[Continuity of care, innovation and redefinition of professional roles in the healthcare of chronically and terminally ill patients. SESPAS report 2012]

Atención de la salud en domicilio

El objetivo de este artículo es considerar los posibles desafíos éticos que implica la atención de la salud en domicilio desde la perspectiva bioética. Para esto se llevó a cabo una revisión bibliográfica en la base de datos Lilacs, un trabajo descriptivo y un análisis conceptual. Los principales resultados arrojan que tras una distinción analítica de tres categorías éticas diferenciales: intimidad del hogar, intimidad personal (en relación al hogar) e intimidad compartida. La última, en la que el profesional de la salud se involucra activamente, es en aquella en la que se debe actuar con responsabilidad ética, dado que se pueden generar conflictos de intereses, sobre todo en el ámbito afectivo-emocional del paciente o familia. Las diferencias pueden traducirse en tres enunciaciones normativas particulares a la atención domiciliaria: el reconocimiento a la particularidad de cada hogar, el trabajo sobre la autonomía relacional y la estrategia de cooperación y de ayuda mutua. Si entendemos a la bioética como una disciplina que consiste en el análisis crítico y la reflexión sistemática de las prácticas en torno a la salud, este artículo es de gran interés, pues reflexiona y analiza las particularidades de la atención de la salud en el contexto del hogar, una modalidad que se está extendiendo en la región y el mundo por sus virtudes para el paciente y el sistema de salud.

Percepción sobre la coordinación de la atención: el caso de las redes de servicios de salud de Xalapa y Veracruz, México, en el periodo 2014-2016

Una limitada coordinación asistencial impide garantizar una atención integrada, eficiente y de calidad. El objetivo del estudio fue explorar la percepción de profesionales de salud sobre la coordinación entre niveles de atención y los factores que la influyen. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo mediante el análisis de contenido de 54 entrevistas semiestructuradas y 11 grupos focales con personal de dos redes de servicios de salud en Xalapa y Veracruz, México. Los entrevistados refirieron dificultades para el seguimiento de los pacientes, desacuerdos respecto a los criterios de referencia, barreras de acceso a la atención especializada, baja calidad de los formatos de referencia, escasa recepción de los formatos de contrarreferencia y dificultades para seguir los circuitos de referencia. Atribuyeron estos problemas a la insuficiencia de recursos, la cobertura limitada del Seguro Popular, la sobrecarga de trabajo, falta de supervisión, deficiente formación de los médicos generales y limitada comunicación entre profesionales. Estos resultados coinciden con otros estudios en la región, por lo que se señala la necesidad de reforzar los mecanismos basados en la normalización, introducir estrategias basadas en la adaptación mutua y modificar rasgos de la estructura y cultura organizacional para lograr una coordinación de la atención efectiva, que contribuya a la integración de las redes.

Healthcare professionals' views of the experiences of individuals living with Crohn's Disease in Spain. A qualitative study

Crohn's Disease (CD) in Spain lacks of a unified National Clinical Pathway and not even any early detection program and professional follow-up outpatient attention once it has been diagnosed. Little is known about the Spanish health professionals' views of the experiences of individuals living with Crohn's Disease nationwide and also about how the Spanish Health System faces this situation. A qualitative research method was conducted to explore this topic through in-depth interviews with eleven healthcare professionals, who represented different clinics treating people with CD from the province of Alicante (Spain). Three topics and seven sub-topics were derived from the analysis of the content emerging from the interviews. The three main topics were: the healthcare system as a hindrance for ongoing treatment of CD, the impact of the disease, support networks. The knowledge of CD gained by healthcare professionals, in the contexts studied here within, with regards to the psychosocial aspects and the experience of those living with the disease and their immediate circles, is poor, if not null on an academic level, becoming experiential on their incorporation into the professional field. Additionally, a priori, they lack the tools to address the doubts and concerns of patients from the moment of diagnosis through the ongoing care of the patient. Organizational hindrances, such as the lack of time and consensual guidelines for adequately monitoring CD patients in Alicante (Spain), further restrict the patient-professional relationship. Due to the consensus established by the National Agency regulating the contents of the Health Professions' Education and Training across the country, we are assuming that the phenomenon highlighted may be similar in other parts of Spain. Therefore, it can be said that healthcare professionals have a limited understanding of the impact of CD on the day-to-day life of those affected, not being considered a part of the CD patients' formal support network. Nonetheless, they are conscious of this limitation and advocate for multidisciplinary teams as the best means of attending to people living with CD. Our study outcomes may represent the first step onto identifying strategies and best practices for establishing an effective therapeutic relationship, as well as any hindering factors.

Validity and reliability of the Palliative Care Transition Measure for Caregivers (PCTM-C)

OBJECTIVE

Patients suffering from advanced disease face different care transitions. The transition from acute to palliative care is challenging and may lead to the discontinuity of care. Family caregivers become important sources of information, as patients begin to experience difficulties in coping with emotional transition events. The Care Transition Measure was developed to evaluate care transitions as experienced by the elderly. It has never been used in palliative care. The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of a modified version of the Palliative Care Transition Measure, specifically the Palliative Care Transition Measure for Caregivers (PCTM-C).

