"And if my goal is never to leave Casey House?": The significance of place attachment for patients at a specialty HIV hospital in Toronto, Canada

Katherine Rudzinski; Kenneth King; Adrian Guta; Soo Chan Carusone; Carol Strike

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103100

"And if my goal is never to leave Casey House?": The significance of place attachment for patients at a specialty HIV hospital in Toronto, Canada

Health Place. 2023 Sep:83:103100. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103100. Epub 2023 Aug 16.

Authors

Katherine Rudzinski¹, Kenneth King², Adrian Guta³, Soo Chan Carusone⁴, Carol Strike⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Social Work, University of Windsor, 167 Ferry Street, Windsor, ON, N9A 0C5, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St., Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada. Electronic address: katherine.rudzinski@uwindsor.ca.
² Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St., Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada.
³ School of Social Work, University of Windsor, 167 Ferry Street, Windsor, ON, N9A 0C5, Canada. Electronic address: a.guta@uwindsor.ca.
⁴ Casey House, 119 Isabella St, Toronto, ON, M4Y 1P2, Canada. Electronic address: chansy@mcmaster.ca.
⁵ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St., Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada. Electronic address: carol.strike@utoronto.ca.

PMID: 37595542
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103100

Abstract

The current healthcare context prioritizes shorter hospital stays and fewer readmissions. However, these measures may not fully capture care experiences for people living with HIV, especially those experiencing medical, psychosocial, and economic complexity. As part of a larger study, we conducted seven focus groups with people living with HIV (n = 52), who were current/former patients at a Toronto-based specialty hospital, examining their desires/needs for hospital programs. Using a novel place attachment lens, we conducted a thematic analysis focusing on the emotional bond between person (patient) and place (hospital). Our findings show that participants wanted an ongoing connection to hospital to fulfill their need(s) for control, security, restoration and belonging. Indeed, continual attachment to hospital may be beneficial for patients with complex care needs. Our research has implications for care engagement and retention frameworks.

Keywords: Health care engagement; Hospital readmission; People living with HIV; Place attachment; Qualitative research.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Canada
Delivery of Health Care
Goals
HIV Infections* / psychology
Hospitals
Humans

Grants and funding

500298/CIHR/Canada