Implementation of Nursing Demand Management as a Factor for Improvement in a Primary Care Emergency Center.

Overview

Background: Nurse Demand Management was born in 2009 out of the need to address the growth of spontaneous acute demand in primary care. But it is not until 2013 that guidelines for the exercise of nursing actions in demand management were established in Catalonia, Spain. Nurses trained specifically to solve acute and low complexity health problems generate a quality of care comparable to that provided by family medicine doctors. On the other hand, it is worth highlighting the need to rationalise medical resources in primary care centres, primary care emergency centres or points of continuous care (different emergency facilities in the territory in terms of size and services) in order to give priority to doctors being able to dedicate more time to medium or high complexity pathology. Although nurse demand management has been implemented in primary care teams for years, it is being carried out in different intensities according to the needs or priorities of each health territory. The promotion of the autonomous role of nursing through the implementation of nurse demand management in the urgent spontaneous demand of low complexity can be transcendent, both in the optimisation of health resources in primary care and in the management of the demand for care. Hypothesis: The implementation of nurse demand management is a factor of improvement in the efficiency and quality of care in the Primary Care Emergency Centre of the city of Mataró (Barcelona, Spain). Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine whether the implementation of nurse demand management is a factor in improving efficiency and quality of care in the CUAP of Mataró. Methodology: Non-randomised controlled experimental intervention study. Application of a consensual guide with 5 reasons for health consultations where demand management nursing can be applied.

Background: Demand Nurse Management was born in 2009 due to the need to address the growth of spontaneous acute demand in primary care. But it was not until 2013 that guidelines for the practice of demand management nursing were established in Catalonia, Spain. Nurses trained specifically to solve acute and low complexity health problems generate a quality of care comparable to that provided by family medicine physicians. On the other hand, it is worth highlighting the need to rationalize medical resources in primary care centers, primary care emergency centers or points of continuous care (different emergency devices in the territory in terms of size and services) in order to prioritize physicians' time for medium or high complexity pathology. Although nurse demand management has been implemented in primary care teams for years, it is being carried out in different intensities according to the needs or priorities of each health territory. The most complete research work, to date, regarding demand management nursing, was carried out between 2011 and 2012 at the Can Bou primary care center in Castelldefels, Barcelona. A retrospective, observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted, which concluded that the application of demand management nursing showed a high resolution of diseases attended and a high percentage of health advice and health education in visits attended autonomously by nurses. Primary care emergency points and centers form a powerful network in the spontaneous urgent demand of low and medium complexity and help to stop the collapse of hospital care and make it easier for hospital care to focus on highly complex or vital emergencies. The promotion of the autonomous role of nursing through the implementation of nurse demand management in urgent spontaneous demand of low complexity can be transcendent, both in the optimization of health resources in primary care throughout the territory, as well as in the improvement in terms of the quality and efficiency of these services and the quality of care for their users. Hypothesis: The implementation of nurse demand management is a factor of improvement in the efficiency and quality of care in the Primary Care Emergency Center of the city of Mataró (Barcelona, Spain). Objectives: The main objective was to determine whether the implementation of demand management nursing is a factor for improving efficiency and quality of care in the CUAP of Mataró, and specifically, to evaluate whether it frees time for physicians to attend medium and high complexity health problems, reduces consultations for health problems attended within 15 days, the level of user satisfaction, and whether it facilitates efficiency and quality with respect to waiting time and resolution of the health problem. Methodology: Non-randomized controlled experimental intervention study. Application of a consensual guide with 5 health consultation reasons where the nursing management of the demand can be applied the first fifteen days of each month in the emergency center of Mataró (experimental group) and until reaching the necessary sample of 156 subjects. Control group of application in the second fortnight of each more where the usual operation is applied and until reaching a necessary sample of 156 subjects. Determinations: Sociodemographic, clinical data, characteristics of the visits and patient experience will be collected. Statistical analysis: Descriptive, correlational and multivariate analysis will be performed. Expected results: Improvement in waiting time, resolution, number of consultations and user satisfaction with respect to low intensity health consultations under the application of nurse demand management. Improved efficiency of the emergency center and quality of care of the service. Applicability and Relevance: This is a first prospective experimental study that may help public health authorities to determine the general interest in the widespread implementation of demand management nursing in emergency and non-emergency primary care.