加拿大多伦多某社区学术医院两个专科病区的14名专业背景多元的医疗服务提供者。

研究结果：所有组别参与者均提及，照护者的角色涵盖为患者提供躯体、心理健康、认知、社交及精神支持，同时包括在专科照护场景中为持续性重症患者维护多维度照护的感知职责。

讨论：本研究结果将用于协同设计、实施并评估一项可持续的照护者支持项目，该项目适配持续性重症患者照护的临床场景，具备可接受性、适宜性与临床可实施性。

报告规范：采用质性研究报告统一标准（COREQ）。