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Care quality from family carers’ vantage point

a secondary qualitative analysis of experiential accounts through the lens of epistemic injustice

Jorun Rugkåsa, Beret Bråten, Anne-Kari Johannesen & Kristin Häikiö | 2026 | International Journal of Care and Caring
8. May 2026

Family carers are expected to engage in the co-production of healthcare, thereby enhancing quality. We investigated, from carers’ viewpoints, how this can be achieved for older patients and those in palliative care, by conducting secondary analyses of qualitative data on carers’ experiences in Norwegian healthcare.

We found that carers’ contribution depends on the presence or absence of recognition of carers’ experiential knowledge, situated overview, abilities and limitations, and information needs.

We argue that ignoring carers’ epistemic contributions represents a missed opportunity for conceptualising care quality in ways that encompass the complexities involved and parity of participation in individual care situations.

Rugkåsa, J., Bråten, B., Johannesen, A., & Häikiö, K. (2026). Care quality from family carers’ vantage point: a secondary qualitative analysis of experiential accounts through the lens of epistemic injustice. International Journal of Care and Caring (published online ahead of print 2026) https://doi.org/10.1332/23978821Y2026D000000190

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