Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The World Health Organization estimates that the diseases caused by contaminated food constitute one of the most widespread sanitary problems. Currently, the food prepared at home have had great influence on the ocurrence of outbreaks of Diseases Transmitted by Food (DTFs), as a result of hygienic failures in the manipulation of foods. Taking this situation into account, this work aimed to develop and apply an education program on good practice for the manipulation of foods at home. The present study was conducted in 615 houses distributed in the 8 Administrative Regions (AR) of the city of Santa Maria RS, between March and November 2011. In order to make the diagnosis, the person in charge of the manipulation of foods at home was asked to complete a form covering personal data, knowledge and practice of food safety. Also, a List of Evaluation of Good Practice at Home (LEGPH) was applied to identify the level of hygienic and sanitary conditions in home kitchens. After the diagnosis, an education program was developed using the most popular means of communication reported by the population for a further reapplication of the LEGPH in a third of the sample of homes with the aim of evaluating the efficiency of this program. Through the application of the form, it was found that the urban central region differed in most cases from the north, south, central-west and western regions. The level of education of the interviewees influenced on the classification of the houses, that is, the higher the level of education, the higher the level of adequacy. After the education program, it was verified that there was no significant difference in the level of adequacy of the houses when compared to the first application, however, an enhancement was observed in almost all of the items of the LEGPH. Since it is difficult to modify practices and habits of the population with only three months of educational actions, it is suggested the need to continue with programs on the consciousness-raising process of the population due to the risks related to food manipulation, seeking a food safety perspective and an improvement of the quality of life of the population. / A Organização Mundial de Saúde estima que as enfermidades causadas por alimentos contaminados constituem um dos problemas sanitários mais difundidos no mundo. Atualmente, os alimentos preparados nos domicílios têm grande influência na ocorrência de surtos de Doenças Transmitidas por Alimentos (DTAs), como resultado de falhas higiênicas na manipulação dos alimentos. Tendo em vista o exposto, objetivou-se desenvolver e aplicar um programa educativo sobre boas práticas na manipulação de alimentos nos domicílios. O presente estudo foi realizado em 615 domicílios distribuídos nas 8 Regiões Administrativas (RA) da cidade de Santa Maria RS, nos meses de março a novembro de 2011. Para a realização do diagnóstico, aplicou-se um formulário com o responsável pela manipulação de alimentos nos domicílios, abrangendo dados pessoais, conhecimentos e práticas em segurança dos alimentos, assim como foi aplicada uma Lista de Avaliação das Boas Práticas nos Domicílios (LABPD) para identificar o nível higiênico-sanitário das cozinhas domiciliares. Após o diagnóstico, foi desenvolvido um programa educativo utilizando os meios de comunicação de maior acesso relatados pela população para, posteriormente, reaplicação da LABPD em um terço da amostra de domicílios com o intuito de avaliar a eficácia desse programa. Constatou-se, através da aplicação do formulário, que a região centro urbano diferiu-se, na maioria das vezes, da região norte, sul, centro-oeste e oeste. O nível de escolaridade dos entrevistados influenciou na classificação dos domicílios, ou seja, quanto maior o nível de escolaridade, maior o nível de adequação. Após o programa educativo, verificou-se que não houve uma diferença significativa no nível de adequação dos domicílios quando comparada com a primeira aplicação; no entanto, observou-se uma melhora em quase todos os itens da LABPD. Por ser difícil modificar práticas e hábitos da população com apenas três meses de ações educativas, sugere-se a necessidade de continuidade de programas no processo de conscientização da população, em virtude dos riscos relacionados à manipulação dos alimentos, buscando uma perspectiva de segurança alimentar e melhoria da qualidade de vida da coletividade.

