Voices in crisis: an ethnographic study exploring family caregivers’ perspectives and experiences in Ghanaian emergency care
4 affiliations
- 1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Midwifery, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- 2School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Nursing, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- 3School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Nursing, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- 4School of Business and Applied Science, Department of Business Studies, Garden City University, Kenyase, P.O. Box 12775, Kumasi, Ghana
Abstract
Background: Family involvement is a key component of patient-and family-centered care, particularly in emergency settings where patients often depend on relatives for emotional, social, and practical support. In Ghana, caregiving is deeply embedded within family and sociocultural systems; however, emergency care environments frequently limit active caregiver participation. Despite the growing recognition of family-centered care, there is limited ethnographic evidence on how caregiver–provider interactions and institutional routines shape family caregiver involvement in Ghanaian emergency care settings. This study explored family caregivers’ experiences and the contextual factors influencing their involvement in emergency care.
Methods: An ethnographic qualitative design integrating non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews was employed with ten purposively selected family caregivers from two hospitals in the Obuasi Municipality, Ghana. Five caregivers were recruited from each hospital. Data were collected over a 4-week period in English and /or Twi and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti version 24. Observational field notes were triangulated with interview narratives to enhance the credibility and contextual interpretation of the findings.
Findings: Four interconnected themes emerged Perceived roles, Emotional experiences, Communication Experiences and Information Dissatisfaction, Institutional and Environmental Barriers to Family Caregiver Involvement. Caregivers described their involvement as primarily supportive rather than collaborative, with roles largely limited to financial support, purchasing medications, and running errands despite their willingness to participate in care decisions. Emotional experiences were characterised by fear, uncertainty, frustration, and helplessness. Communication was inconsistent, ranging from reassuring interactions to delayed or inadequate information, which heightened anxiety and mistrust. Institutional barriers, including overcrowding, restrictive visiting practices, privacy concerns, and staff attitudes, further constrained meaningful caregiver participation.
Conclusion: Family caregiver involvement in Ghanaian emergency care settings is shaped by the interaction between sociocultural caregiving expectations and institutional emergency care practices. The findings indicate that meaningful caregiver involvement depends on timely communication, emotional reassurance, transparent information sharing, and structured opportunities for participation. Strengthening culturally responsive communication and family engagement strategies may enhance caregivers’ experiences and promote patient- and family-centered emergency care in resource-constrained settings.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05083-z.
Related
- Exploring caregivers’ perspectives and anticipated acceptance of hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination before the national introduction in Sierra Leone: a qualitative study
- Experiences and perspectives of patients visiting Dutch emergency departments on opioid (mis)use: a qualitative interview study
- Discharge preparation experiences of intergenerational caregivers for premature infants in China's NICU: a qualitative study.
- Primary caregivers’ perspectives on referral compliance following school eye health screening in Eastern Nepal: a qualitative study of behavioral and health system barriers
- Healthcare workers and caregivers’ perspectives on access to cancer screening for people with intellectual disabilities as revealed by system dynamics and group model building
BibTeX
@article{mensah2026voices,
title = {{Voices in crisis: an ethnographic study exploring family caregivers’ perspectives and experiences in Ghanaian emergency care}},
author = {Olivia Nyarko Mensah and Pius Koduah Dwumah and Gabriel Oti Amankwaa and William Wilberforce Amoah and Egya Gyanzah Eshun},
journal = {BMC Nursing},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12912-026-05083-z},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05083-z},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Voices in crisis: an ethnographic study exploring family caregivers’ perspectives and experiences in Ghanaian emergency care
AU - Olivia Nyarko Mensah
AU - Pius Koduah Dwumah
AU - Gabriel Oti Amankwaa
AU - William Wilberforce Amoah
AU - Egya Gyanzah Eshun
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/04
JO - BMC Nursing
DO - 10.1186/s12912-026-05083-z
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05083-z
AB - Background: Family involvement is a key component of patient-and family-centered care, particularly in emergency settings where patients often depend on relatives for emotional, social, and practical support. In Ghana, caregiving is deeply embedded within family and sociocultural systems; however, emergency care environments frequently limit active caregiver participation. Despite the growing recognition of family-centered care, there is limited ethnographic evidence on how caregiver–provider interactions and institutional routines shape family caregiver involvement in Ghanaian emergency care settings. This study explored family caregivers’ experiences and the contextual factors influencing their involvement in emergency care. Methods: An ethnographic qualitative design integrating non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews was employed with ten purposively selected family caregivers from two hospitals in the Obuasi Municipality, Ghana. Five caregivers were recruited from each hospital. Data were collected over a 4-week period in English and /or Twi and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti version 24. Observational field notes were triangulated with interview narratives to enhance the credibility and contextual interpretation of the findings. Findings: Four interconnected themes emerged Perceived roles, Emotional experiences, Communication Experiences and Information Dissatisfaction, Institutional and Environmental Barriers to Family Caregiver Involvement. Caregivers described their involvement as primarily supportive rather than collaborative, with roles largely limited to financial support, purchasing medications, and running errands despite their willingness to participate in care decisions. Emotional experiences were characterised by fear, uncertainty, frustration, and helplessness. Communication was inconsistent, ranging from reassuring interactions to delayed or inadequate information, which heightened anxiety and mistrust. Institutional barriers, including overcrowding, restrictive visiting practices, privacy concerns, and staff attitudes, further constrained meaningful caregiver participation. Conclusion: Family caregiver involvement in Ghanaian emergency care settings is shaped by the interaction between sociocultural caregiving expectations and institutional emergency care practices. The findings indicate that meaningful caregiver involvement depends on timely communication, emotional reassurance, transparent information sharing, and structured opportunities for participation. Strengthening culturally responsive communication and family engagement strategies may enhance caregivers’ experiences and promote patient- and family-centered emergency care in resource-constrained settings. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05083-z.
SN - 1472-6955
ER -