Nurse resolution of self-limiting mild processes in health care. Descriptive study

• Published in: Atención primaria Vol. 54; no. 4; p. 102219
• Main Authors: Román-Baquero, Judit, Redondo-Collado, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Spain 01-04-2022
• Subjects: Delivery of Health Care; Diarrhea - therapy; Female; Health Facilities; Humans; Pharyngitis; Referral and Consultation; Gestión de la demanda; Effectiveness; Atención primaria; Primary health care; Demand management; Low complexity problems; Proceso leve autolimitado; Efectividad; Process assessment; Enfermería de práctica avanzada; Evaluación de procesos; Advanced practice nursing
• ISSN: 1578-1275
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2021.102219

To describe the capacity of the primary health care's nurse in the resolution of the self-limiting mild processes after the implementation of the healthcare demand's process in Basque Country.
25 primary health care centers of the OSI Bilbao-Basurto.
An observational, descriptive, transversal study. Using as a guide protocols previously agreed and within hers scope of competence, the nurse values and resolves five self-limiting mild processes: upper airway infection, sore throat, fever, nausea and/or vomiting and diarrhea. Furthermore, the nurse can refer patients to other specialist in the cases concomitant disease is detected or their state of heath is aggravated.
6985 patient's records, who consulted 1 of 5 self-limiting mild processes from 1st November 2019 to 29th February 2020, were analyzed.
The main variable was the nurse's resolution. The three possible resolutions ways were health education, health education, medical administrative consultation and health education, and medical consultation.
The nurse solved the 47% of the self-limiting mild processes. According to the type of process, differences in the resolution were appreciated, solving as far as 57% of the processes of consultations for diarrhea. 10.5% (CI 95%; 9.8-11.2%) of the assisted people were followed-up for reasons related to the self-limiting mild processes of the origin. The follow-up consultations were not related to the way the process was resolved.
The nurse solves nearly half of the processes that values in spite of not having some of the tools such as, the competence of indicate and dispense medications.