Bakgrund: Inom den kommunala äldreomsorgen har sjuksköterskan ett omvårdnadsansvar i vilket det ingår att se till att äldre som bor på särskilda boenden eller har någon form av hemsjukvårdsinsatser erhåller en säker vård. Omvårdnadspersonalen har närmst kontakt med de äldre inom den kommunala omsorgen. För att verksamheten ska fungera delegerar sjuksköterskor medicinska arbetsuppgifter till omvårdnadspersonalen. Dock får delegering endast ske då det är förenligt med en god och säker vård, något som enligt forskning visat sig vara en utmaning för sjuksköterskorna. Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av delegering av medicinska arbetsuppgifter inom kommunal äldreomsorg. Metod: Studien utfördes som en kvalitativ intervjustudie med semistruktuerade intervjufrågor där sju sjuksköterskor som arbetade inom kommunal äldreomsorg medverkade (varav en var sjuksköterska och sex var distriktssköterskor). Det material som framkom genom intervjuerna analyserades genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys med utgångspunkt i Graneheim och Lundmans metodbeskrivning. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i fyra kategorier: Villkor från verksamheten för delegering, teamets betydelse för delegering som gemensam uppgift, stå som ansvarig för delegering samt förbättringsförslag utifrån erfarenheter i samband med delegering. Kategorin Villkor från verksamheten för delegering handlar om arbetsmiljö, rutiner och utbildning i samband med delegering. Kategorin Teamets betydelse för delegering som gemensam uppgift handlar om kompetensen och kommunikationen i teamet. Kategorin Stå som ansvarig för delegering handlar om att ansvara för att skapa en säker delegeringsprocess och kategorin Förbättringsförslag utifrån erfarenheter i samband med delegering handlar om förslag på förbättringsarbete. Slutsats: Resultatet visade att sjuksköterskorna kunde känna press från organisationen och på grund av tidspress samt att de kände en kluvenhet mellan att hitta den bästa lösningen för patienten men samtidigt skapa en säker vård i samband med delegering. Resultatet har lett till ökad förståelse och ökade kunskaper kring delegeringsförfarandet. / Background: In municipal elderly care, the nurse has a nursing responsibility which includes ensuring that the elderly who live in special housing or have some form of home care interventions receive safe care. The nursing staff has the closest contact with the elderly in municipal care. In order for the operation to work, nurses delegate medical tasks to the nursing staff, however, delegation may only take place when it is compatible with good and safe care, something which according to research has proven to be a challenge for the nurses. Aim: The aim was to investigate nurses' experiences of delegating medical tasks within municipal elderly care. Method: The study was conducted as a qualitative interview study with semi-structured interview questions in which seven nurses working in municipal elderly care participated (of which one was a nurse and six were district nurses). The material that emerged from the interviews was analyzed through qualitative content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman's method description. Result: The analysis resulted in four categories: Conditions from the activities for delegation, the team's importance for delegation as a joint task, being responsible for delegation and improvement proposals based on experience in connection with delegation. The category Terms from the activities for delegation deals with the work environment, routines and training in connection with delegation. The category The team's importance for delegation as a common task is about the competence and communication in the team. The category Stand as responsible for delegation is about being responsible for creating a secure delegation process and category Improvement proposals based on experience in connection with delegation is about proposals for improvement work. Conclusion: The results showed that the nurses could feel pressure from the organization and due to time pressure and that they felt a gap between finding the best solution for the patient but at the same time creating a safe care in connection with delegation. The result has led to increased understanding and increased knowledge of the delegation procedure.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to explore nurse-patient encounters from the perspective of the Home Healthcare Registered Nurse. A qualitative descriptive design was used to collect data from a purposive sample of 20 home healthcare registered nurses from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island currently or previously employed as a home healthcare nurse. Four themes and one interconnecting theme emerged from the data: Objective Language; Navigating the Unknown; Mitigating Risk; Looking for Reciprocality in the Encounter; and the interconnecting theme of Acknowledging Not All Nurse-Patient Encounters Go Well. One goal of the study was to propose an empirically informed definition of what constituted a difficult encounter. An important early finding was that the terms difficult patient and difficult encounter were not generally used by study participants. HHC RNs voiced a preference for objective and nonjudgmental language to communicate outcomes of nurse-patient encounters. Three types of HHC RN-patient interactions emerged from the data, with constructive encounters the norm and non-constructive or destructive encounters less frequent. A constructive encounter is when two or more human beings, the nurse on the one side, and the patient, caregiver, or both on the other, interact to achieve a mutually agreed upon outcome. A nonconstructive encounter is when one or more human beings obstruct efforts to achieve at least one positive outcome. A destructive encounter is when one or more human beings direct anger at or physically aggress toward another human being. Strategies to promote reciprocality are routinely employed during HHC RN-patient encounters, but HHC RNs who miss cues that a strategy is ineffective or failed may be at risk in the home. Study data lend support to key concepts, assumptions, and propositions of Travelbee’s (1971) Human-to-Human Relationship Model. Study results provide a foundation for further research to increase the understanding, recognition, and development of empirically derived responses to non-constructive or destructive encounters such that HHC RNs are safe and best able to meet patients’ healthcare needs.

