Competencias transversales de los profesionales que facilitan atención domiciliaria a pacientes crónicos

AIM: To determine the relevance level of non-technical skills of those professionals dedicated to the healthcare of patients with chronic diseases, from an analysis of home care professionals. DESIGN: Quantitative and qualitative research conducted in 2 phases: 1. st from November 2010 to March 2011 and 2. nd from December 2012 to August 2013. SETTING: Health Region of Barcelona city. PARTICIPANTS: During the 1. st phase, 30 professionals from homecare teams (3 from Primary Care and 3 from Hospitals). In 2. nd phase, 218 professionals from 50 Primary Healthcare Centres and 7 home care programmes. METHOD: Purposive sampling in was used in the1st phase, and randomized sampling in the 2. nd phase. Likert scales and focus group were used. RESULTS: A total of 19 skill categories were identified in the 1. st phase. In the 2. nd phase 3 metacategories were established: comprehensive patient-centered care, interprofessional organization, and inter-health care fields and interpersonal skills. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to improve and secure the professionals relationships between levels of healthcare, continuity of healthcare, biopsychosocial model and holistic attention to patients and relatives, looking at emotions, expectations, feelings, beliefs and values. It is essential to design and implement continuing training in transferable skills in every healthcare centre, through active methodologies.