[Task delegation in primary care: new roles to the nursing personnel in Catalunya].

Abstract

A model of provision of primary care is experimented in a Catalan health centre. The model implies more varied roles and greater autonomy to nurses. They are the first contact of the patients coming to the health center. They base their decisions on a Guide for interventions on emergencies. The latter are distributed into 3 groups: (i) the cases which can be dealt with and finalized by the misusing the protocols previously established; (ii) the cases which require immediate care from the nurse, later intervention from the physician and common finalization at the end; (iii) the cases which require immediate intervention from the physician and, if the physician is not available, an evaluation from the nurse in the meanwhile. On 202 patients requesting a consultation on the same day, the data below are obtained:--70% cases have been resolved by the nurse using the Guide--14% cases have been resolved by the nurse after a telephone conversation with the physician--16% have been orientated to the relevant departments. Moreover, the on duty physician has been consulted in 6% The Guide appears therefore extremely useful. However, in the long range, the need for additional training in some specific domains were emerging, and that of constant interchange between physicians and nurses as well.