METHOD

The study included two main phases. Phase I focused on the construction of a modified version of the Palliative Care Transition Measure through two focus groups and by computing the content validity index. Phase II focused on testing the psychometric properties of the PCTM-C on 272 family caregivers through confirmatory factor analysis.

RESULT

The content validity index for each of the items was higher than 0.80, whereas that for the scale was 0.95. The model tested with confirmatory factor analysis fitted the data well and confirmed that the transition measures referred to communication, integrated care and a trusting-relationship, and therefore the core dimensions of continuity according to existing conceptual models. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

The PCTM-C proved to be a suitable measure of the quality of such transitions. It may be used in clinical practice as a continuity quality indicator and has the potential to guide interventions to enhance family caregivers' experience of care continuity.

[Identification of sentinel events in primary care]

OBJECTIVE

To identify and describe a list of sentinel events (SEs) for Primary Care (PC).

METHODODOLOGY

A structured experts' consensus was obtained by using two online questionnaires. The participants were selected because of their expertise in PC and patient safety. The first questionnaire assessed the suitability of the hospital SEs established in the National Quality Forum 2006 for use in PC via responses of "yes", "no", or "yes but with modification". In the latter case, a re-wording of the SE was requested. Additionally, inclusion of new SEs was also allowed. The second questionnaire included those SEs with positive responses ("yes", "yes with modification"), so that the experts could choose between the original and alternative drafts, and evaluate the newly described SEs.

RESULTS

The questionnaires were completed by 44 out of a total of the 47 experts asked to participate, and a total of 17 SEs were identified as suitable for PC. For the first questionnaire, 12 of the 28 hospital SEs were considered adaptable to PC, of which 11 were re-drafts. Thirty-seven experts proposed new SEs. These mainly concerned problems with medication and vaccines, delay, or lack of assistance, diagnostic delays, and problems with diagnostic tests, and were finally summarised in 5 SEs. In the second questionnaire, ≥65% of the experts chose the alternative wording against the original cases for the 11 SEs suitable for PC. The 5 newly included SEs were considered adequate with a positive response of 70-85%.

CONCLUSION

Having a list of SEs available in PC will help to improve the management of health care risks.

Analysis of home-based rehabilitation in patients with motor impairment in primary care: a prospective observational study

Background

The purpose of health and social policies is to encourage older people more longevity, remain free of disability and experience quality of life while living in their homes.

The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of 473 patients diagnosed with motor impairment in primary care, the objectives of home-based rehabilitation and its functional impact.

Methods

This prospective observational study was conducted in the Almería Health District. The analysed variables included age, gender, secondary diagnosis, Barthel Index (BI), physiotherapeutic objectives and techniques, and number of sessions.

Results

The sample had a mean age of 83 years, and 59% were women. The assessed conditions with a high prevalence included osteoarticular pathology (55%), Alzheimer’s disease (15.1%), cardiovascular disease (13.7%) and stroke (6.5%). The techniques applied mainly consisted of functional exercises (57.1%), caregiver education (13.8%), and technical assistance (5.7%). There were statistically significant differences (t = −15.79; p < 0.001) between initial (X = 34.8) and final BI (X = 48.1), with an improvement of 13.4 points in patients’ functional capacity (95% confidence interval [CI]: −15.0 to −11.7). An equation was constructed to predict patients’ final BI as a function of the initial BI using a multiple linear regression model. The regression model explained 78% of the variance in patients with motor impairment.

Conclusions

Important improvements were obtained in terms of functional capacity with a mean of ten sessions of physiotherapy. Lower patient age was correlated with higher initial and final functional capacities in primary care. This study aimed to present a useful starting point for decision making among management and health administration regarding this population group by approaching the process from the reality of practice and in relation to the rehabilitation provided.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02715245; Date of registration: 18 January 2016.

Programmed home visits by nursing professionals to older adults: prevention or treatment?

OBJETIVOS:

conocer la repercusión de la visita domiciliaria de los profesionales en enfermería a personas de 65 años o más, pluripatológicas, en morbimortalidad.

MÉTODO:

estudio retrospectivo caso-control por auditoria de historias clínicas. Muestreo aleatorio. Variables principales morbilidad, mortalidad; descriptivas: visitas de la enfermera, filiación, datos clínicos y socio sanitarios. Análisis por medidas de tendencia central, dispersión, posición, tabulación, frecuencias relativas, absolutas; no paramétricas, contrastes χ2; Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney.

RESULTADOS:

se estudiaron a 1743 pacientes, de ellos 199 recibieron visita domiciliaria; la edad media de quien recibe visita es de 81,99 años; estos presentan mayor número de patologías de media 3,76; habitan en domicilio particular, si bien en conjunto presentan más institucionalización que los controles; el 50% no tiene identificado el Cuidador Principal; es mayor el número de visitas de las enfermeras a los pacientes que viven en residencias (p < 0,001). El 50% de casos no tiene plan de cuidados, con relación significativa (p < 0,001). No existen diferencias significativas en tiempo de vida entre los casos y los controles.

