Unscheduled home consultations by registered nurses may reduce acute clinic visits

Autor: Karin Bergman, Lena Hedén, Annelie J Sundler, Malin Östman, Jenny Hallgren
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Health Services Research, Vol 24, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11643-3
Popis: Abstract Background To effectively utilize available healthcare resources, integrated care models are recommended. According to such model’s, registered nurses have the potential to increase patient access to health care services and alleviate organizational workload. Studies on acute home consultation assessments by registered nurses are sparse. The aim was to describe the reasons and actions for unscheduled same-day face-to-face registered nurse consultation at home offered to patients calling the national telephone helpline for healthcare in Sweden (SHD 1177), according to the integrated Collaborative Health Care model. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed. Data from registered nurses (n = 259) working within the Collaborative Health Care model, who performed unscheduled consultations at home (n = 615) using a data collection tool from 2017 to 2018 were collected. Results Among the 615 unscheduled home consultations performed by registered nurses, > 50% of the patients were managed at home as their health problems were not deemed as requiring a same-day referral to a clinic when assessed by the registered nurses. The most frequent health problems and reasons for contact were urinary tract problems, followed by medical and surgical conditions. Social factors, including living alone, impacted referral. Those living with a partner received care at home to a greater extent than those who lived alone. Conclusion An integrated model for healthcare involving registered nurses direct assessment, action and accountability seems to be an efficient option for providing integrated care at home and reducing acute clinic visits.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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