Impact on Health, Resources, and Satisfaction: A Qualitative Study of Primary Health Care Case-Management Nurses

The aging population and the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases necessitate new healthcare models. Case-Management Nurses (CMNs) emerge as a promising alternative to enhance patient care.

To explore CMNs' perceptions of the impact on health, resources, and professional satisfaction.

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with CMNs from a southern Spanish province. This study adheres to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). The population consisted of 61 CMNs. Three analytical categories of a theoretical or deductive nature were identified, directly related to this study's objective. This study was approved by the Andalusian Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (Code: 1139-N-22) and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Data analysis was performed using ATLAS.ti.

The sample was comprised of 31 CMNs (24 women). The mean age was 56.3 years. A total of 12 CMNs had more than 20 years of experience. Interviews were conducted between October and November 2022. Within each category, different emerging subcategories were identified: 1. Impact on health: Patients and caregivers. 2. Impact on resources: Computer tools, effectiveness/efficiency of the CMNs, and material resources. 3. Impact on professional satisfaction: Positive professional satisfaction and negative professional satisfaction.

The findings suggest that the practice of CMNs in primary care improves the health and quality of life of patients and their caregivers while reducing healthcare resource utilization. CMNs reported high levels of job satisfaction. These findings support the implementation of this care model to optimize the management of chronic patients in home and residential care settings. However, larger-scale quantitative studies are needed to confirm these results and explore their generalizability.