The Journal of hospital infection
October 13, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Am I receiving good care? A qualitative study exploring the moral experiences of MDRO carriers in Dutch hospitals and nursing homes.
Damsté C, Oerlemans A, Rump B, Knippenberg M, Oever JT, Hulscher M, van Gurp J
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Interviews with people carrying multidrug-resistant organisms show how infection-control measures affect their sense of being well cared for.
What was studied
Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 20 MDRO carriers receiving care in Dutch hospitals and nursing homes, focused on moral experiences.
Key findings
- Carriers felt responsible for protecting others yet doubted inconsistent protocols
- Some reported being visited less or treated differently by staff
- Some felt guilt about the extra staff time their care needed
Clinical relevance
Infection prevention teams and clinicians can see how isolation practices may undermine dignity and trust, and adjust communication and consistency.
Who should care
Limitations
Only 20 interviews in the Netherlands limit transferability, and the abstract shown is cut off before all themes are described.
Explain precautions clearly, apply them consistently and keep personal contact with carriers.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Carriership of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) and associated infection prevention and control (IPC) measures can negatively affect hospital patients and nursing home residents. Little is known about how carriers appraise these experiences in light of what matters to them - i.e. the moral dimension. This study explores the moral experiences of carriers receiving care in hospitals and nursing homes.
METHODS
We conducted a qualitative analysis of moral experiences present in semi-structured interviews with 20 MDRO carriers.
RESULTS
Carriers reported that some values were upheld, whereas others were undermined during care. We identified four themes. First, carriers felt responsible for protecting loved ones or the public by preventing transmission, yet perceived inconsistencies in IPC protocols generated doubt, frustration and feelings of injustice. Second, carriers described being visited less frequently or treated differently by healthcare providers (HCPs). Some felt guilty towards HCPs and other patients that their care required additional staff time. Third, carriers experienced burdens in receiving care like not seeing HCPs' faces, loss of freedom or feeling dirty, but also moments of compassion from empathic HCPs. Fourth, concerns about carriership extended beyond hospital care, with uncertainties about implications in daily life.
DISCUSSION
Identifying which values carriers perceive as upheld or undermined can guide more proportionate and equitable IPC policies and improve quality of care. HCPs should support carriers in navigating the many questions and uncertainties they face during care and in their daily lives. Future research should normatively evaluate IPC policies and explore how to address undermined values in care.
DOI
10.1016/j.jhin.2026.10.002
PMID
42869380
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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