This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Chang, L.-y. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Family at the Bedside: Strength of the Chinese Family or Weakness of Hospital Care?

Using qualitative and quantitative data collected from 70 patients in three hospitals in Taiwan, between 1990 and 1991, this article documents the pervasive and intensive involvement of patients' families in hospital care. Two hypotheses are examined: (1) that family involvement is a result of the strength of Chinese family ties; and (2) that the involvement is necessary due to inadequate hospital care. The results suggest that intensive and extensive family involvement in inpatient care is an involuntary response to the short-comings of hospital health care in Taiwan. The ability of a patient to care for her- or himself is critical in determining when and how a family provides bedside care. Taiwanese families adopt a cost-minimizing approach in deciding who will be the primary caregiver. Hiring nurse-aides is an alternative when intensive care is necessary but no family member is available. The inadequacy of hospital care entails hidden social and economic costs to the family, most of which are not incorporated into conventional estimates of expenditure on hospital care.

Key Words: bedside care • Chinese family • family caregiving • hospital care

Current Sociology, Vol. 49, No. 3, 155-173 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/0011392101049003010


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Gisquet Accompagner les familles pour promouvoir leur participation dans la trajectoire medicale de leur enfant Global Health Promotion, September 1, 2009; 16(3): 76 - 84. [PDF]

				H.-M. Tzeng and C.-Y. Yin Family Involvement in Inpatient Care in Taiwan Clin Nurs Res, November 1, 2008; 17(4): 297 - 311. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. Lever-Tracy Global Warming and Sociology Current Sociology, May 1, 2008; 56(3): 445 - 466. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H.-M. Tzeng and C.-Y. Yin Demands for Religious Care in the Taiwanese Health System Nursing Ethics, March 1, 2006; 13(2): 163 - 179. [Abstract] [PDF]