Bakgrund: Efter psykiatrireformen trädde i kraft 1995 och sjukhusen för psykiatri stängde, krävdes mer heltäckande insatser för personer med psykisk ohälsa. God samverkan mellan psykiatrisk öppenvård och kommunal hemsjukvård är nödvändig för att bedriva personcentrerad vård. Tidigare forskning visar på hämmande och främjande faktorer för samverkan, dock saknas det forskning om sjuksköterskors upplevelse av samverkan utifrån svensk kontext.  Syfte: Att identifiera hämmande och främjande faktorer i samverkansprocessen och beskriva hur sjuksköterskor inom psykiatrisk öppenvården upplever samverkan med sjuksköterskor inom kommunal hemsjukvård, gällande gemensamma patienter. Metod: En kvalitativ metodologi med induktiv ansats har valts för föreliggande studie och datainsamlingen gjordes via en digital enkät på Survey and Report. Genom ett snöbollsurval svarade 13 respondenter och inkluderingskriterierna var sjuksköterskor som arbetade på psykiatrisk öppenvård med vuxna patienter med psykisk ohälsa, inskrivna i den kommunala hemsjukvården. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys.  Resultat: Resultatet visar på att det krävs samverkan mellan psykiatrisk öppenvård och kommunal hemsjukvård för att kunna arbeta personcentrerat. Relation, engagemang och yrkeskompetens upplevdes väsentliga för att samarbete ska uppstå. Sjuksköterskorna i den psykiatriska öppenvården upplever att samverkan sker på en individuell nivå och att vårdprocessen saknar en tydlig ansvarsfördelning. Studien visade slutligen på att det krävs resurser och tydliga gemensamma riktlinjer för att främja samverkan.  Slutsats: Samverkan bidrar till en personcentrerad vård där olika instanser kommer samman för att ge trygghet till patienten. Samverkan baseras på gemensamma, tydliga mål och riktlinjer mellan den psykiatriska öppenvården och den kommunala hemsjukvården. Det i sin tur skapar samsyn som krävs för att samtliga instanser ska kunna möta patientens behov genom ett gemensamt och unisont förhållningssätt. Samsyn ökar tilliten i relationen mellan sjuksköterskorna i den psykiatriska öppenvården och den kommunala hemsjukvården. / Bakgrund: Efter att psykiatrireformen trädde i kraft 1995 och psykiatriska sjukhus stängdes krävdes ett utvecklat samarbete mellan psykiatrisk öppenvård och kommunal hemsjukvård för att ge mer omfattande insatser för personer med psykisk ohälsa. Ett gott samarbete mellan olika myndigheter är nödvändigt för att ge personcentrerad vård. Tidigare forskning visar att det hämmar och främjar faktorer för samverkan, men det saknas forskning om sjuksköterskors upplevelse av samverkan utifrån den svenska kontexten. Syfte: Att identifiera hämmande och främjande faktorer i samverkansprocessen och beskriva hur sjuksköterskor i psykiatrisk öppenvård upplever samverkan med sjuksköterskor i kommunal hemsjukvård, avseende vanliga patienter. Metod: En kvalitativ metodik med induktiv ansats har valts för denna studie och datainsamlingen gjordes via en digital enkät om Enkät och Rapport. Genom ett snöbollsurval svarade 13 respondenter och inklusionskriterierna var sjuksköterskor som arbetade inom psykiatrisk öppenvård med vuxna patienter med psykisk ohälsa, inskrivna i den kommunala hemsjukvården. Materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Resultaten visar att det krävs samverkan mellan psykiatrisk öppenvård och kommunal hemsjukvård för att kunna arbeta personcentrerat. Relation, engagemang och yrkeskompetens upplevdes som avgörande för att samarbete skulle kunna ske. Sjuksköterskan i psykiatrisk öppenvård upplever att samverkan sker på individnivå och att vårdprocessen saknar en tydlig ansvarsfördelning. Studien visade slutligen att det krävs resurser och tydliga ömsesidiga riktlinjer för att främja samarbete. Slutsatser: Samarbetet bidrar till personcentrerad vård där olika myndigheter samverkar för att skapa trygghet för patienten. Samarbetet bygger på ömsesidiga, tydliga mål och riktlinjer mellan den psykiatriska öppenvården och den kommunala hemsjukvården. Detta skapar samsyn, vilket krävs för att alla myndigheter ska kunna möta patientens behov genom ett gemensamt och unisont förhållningssätt. Ett gemensamt förhållningssätt ökar förtroendet för relationen mellan sjuksköterskorna i psykiatrisk öppenvård och den kommunala hemsjukvården.

