Registered nurse case managers' work experiences with a person-centered collaborative healthcare model: an interview...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Nursing

Background:

• Multimorbidity is a growing concern, especially in older adults, impacting quality of life and increasing healthcare utilization.
• Person-centered care interventions show promise for improving outcomes in patients with multimorbidity.
• Understanding Registered Nurse Case Managers' (RNCMs) experiences in integrated care models is crucial for optimizing practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe RNCMs' work experiences within a person-centered collaborative healthcare model (PCCHCM).

Main Methods:

• An inductive qualitative design was employed.
• Data were collected through individual interviews with 11 RNCMs.
• Qualitative content analysis was used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• RNCMs' experiences were categorized as 'Being a detective,' 'Being a mediator,' 'Being a partner,' and 'Being a facilitator of development.'
• The main category was 'Tailoring healthcare and social services to safeguard the patient's best,' highlighting RNCMs' efforts in assessing needs and coordinating care.
• RNCMs actively engaged patients and relatives in decision-making, facilitated personalized agreements, and improved collaboration with other professionals.

Conclusions:

• RNCMs effectively tailor healthcare and social services, upholding person-centered care and continuity.
• Integrated care models must accommodate unique contexts and adapt RNCM roles to individual patient and local needs.
• Further research from patient and relative perspectives is needed to fully understand the PCCHCM's impact on involvement, security, and care coordination.