Health Education and the continuity of care at discharge from an Internal Medicine Unit. Opinion of patients and carers
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Macías Maroto M, Heras Gombáu T, Montealegre Comino M. La EPS y la continuidad de los cuidados al alta hospitalaria de una Unidad de Medicina Interna. Metas de Enferm feb 2010; 13(1): 10-14
Authors
1Marta Macías Maroto, 2Teresa Heras Gombáu, 3Mercedes Montealegre Comino
Position
1Enfermera. Unidad de Medicina Interna del Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Madrid, 2Enfermera. Adjunta de Enfermería.3Profesora asociada en Ciencias de la Salud. Departamento de Enfermería y Fisioterapia de la Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid.
Contact address
Marta Macías Maroto. C/ Pasaje Plaza de España, 3. 28880 Meco (Madrid)
Contact email: martam_m@hotmail.com
Abstract
Objective: to assess the opinion of patients and/or carers admitted to an internal medicine unit, on the educational material developed for a Health Education activity aimed at addressing altered care needs at hospital discharge.
Material and methods: cross-sectional descriptive study performed in the Príncipe de Asturias Hospital of Madrid, with 156 patients admitted to an internal medicine unit who presented a moderate-mild level of dependence. Study variables were: age, sex, presence of carers, level of dependence measured using the Cruz Roja’s Physical Incapacity Scale, clinical reason for admittance and opinion on the leaflets used aimed at addressing altered needs. In addition to the use of documental sources, a self-elaborated questionnaire was administered.
Results: 76% of patients in the study had carers in their home and the most frequent level of dependence was 1 (mild) (52%). The basic needs that most required leaflet-supported health education were diet (95,2%), avoidance of danger (81%) and mobility (61,9%). In the assessment of the opinion of patients and/or carers on the written material that was provided, 85,7% understood the information very well and 85,5% deemed it to be very useful. Only 37,8% assigned the maximum value to the possibility of performing these measures at home.
Conclusions: the use of leaflets presenting hygienic-dietary measures for the management of altered basic needs was positively received by patients and/or carers. The leaflets provided simple and useful information on the measures that can affect the patient’s independence at hospital discharge. Further studies should be carried out to assess their real impact at discharge and in the following period of time at home.
Keywords:
basic needs; Cruz Roja’s Physical Incapacity Scale; health education; hospital discharge; independence; leafletV Henderson model
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