La dialyse péritonéale (DP) est une thérapie d’épuration extra-rénale qui peut se réaliser à domicile par l’entremise d’une technologie. Elle exige, du patient certaines aptitudes, (motivation et compétence) et de l’équipe de soins, une organisation particulière pour arriver à une autonomie d’exécution de l’épuration. Dans un contexte de thérapie à domicile, comme celui de la dialyse péritonéale, le niveau d’autonomie des patients ainsi que les facteurs qui y sont associés n’ont pas été examinés auparavant. C’est l’objet de cette thèse. En se fondant sur la théorie de l’autodétermination et sur une revue de la littérature, un cadre conceptuel a été développé et fait l’hypothèse que trois types de facteurs essentiels pourraient influencer l’autonomie. Il s’agit de facteurs individuels, technologiques et organisationnels. Pour tester ces hypothèses, un devis mixte séquentiel, composé de deux volets, a été réalisé. Un premier volet qualitatif - opérationnalisé par des entrevues auprès de 12 patients et de 11 infirmières - a permis, d’une part, d’explorer et de mieux définir les dimensions de l’autonomie pertinente dans le cadre de la DP; d’autre part de bonifier le développement d’un questionnaire. Après validation, ce dernier a servi à la collecte de données lors du deuxième volet quantitatif et alors a permis d’obtenir des résultats auprès d’un échantillon probabiliste (n =98), tiré de la population des dialysés péritonéaux du Québec (N=700). L’objectif de ce deuxième volet était de mesurer le degré d’autonomie des patients, d’examiner les associations entre les facteurs technologiques, organisationnels ainsi qu’individuels et les différentes dimensions de l’autonomie. Des analyses univariées et multivariées ont été réalisées à cet effet. Les résultats obtenus montrent que quatre dimensions d’autonomie sont essentielles à atteindre en dialyse à domicile. Il s’agit de l’autonomie, sur le plan clinique, technique, fonctionnel (liberté journalière) et organisationnel (indépendance par rapport à l’institution de soins). Pour ces quatre types d’autonomie, les patients ont rapporté être hautement autonomes, un résultat qui se reflète dans les scores obtenus sur une échelle de 1 à 5 : l’autonomie clinique (4,1), l’autonomie technique (4,8), l’autonomie fonctionnelle (4,1) et l’autonomie organisationnelle (4,5). Chacun de ces types d’autonomie est associé à des degrés variables aux trois facteurs du modèle conceptuel : facteurs individuels (motivation et compétence), technologique (convivialité) et organisationnels (soutien clinique, technique et familial). Plus spécifiquement, la motivation serait associée à l’autonomie fonctionnelle. La convivialité serait associée à l’autonomie clinique, alors que la myopathie pourrait la compromettre. La convivialité de la technologie et la compétence du patient contribueraient à une meilleure autonomie organisationnelle. Quant à l’autonomie sur le plan technique, tous les patients ont rapporté être hautement autonomes en ce qui concerne la manipulation de la technologie. Ce résultat s’expliquerait par une formation adéquate mise à la disposition des patients en prédialyse, par le suivi continu et par la manipulation quotidienne pendant des années d’utilisation. Bien que dans cette thèse la technologie d’application soit la dialyse péritonéale, nous retenons que lorsqu’on transfère la maîtrise d’une technologie thérapeutique à domicile pour traiter une maladie chronique, il est primordial d’organiser ce transfert de telle façon que les trois facteurs techniques (convivialité), individuels (motivation, formation et compétence), et organisationnels (soutien de l’aidant) soient mis en place pour garantir une autonomie aux quatre niveaux, technique, clinique, fonctionnel et organisationnel. / Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a home-based therapy that purifies blood via a peritoneal membrane to treat patients with end-stage renal disease. It requires from the patient some aptitudes (competence and motivation) and from the caregivers a particular organization to foster patient autonomy. However, in the context of a home-based therapy, such as in peritoneal dialysis, autonomy is a poorly conceptualized entity and has not been specifically measured. The objective of this thesis was to identify the dimensions and the levels of the patient’s autonomy and the factors associated in the context of using peritoneal dialysis. On the basis of the Self-determination theory and a literature review, a conceptual framework was developed which assumed that three main factors could influence the autonomy: individual (motivation, competence), technological (user-friendliness), and organizational factors (different types of support). To test the assumptions supported by our framework, a mixed method design composed