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* The aim of this study is to explore family members' perceptions of their immediate needs following admission of a relative to a critical care unit in Hong Kong. * A convenience sample of 30 family members was drawn from those available during the first 96 hours of hospitalization of their relative. * Self-reported questionnaires, consisting of a demographic data sheet, a modified Chinese version of the 45-item Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) and semistructured interviews, are the instruments used to examine family members' perceptions of need importance and to ascertain whether or not these needs are met. * Doctors and nurses are identified as the most suitable people to meet most immediate family needs. * Conclusions are drawn as to the best focus of nursing interventions in order to provide quality care to patients and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case management has been suggested as an innovative strategy which facilitates the linking of quality and cost-effective care. However, there is little consensus about what is actually being introduced under the name of case management. It is suggested that this absence of a clear understanding of case management has been an obstacle in moving forward case management practice and research. This paper presents a critical review of the confusion surrounding case management with an attempt to unravel issues relevant to the implementation of case management into community nursing practice in Hong Kong. It is concluded that there is a need for different definitions of case management as a result of the differences in the cultural and health care context in which it is being practised. Also, if case management programmes are to be advanced, there needs to be more co-ordinated effort in researching not only the expected outcomes but also the structures and processess of these programmes so that findings of similar case management programmes can be compared for ways of future improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on caring and caregiving in Chinese families in relation to the contribution made by historical and social processes. The beliefs and traditions of care appearing in the professional and popular literature are explored to enable comparison with recent research from Hong Kong, China and the United Kingdom. Caring emerges as profoundly complicated and ambivalent, drawing on notions of morality, obligation, love, kinship and gender responsibility. Furthermore, caring in contemporary Chinese families in Hong Kong appears to have more similarities than differences with western families, possibly due to changing kinship networks. Such conclusions have particular relevance for nursing in the light of recent policy directives in Hong Kong promoting the role of the families in caring for their dependent members based on the assumption that families can and will care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability among Chinese elderly patients in Hong Kong and yet the rehabilitation needs of these patients are rarely explored. The aim of this study was to identify the rehabilitation needs of Chinese elderly patients following a stroke. The study adopted an ethnographic approach, information being gathered by the researcher through interviews with 15 key informants selected by purposive sampling. The perceptions of patients as to their own needs were sought at three stages of recovery - in the acute and rehabilitation settings and at 1 month following discharge. Ethical approval was gained from the Chinese University Faculty of Medicine ethical committee and access agreed by the hospital authorities. Verbal approval was gained from the patients before each interview, following confirmation of the voluntary nature of participation and assurance of confidentiality and anonymity. The researcher's role was also clearly stated. Analysis of the interview data produced five categories of patient need at the three stages of recovery, namely informational, physical, psychological, social and spiritual. The most frequently stated, but largely unmet, need in all settings was the need for information, particularly information about the reasons for stroke and about the activities that promote recovery. In the acute and rehabilitation settings patients' responses indicated a need to be respected as individuals, to be addressed by name and to be provided with privacy. Although the Barthel Index administered during interviews charted recovery at different rates, nurses did not always make links between the level of functional ability and the help needed with physical tasks. They also failed to recognize the relationship between physical and psychological needs and the equal importance of both in recovery from stroke. As Chinese elderly patients tend to take a passive role in seeking help and information, nurses play a significant role in the identification of individual rehabilitation needs. Implications for nursing practice are discussed.

This qualitative study carried out with 10 Chinese families in Hong Kong describes caregiving and caring from the perceptions of the primary carers. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to gain personal accounts of experiences of primary carers caring for dependent family members. The analysis resulted in categories identifying and explaining the needs of primary carers. Suggestions for practice are made.