Clinical Leadership and Management Perceptions of Inpatients with Obesity: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Danielle Hitch, Fiona Pazsa and Alison Qvist
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Danielle Hitch: Allied Health, Western Health, 3021 St. Albans, Australia
Fiona Pazsa: Allied Health, Western Health, 3021 St. Albans, Australia
Alison Qvist: Allied Health, Western Health, 3021 St. Albans, Australia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-13

Abstract: While obesity is recognized as a key global public health issue, there has been no research to date on the perceptions of care for people with this condition held by individuals in positions of organizational power. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the perceptions and experiences of clinical leaders and managers of providing care to inpatients with obesity at a metropolitan public health service. This study applied an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach to qualitative research, conducting interviews with 17 participants. Their perceptions of care for inpatients with obesity encompassed both their personal understanding as an individual, and their observations about the organizational, patient and carer perspectives. Three overall themes were identified: (1) the problem of inpatients with obesity, (2) inpatients with obesity as sources of risk and (3) personal and professional perceptions of inpatients with obesity. While clinical leaders and managers were aware of the potential impact of stigma and weight bias on care given to this cohort, elements of implicit bias, stereotyping, “othering” and ambivalence were frequently present in the data. Ongoing efforts to improve care for patients with obesity must therefore include efforts to address perceptions and attitudes at all organisational levels of the workforce.

Keywords: attitudes; clinicians; hospital; in-patient; obesity; perceptions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8123-:d:439534

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