of two sequential phases was developed. A first qualitative phase - conducted through open-ended interviews with 12 patients and 11 nurses - was performed to explore and better define the dimensions of autonomy of the patients treated by peritoneal dialysis. The data obtained was used to enhance the development of a questionnaire, which was mailed during the second quantitative phase to a random sample of patients. This questionnaire was completed and returned by 98 patients from the population of Québec peritoneal dialysis users (N=700). The objective of this second phase was to assess the patients’ autonomy levels and to examine the relationship between the three factors (individual, technological and organizational) and the four dimensions of autonomy. Data were analysed using univariate statistics and multiple linear regression model. Our results show that four dimensions of autonomy are essential to achieve peritoneal dialysis at home : clinical autonomy (performing basic clinical tasks), technical (technical tasks), functional (daily freedom) and organizational autonomy (independence from the care centre). The patients gave higher rating for organizational autonomy (4,5 mean score on five-point Likert scale); 4,1 for clinical autonomy; 4,1 score for functional autonomy and 4,8 for technical autonomy. Each of these dimensions of autonomy was associated with one or more of three factors from the conceptual model : individual, technology and organizational factors. In some cases, the type of the peritoneal dialysis technology (manual or automated) contributed to some dimension of autonomy. More specifically, the motivation could facilitate functional autonomy. The technology user-friendliness might allow greater clinical autonomy, but a muscular disease could compromise it. The patient competence and the user-friendliness might contribute to the organizational autonomy. Finally, all the patients reported being highly autonomous on manipulating the technology. This result could be explained by adequate training during the predialysis period, continuous support and daily manipulation of the technology. Even though our results were obtained for the peritoneal dialysis application, we retain that when transferring the handling of a home therapy technology to treat a chronic disease, it is essential to coordinate the transfer so that the three factors, the user-friendliness, individual factors such as motivation and competence, and organizational factors (different types of support) are in place to ensure autonomy at the four levels, technical, clinical, functional and organizational.

By using a natural experiment approach and longitudinal national hospital data, this study sheds light on the objective functions of hospitals with different ownership forms by comparing their relative reductions in HH provision after the implementation of the BBA. The empirical findings reveal that for-profit hospitals behave differently as compared to public and private nonprofit hospitals, due to their different operational objectives. While the response of for-profit hospitals is consistent with the profit-maximizer model, both public and private nonprofit ownership types behave consistently in accordance with the model of two-good producers whose objective is to maximize market outputs for meeting the health care needs of the community, given the break-even requirement. This finding provides support for the tax exemption the United States government has granted private nonprofit hospitals. Although the response patterns of the nonprofit ownership types are in general similar, this study found that, contrary to expectation, religious hospitals were more likely than secular nonprofit hospitals to have reduced HH provision after the BBA. Further studies are needed to explore the difference in operational behaviors between these two ownership types. Built on previous related studies and applying a more comprehensive set of independent and control variables with improved data sources, this study is able to examine the effects of certain organizational and market factors on hospital offering of HH care pre-BBA and the change in the provision of HH care in the six years following the implementation of the BBA. Hospital proportion of Medicare patients, hospital size, total profit margin, case mix index, elderly density in the market are found to be positive determinants of a hospital’s likelihood of offering HH care. However, these organizational and market factors, in general, play a non-significant role in influencing hospitals’ changes in HH care provision after the implementation of the BBA. In the study, explanations and implications of these finding are discussed. Finally, potential limitations to this study and opportunities for future research are addressed.