CONCLUSIÓN:

la visita domiciliaria del profesional en enfermería no repercute en la morbimortalidad; visita a los pacientes cuando ya ha aparecido el problema de salud, no hay datos de prevención.

[Transferring palliative-care patients from hospital to community care: A qualitative study]

AIM

To know the experience of case-manager nurses with regard to transferring palliative-care patients from the hospital to their homes.

DESIGN

Qualitative phenomenological study carried out in 2014-2015.

SETTING

Poniente and Almería health districts, which referral hospitals are Poniente Hospital and Torrecárdenas Hospital, respectively.

PARTICIPANTS

A purposive sample comprised of 12 case-manager nurses was recruited from the aforementioned setting.

METHOD

Theoretical data saturation was achieved after performing 7 in-depth individual interviews and 1 focus group. Data analysis was performed following Colaizzi's method.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged: (1) 'Case-management nursing as a quality, patient-centred service' (2) 'Failures of the information systems', with the subthemes "patients" insufficient and inadequate previous information" and "ineffective between-levels communication channels for advanced nursing"; (3) 'Deficiencies in discharge planning', with the subthemes "deficient management of resources on admission", "uncertainty about discharge" and "insufficient human resources to coordinate the transfer".

CONCLUSIONS

Case-manager nurses consider themselves a good-quality service. However, they think there are issues with coordination, information and discharge planning of palliative patients from hospital. It would be useful to review the communication pathways of both care and discharge reports, so that resources needed by palliative patients are effectively managed at the point of being transferred home.

Competências do enfermeiro para o cuidado paliativo na atenção domiciliar

Resumo Objetivo: Identificar competências do enfermeiro para o cuidado paliativo na atenção domiciliar. Métodos: Estudo exploratório que utilizou o método Delphi para identificar o consenso de enfermeiros que atuam na atenção domiciliar para com 43 competências elencadas em um questionário, com inclusão de escala de Likert de cinco pontos. Resultados: Na amostra de 20 enfermeiros, houve consenso para 18 competências gerais e 25 específicas com percentuais acima de 75% de concordância, e coeficiente alfa de Cronbach de 0,7 para todas as competências elencadas. O consenso favorável às competências propostas indica o reconhecimento do cuidado paliativo como prática assistencial de enfermagem na atenção domiciliar. Conclusão: O elenco de competências apresentou confiabilidade interna e fornece afirmações assertivas sobre a atuação do enfermeiro em cuidado paliativo na atenção domiciliar.

[Comparison of level of satisfaction of users of home care: integrated model vs. dispensaries model]

Objetivo

Comparar el grado de satisfacción de los usuarios que reciben atención domiciliaria a través de 2 modelos de atención primaria: integrado y dispensarizado.

Diseño

Estudio transversal, observacional.

Emplazamiento

Dos centros de atención primaria de la provincia de Barcelona.

Participantes

Ciento cincuenta y ocho pacientes crónicos mayores de 65 años que recibían atención domiciliaria: 67 mediante el modelo integrado y 91 mediante el modelo dispensarizado.

Mediciones principales

Se administró la escala de Evaluación de la Satisfacción del Servicio de Atención Domiciliaria (SATISFAD-12), así como preguntas complementarias relacionadas con la satisfacción del servicio de atención domiciliaria y características sociodemográficas.

Resultados

Los usuarios del modelo dispensarizado estaban más satisfechos que los del modelo integrado. Existía una mayor continuidad asistencial en el modelo dispensarizado y un menor porcentaje de ingresos hospitalarios en el último año. La satisfacción de los usuarios de ambos modelos no estaba asociada al género ni a la percepción de salud y autonomía por parte del paciente.

Conclusiones

El grado de satisfacción de los pacientes de atención primaria domiciliaria parece depender de las características propias de cada modelo organizativo, siendo el modelo dispensarizado el que presenta un mayor grado de satisfacción o calidad asistencial percibida. Se debería realizar un mayor número de estudios para generalizar estos resultados a otros centros de atención primaria pertenecientes a otras instituciones.

[The right to die with dignity in an acute-care hospital: a qualitative study]

AIM

To examine the perceptions and beliefs of doctors and nurses, and the barriers and facilitators they must address as regards the right to die with dignity in an acute-care hospital, and to consider the applicability of the provisions of Law 2/2010 of 8 April in this respect.

METHOD

A qualitative descriptive study, based on the focus group technique, using discourse analysis of the views of doctors and nurses responsible for the health care of terminal cancer and non-cancer patients in an acute-care hospital.

RESULTS

The results obtained show that there are diverse obstacles to assure the rights of terminal patients, and to ensure the proper performance of their duties by healthcare professionals and institutions. The nature and impact of these difficulties depend on the characteristics of the patients and their families, the health workers involved, the organisation of health care, and cultural factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights the need to improve the process of communication with patients and their families, to facilitate shared decision making and to establish measures to clarify issues such as palliative sedation and treatment limitation. It is necessary to improve the applicability of the law on living wills and dignified death in non-cancer specialist areas. Further training is needed regarding ethical, spiritual and anthropological aspects of care in these situations.