Nursing interventions for patients with chronic conditions

Area of Science:

• Nursing interventions
• Chronic disease management
• Health-related quality of life

Background:

• Maintaining independence and self-management in chronic conditions enhances quality of life and can reduce healthcare costs.
• Nurses frequently provide these supportive interventions through home visits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe nursing interventions during home visits.
• To evaluate the effects of these interventions on individuals with chronic conditions.

Main Methods:

• A structured descriptive review was conducted.
• Searches were performed across multiple databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane).
• Keywords included terms related to chronic conditions, randomization, and nursing interventions/care.

Main Results:

• Optimal outcomes in older adults were associated with targeting the 'younger-old' or tailoring interventions to specific health issues.
• Intervention effectiveness was influenced by follow-up duration, visit frequency, and nurse characteristics.
• Nursing interventions for diabetes patients improved psychosocial and health outcomes; provider education and time spent with patients were crucial.
• Rheumatology nurse specialists achieved comparable clinical outcomes to rheumatologists, with superior patient-related outcomes, though patient satisfaction was lower than with multidisciplinary teams.

Conclusions:

• Follow-up nursing visits generally benefit patients with chronic conditions.
• Effective interventions are multiple, long-term, and individualized.
• Positive outcomes include patient satisfaction, improved clinical results, and cost savings.
• Future research should detail nurse interventions and backgrounds for replicability and utilize Health Technology Assessment for study comparison.