La dialyse péritonéale (DP) est une thérapie d’épuration extra-rénale qui peut se réaliser à domicile par l’entremise d’une technologie. Elle exige, du patient certaines aptitudes, (motivation et compétence) et de l’équipe de soins, une organisation particulière pour arriver à une autonomie d’exécution de l’épuration. Dans un contexte de thérapie à domicile, comme celui de la dialyse péritonéale, le niveau d’autonomie des patients ainsi que les facteurs qui y sont associés n’ont pas été examinés auparavant. C’est l’objet de cette thèse. En se fondant sur la théorie de l’autodétermination et sur une revue de la littérature, un cadre conceptuel a été développé et fait l’hypothèse que trois types de facteurs essentiels pourraient influencer l’autonomie. Il s’agit de facteurs individuels, technologiques et organisationnels. Pour tester ces hypothèses, un devis mixte séquentiel, composé de deux volets, a été réalisé. Un premier volet qualitatif - opérationnalisé par des entrevues auprès de 12 patients et de 11 infirmières - a permis, d’une part, d’explorer et de mieux définir les dimensions de l’autonomie pertinente dans le cadre de la DP; d’autre part de bonifier le développement d’un questionnaire. Après validation, ce dernier a servi à la collecte de données lors du deuxième volet quantitatif et alors a permis d’obtenir des résultats auprès d’un échantillon probabiliste (n =98), tiré de la population des dialysés péritonéaux du Québec (N=700). L’objectif de ce deuxième volet était de mesurer le degré d’autonomie des patients, d’examiner les associations entre les facteurs technologiques, organisationnels ainsi qu’individuels et les différentes dimensions de l’autonomie. Des analyses univariées et multivariées ont été réalisées à cet effet. Les résultats obtenus montrent que quatre dimensions d’autonomie sont essentielles à atteindre en dialyse à domicile. Il s’agit de l’autonomie, sur le plan clinique, technique, fonctionnel (liberté journalière) et organisationnel (indépendance par rapport à l’institution de soins). Pour ces quatre types d’autonomie, les patients ont rapporté être hautement autonomes, un résultat qui se reflète dans les scores obtenus sur une échelle de 1 à 5 : l’autonomie clinique (4,1), l’autonomie technique (4,8), l’autonomie fonctionnelle (4,1) et l’autonomie organisationnelle (4,5). Chacun de ces types d’autonomie est associé à des degrés variables aux trois facteurs du modèle conceptuel : facteurs individuels (motivation et compétence), technologique (convivialité) et organisationnels (soutien clinique, technique et familial). Plus spécifiquement, la motivation serait associée à l’autonomie fonctionnelle. La convivialité serait associée à l’autonomie clinique, alors que la myopathie pourrait la compromettre. La convivialité de la technologie et la compétence du patient contribueraient à une meilleure autonomie organisationnelle. Quant à l’autonomie sur le plan technique, tous les patients ont rapporté être hautement autonomes en ce qui concerne la manipulation de la technologie. Ce résultat s’expliquerait par une formation adéquate mise à la disposition des patients en prédialyse, par le suivi continu et par la manipulation quotidienne pendant des années d’utilisation. Bien que dans cette thèse la technologie d’application soit la dialyse péritonéale, nous retenons que lorsqu’on transfère la maîtrise d’une technologie thérapeutique à domicile pour traiter une maladie chronique, il est primordial d’organiser ce transfert de telle façon que les trois facteurs techniques (convivialité), individuels (motivation, formation et compétence), et organisationnels (soutien de l’aidant) soient mis en place pour garantir une autonomie aux quatre niveaux, technique, clinique, fonctionnel et organisationnel. / Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a home-based therapy that purifies blood via a peritoneal membrane to treat patients with end-stage renal disease. It requires from the patient some aptitudes (competence and motivation) and from the caregivers a particular organization to foster patient autonomy. However, in the context of a home-based therapy, such as in peritoneal dialysis, autonomy is a poorly conceptualized entity and has not been specifically measured. The objective of this thesis was to identify the dimensions and the levels of the patient’s autonomy and the factors associated in the context of using peritoneal dialysis. On the basis of the Self-determination theory and a literature review, a conceptual framework was developed which assumed that three main factors could influence the autonomy: individual (motivation, competence), technological (user-friendliness), and organizational factors (different types of support). To test the assumptions supported by our framework, a mixed method design composed of two sequential phases was developed. A first qualitative phase - conducted through open-ended