Background: Transitional care encompasses to ensure high-quality healthcare from illness onset through hospitalization to returning home. Relatives of intensive care patients are notably vulnerable to adverse emotional and psychological effects due to the sudden, life-threatening nature of their next of kins' conditions. Unfortunately, limited research explores the experiences of relatives in transitional care contexts. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the experiences of relatives as they navigate the process of transitional care, encompassing the journey from home to hospital, from intensive care to general ward settings, and the eventual return to their homes.
Method: A qualitative research design was used, semi-structured individual interviews with 14 participants who had experience with transitional care, spanning from intensive care to general care, and their return home. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke.
Preliminary Findings: In the context of transitional care, relatives perceive themselves as frequently becoming invisible and subsequently abandoned by the healthcare system. Relatives perceived that they went in and out of being a part of the care- sometimes invited, other times, they were not, which led to fluctuations in their involvement and confusion regarding how the healthcare system operated.