Suggestions for improving continuity of medication between hospital and home in a local context of Wallonia

Background: Unjustified modifications of the patient’s usual medication during his hospitalisation induce various problems for the patient (confusion, additional costs) and for healthcare professionals (work overload, additional cost). The principle of favouring dialogue between local actors to reach commonly accepted solutions (KCE, 2010) was used in the current study. Research question: Which local strategies could be implemented to improve continuity of drug therapy when the patient moves to hospital or back home? Method: The study took place in Liège (Wallonia). Participants were recruited within four professional groups: general practitioners, hospital specialists, pharmacists and hospital stakeholders. First, a nominal group was carried out for each professional group. Prioritized suggestions were obtained. In a second phase, Delphi method was used. Suggestions from the nominal group were submitted to representatives of each profession (a total of 40) to evaluate relevance, acceptability and feasibility of each one. Results: A total of 101 suggestions were evoked in the first phase. They were related to two main themes: implication of well-defined actors and development of specific means. Five consensual suggestions emerged from the Delphi process: provision by the general practitioner of a complete list of medication on hospital admission; provision by the hospital specialist of a list of drugs at discharge; development of formal hospital processes to keep the patient’s usual medication; centralisation of medication data; development and use of a unique medical record. Conclusion: A link medium handled by the patient when he moves to the hospital and back home is the major idea mentioned and accepted by local actors.Peer reviewe

Enseignement de la compétence collaborative en Médecine de famille à Liège.

Echange d'expériences liégeoises sur les enseignements visant à développer la compétence collaboration en médecine de famille. Présentation ppt aux différentes universités vietnamiennes, partenaires du projet.17. Partnerships for the goal

Collaboration interprofessionnelle entre médecins généralistes et infirmières à domicile en Belgique: une recherche-action participative

peer reviewedGiven the sociodemographic challenges facing the Belgian primary care system, it is essential to strengthen interprofessional collaboration (IPC) between healthcare providers. Therefore, our aims for this study were to assess IPC between general practitioners (GPs) and nurses; identify target priorities for improving IPC; and facilitate the planning and implementation of the proposed improvement strategies. Based on diversity criteria, six groups of GPs and nurses were chosen for a participatory action research. Participants performed a SWOT analysis of their IPC to identify strengths and weaknesses of their collaboration practice configurations. Main factors limiting IPC were related to the type of financing system which impeded or facilitated multidisciplinary team meetings, a weak functional integration, and a lack of interprofessional education. Overall, communication and task delegation were co-identified as common priorities. Actions prioritized by each group were related to these two priorities and accounted for local, specific needs. Communication could be supported through improved tools and dedicating time for multidisciplinary team meetings. Task delegation was more challenging and raised questions related to nurses' training, legislation, and payment systems. IPC seems to be easier to achieve when healthcare professionals belong to the same organization and consider themselves a team

Local coordination between levels of care: opportunities and threats

Background: Coordination between levels of care is not compulsory in the Belgian health system. Patients have direct access to specialists. Hence, competition between professionals and fragmentation of care do occur, leading to poor quality of care and waste of resources. A strategy that improves communication and coordination between actors and stakeholders at a local scale represents a solution to develop integrative care oriented to people and community. The Local Health System (LHS), launched 15 years ago with some success in specific settings in Belgium, is the model used for this experience. What could be the opportunities and threats to improve coordination between levels of care in various local contexts?SYLO