interviews with 12 patients and 11 nurses - was performed to explore and better define the dimensions of autonomy of the patients treated by peritoneal dialysis. The data obtained was used to enhance the development of a questionnaire, which was mailed during the second quantitative phase to a random sample of patients. This questionnaire was completed and returned by 98 patients from the population of Québec peritoneal dialysis users (N=700). The objective of this second phase was to assess the patients’ autonomy levels and to examine the relationship between the three factors (individual, technological and organizational) and the four dimensions of autonomy. Data were analysed using univariate statistics and multiple linear regression model. Our results show that four dimensions of autonomy are essential to achieve peritoneal dialysis at home : clinical autonomy (performing basic clinical tasks), technical (technical tasks), functional (daily freedom) and organizational autonomy (independence from the care centre). The patients gave higher rating for organizational autonomy (4,5 mean score on five-point Likert scale); 4,1 for clinical autonomy; 4,1 score for functional autonomy and 4,8 for technical autonomy. Each of these dimensions of autonomy was associated with one or more of three factors from the conceptual model : individual, technology and organizational factors. In some cases, the type of the peritoneal dialysis technology (manual or automated) contributed to some dimension of autonomy. More specifically, the motivation could facilitate functional autonomy. The technology user-friendliness might allow greater clinical autonomy, but a muscular disease could compromise it. The patient competence and the user-friendliness might contribute to the organizational autonomy. Finally, all the patients reported being highly autonomous on manipulating the technology. This result could be explained by adequate training during the predialysis period, continuous support and daily manipulation of the technology. Even though our results were obtained for the peritoneal dialysis application, we retain that when transferring the handling of a home therapy technology to treat a chronic disease, it is essential to coordinate the transfer so that the three factors, the user-friendliness, individual factors such as motivation and competence, and organizational factors (different types of support) are in place to ensure autonomy at the four levels, technical, clinical, functional and organizational.

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether home health care is a better choice of care from an economic and quality of care perspective than conventional care for people over 65. To answer this, the costs for the two care models were estimated using parametric cost estimation. The quality of care and the cost were evaluated with the "Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process" to determine which of the care models was the best fit. The cost estimate showed that conventional care is cheaper than home care. However, a sensitivity analysis shows that a minimal efficiency in the number of home visits per patient is sufficient for home health care to become the most advantageous alternative from an economic point of view. In addition, a sensitivity analysis also shows that home health care is preferable in five cases out of six, when the weights obtained from the "Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process" are varied. In this preference system, both the cost and the characteristics that make up quality of care are weighted to be summed up to a comprehensive list of priorities of the two care options. Main process maps of the two care models were made to help find significant cost parameters for the two care models. The preparation of the main process maps was done by studying similar process maps to compile two complete overall process maps. However, no significant cost parameters were found when studying the process maps, but they are still included in the study to show the reader an overall difference between the two models. The study shows that home health care is usually more expensive than on-site care, but that home health care is, from a quality point of view, preferable to conventional care. / Studiens mål var att utvärdera om hemsjukvård är ett bättre vårdval ur ekonomisk- och vårdkvalitets synpunkt än konventionell vård för personer över 65. För att besvara detta uppskattades kostnaderna för de båda vårdmodellerna med hjälp av parametrisk kostnadsuppskattning. Vårdkvaliteten samt kostnaden utvärderades med ”Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process” för att avgöra vilken av vårdmodellerna som lämpade sig bäst. Kostnadsestimeringen visade på att konventionell vård är billigare än hemsjukvård. Dock påvisar en känslighetsanalys på att en minimal effektivisering för antalet hembesök per patient är tillräckligt för att hemsjukvården ska övergå till att vara det mest fördelaktiga alternativet ur ekonomisk synpunkt. Utöver detta visar en känslighetsanalys dessutom på att hemsjukvård är att preferera i fem fall utav sex, när de framtagna vikterna från ”Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process” varieras. I detta preferenssystem viktas både kostnaden samt egenskaperna som utgör vårdkvalitet för att summeras till en övergripande allomfattande prioriteringslista av de båda vårdalternativen.  