Beyond Age and Diagnosis: Volunteer Patient Support as a Patient-Centred Approach to Social and Emotional Needs in Acute Care

Hospitalisation can disrupt patients' everyday lives and may insufficiently address their social and emotional needs. Volunteer patient support can complement professional healthcare by providing conversation, companionship and practical assistance. Previous research on VPS in acute care hospitals has focused predominantly on geriatric and cognitively impaired patients and on care-related activities. This study examines which patient groups may benefit from VPS, with particular attention to the role of conversation-based interpersonal interaction and social support. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted at a 600-bed hospital in Vienna between August 2019 and September 2022. Problem-centred interviews based on Witzel's method were conducted with 26 patients and 42 healthcare professionals from different clinical departments and professional groups. Participants were selected to maximise diversity of perspectives. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz and subsequently subjected to expert validation. Three groups of potential beneficiaries were identified, each characterised by a different key factor: the first group was defined by the frequency and helpfulness of interaction with their own relatives, including those who preferred a conversation with a neutral person or welcomed such a person as an additional means of communication. The second group focused on illness-related aspects and comprised patients with prolonged or repeated hospital stays, as well as those experiencing particularly high levels of stress due to life-altering illnesses or unexpected hospital admissions. The main aspect of the third group was its proximity to the end of life which included older patients, patients with dementia and those at the end of life. However, participants emphasised substantial individual differences in patients' need and willingness to engage in conversation, as well as in their preferred conversation partners and timing. The findings suggest that volunteer patient support should not be restricted to narrowly defined groups such as the very old, cognitively impaired or terminally ill. Social and emotional support may be relevant to hospitalised patients across age groups and clinical conditions. In line with the biopsychosocial model and patient-centred care, VPS should be considered a complementary component of dignified healthcare, with patients' individual social and emotional needs guiding its provision.