Huvudprocesskartor över de båda vårdmodellerna framställdes för att hitta betydliga kostnadsparametrar för de båda vårdmodellerna. Framställningen av huvudprocesskartorna utfördes genom att studera likande processkartor för att sammanställa två fullständiga övergripande processkartor. Dock hittades inga betydliga kostnadsparametrar när processkartorna studerades, men finns ändå med i studien för att visa läsaren en övergriplig skillnad mellan de två modellerna. Studien visar på att hemsjukvård vanligtvis är dyrare än vård på plats, men att hemsjukvård ur kvalitetssynpunkt är att föredra framför konventionell vård.

Advanced home care (ASIH) enables the patient to stay at home rather than to stay hospitalized in connection with severe medical conditions, while simultaneously this Thesis demonstrates that this is in fact not completely unproblematic and without risk. This partly because ASIH proves to be a complex form of care with many different kind of collaterally ongoing care contacts and efforts of care and concern, partly since ASIH concurrently can assume an overview over the treatment process and collaboration or cooperation between several treatment agents from different kinds of organizations and/or operations during all hours. This composes a relatively new heterogenetic and multifaceted context of care which to the professional practice means both new and less known problems within patient safety, which substantially can obstruct and rule out both the completion and the implementation of a safe home care. The Thesis is based upon an exploratory case study of problems within patient safety in correlation with an advanced home care, and where the research study has had its starting position in the professional practice with an interactive and qualitative research approach. The case study houses two part studies which show that the patient safety problems can be related to an intermediary and multi-organizational form of care, rather than an single operation. A command and control view upon the problems of patient safety, which the professional practice faces, show that missions within the frame of the care form ASIH can be regarded as either a complicated and not rarely a complex operation consistent with Alberts &amp; Hayes (2007) and Brehmers (2008a; 2009c) terminology and where the assignments includes dynamic decision tasks. The case study reveals that the patient safety problems which concretely can obstruct and rule out the completion or implementation of the assignments in a safe way, can be considered related to the layout of the description of the assignments and also a lack of operative and tactical command and control level (of the handling and care of patients) in correlation with the different sorts of assignments that prevails – coincidentally as there is no suitable organization (forums of cooperation) and no appropriate IT-resources for the liaisons which effectively manages to promote and support the forms of cooperation that the character of the assignments also needs. The implicit system of conduct which comes forth through the analysis indicates that there is a need of improvement in order to enable effective command and control for a safer care, since the form of the system of conduct according to Brehmer´s (2006a,b; 2007a,b; 2008a,b; 2009c, 2010, 2011) model fails to satisfy the needs set by the function of command and control. The conclusion of the case study is that advanced home care should be regarded as an intermediary and multi-organizational care form which includes dynamic decision tasks and character wise complex operations contemplated per patient, thus demanding substantial command and control resources, a new point of view upon management and new auxiliary means of management in order to maintain a safe care during the implementation. The hypothesis which has been crystallized during the conclusions of the case study is that a more effective control and command and appropriate auxiliary means of command and control in real time, concerning primarily the handling of patients at the time of a change in care form, can improve the conditions of work in the professional practice and also result in more patient time, which consequently can be expected to contribute to concept of “Good care” i.g. cost effective, patient safe and dignified care. / <p>QC 20120525</p>