scholarly journals How to scale up quality and safety program into home care: an accreditation tool proposal

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
V Cristofori ◽  
L Brunelli ◽  
C Battistella ◽  
A Agnoletto ◽  
A Catelani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
Job Description ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Health And Social Care

Abstract Home care is managed with extreme heterogeneity among Italian regions by healthcare and social services. Standardization and self-assessment of these activities can improve their quality and outcomes. The goal of the study is to develop and validate an accreditation tool that provides minimum standards for home care. A multidisciplinary group of health and social care professionals developed a new tool according to the Deming cycle, including 26 items for a total of 144 standards grouped in 6 areas: Organization&governance (A1); Patient safety&clinical risk (A2); Job description, knowledge and skills (A3); Communication&information (A4); Integration tools in care processes (A5); Improvement&innovation (A6). Between April and November 2019, 40 experts from Italian primary care and social services of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) and Veneto Regions were asked by email to evaluate the tool using Delphi methodology. Experts were asked to score each standard according to relevance and feasibility (RF) on a 1 to 9 point scale. RF and agreement among experts were considered good respectively when mean score was >7, and 70% of responses were greater than 7. A total of 21 experts' reviews were collected, with a response rate of 53%. Most responders came from the healthcare setting (71%) and FVG Region (86%). Globally, 101 standards (70%) were rated as good. RF mean and agreement resulted to be good for: A1 (7.6; 81%); A2 (7.4; 71%); A4 (7.5; 86%); A5 (8.0; 86%). More critical results were achieved concerning A3 (7.0; 52%) and A6 (6.5; 43%). Most standards were recognized as both relevant and feasible by experts, confirming the tool developed for home care accreditation. Agreement for Job description, knowledge and skills, and Improvement&innovation areas seems harder to be achieved. The evaluation of detailed experts' comments would further improve the tool, and a pilot study will be implemented in the next future to test its reliability. Key messages The implementation of the home care accreditation could reduce inequalities among contexts, while helping quality and patient safety improvement outside healthcare facilities. The existence of a unique home care accreditation tool can foster the integration between health and social care while reducing hospitalizations.

scholarly journals Exploiting Administrative Data to Understand the Mental Health of Children Known to Social Services

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah McKenna ◽  
Aideen Maguire ◽  
Dermot O'Reilly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Children In Care ◽  
Care System

Background Research has consistently found a high prevalence of mental ill-health among children in out-of-home care. However, results have varied significantly by study location, type of care intervention, sample population and mental health measurement, and concerns have been raised about appropriate reference populations. In addition, little is known about children known to social services who remain with their birth families. Aim To examine mental ill-health amongst children known to social services based on care exposure including those who remain at home, those placed in foster care, kinship care or institutional care and the general population not known to social services. Methods Northern Ireland is unique in that has an integrated health and social care system and holds data centrally on all children known to social services. Social services data (1995-2015) will be linked to hospital discharge data (2010-2015), prescribed medication data (2010-2015), self-harm data (2010-2015) and death records (2010-2015) to investigate mental health outcomes in terms of psychiatric hospital admissions, psychotropic medication uptake, self-harm and suicide. Results Data cleaning has been completed and analysis is underway. Preliminary results will be available by December 2019. Descriptive statistics will provide a mental health profile of children in care compared not only to children in the general population but to those who are known to social services but remain in their own home. Regression models will determine which factors are most associated with poor mental health outcomes. Conclusion This project is the UK’s first population-wide data linkage study examining the mental health of children in the social care system, including looked-after children and those known to social services who remain in their own home. Project partners in the Department of Health recognise the potential of these findings to inform future policy relating to targeting interventions for children in receipt of social care services.

Collaborating across health and social care: joint funding an adult protection Coordinator post in Caerphilly, UK

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-147
Author(s):  
Andrea Giordano ◽  
Alison Neville
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Health Board ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Vulnerable Adults ◽  
Adult Protection

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to improve the consistency and quality of the response to vulnerable adults who experience abuse and neglect within NHS, independent healthcare and social care settings is noted by practitioners, agencies and patients. Health and social care policy frameworks promote principles of service improvement and consistency, along with a focus on outcomes and resource effectiveness and interagency collaboration. The Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) coordinator role carries the responsibility of coordinating a response to individual referrals of abuse and neglect as described as part of the Designated Lead Manager role in the Wales Interim POVA Policy and Procedures for the POVA from abuse (Wales Adult Protection Coordinators Group, 2013). Design/methodology/approach – This paper will explore the benefits realised through a registered nurse being seconded from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board into a newly created joint adult protection Health Coordinator post within the Caerphilly County Borough Council social services department POVA team. Findings – This is the first example of such partnership working in adult protection in Wales and has provided a number of benefits in relation to: providing adult protection advice; coordinating the response to referrals of vulnerable adult abuse and neglect within health and social care settings; carrying out or buddying others to complete adult protection investigations; facilitating the two day non-criminal POVA investigation training course and, awareness raising within the local Health Board. The development of a student nurse placement in the social services POVA team cements the multiagency collaborative approach that this development sought to achieve. Originality/value – The need to improve the consistency and quality of the response to vulnerable adults who experience abuse and neglect within NHS, independent healthcare and social care settings is noted by practitioners, agencies and patients.

The health and social care integration, with particular attention to the dimension of professional integration. A research across 12 italian regions

2012 ◽  
pp. 234-244
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Pavesi
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Professional Integration ◽  
Care Integration ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Experimental Project

This paper gives an account of a part of a wider research carried out on 12 italian Regions by title Experimental project of monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of knowledge on governance and national plans, regional and area plans within the policies of inclusion. In particular, it analizes the dimension of professional integration, both at the regulatory and daily practice levels. It clearly appears the shared conviction at the various levels for the need to operate in a way that is ever more oriented to integration, in so far as it represents a strategic means of welfare construction for citizens. In addition, in some regions testimonies of positive integration have been collected, especially in the field of non-self-sufficiency. Naturally, there are many difficulties that often make integration a practice entrusted to the goodwill of the health care professionals, rather than a process fully integrated in a system of policies and services.

Resource Allocation Modelling for Home-Based Health and Social Care Services in Areas Having Differential Population Density Levels: A Case Study in Northern Ireland

2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Hindle ◽  
Adam Hindle ◽  
Martin Spollen
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Relative Population ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Health And Social Care

This project arose from deliberations within the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) in Northern Ireland concerning the acceptability of the revenue resource allocation methodology they were using. One problem with the method being used had been the absence of a component that adequately reflected the relative costs associated with the differential population densities of the four health boards into which the Province is divided. This study investigates a particular element of this issue, viz differences in the travelling distances and times of those health and social service professionals who provide visiting services to patients in their own homes. A modelling approach has been developed and used in conjunction with a comprehensive spatial and geographical information system for Northern Ireland. An important outcome of the study has been estimates of the targets that should be set for the annual health and social care travelling distances and times per head of population in the boards, for a range of home-based services. Also, the project has contributed to decisions made by the DHSS in Northern Ireland concerning the annual financial compensations required by boards for costs associated with their relative population densities.

A new health and social care context in Wales

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart Greenwell ◽  
Daniel Antebi
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
The People ◽  
Specialist Services ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Making A Difference

Purpose The Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 provide a direction of travel for all public services in Wales and a framework for delivering the aspirations in the legislation. Although specifically referring to social care, both pieces of legislation are as relevant to the NHS as they are to other public bodies, providing an opportunity for NHS Wales and local government, in particular, to be equal partners in making a difference to the people and communities they serve. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A viewpoint paper. Findings In Wales the time is right to do things differently in health and social care, so the authors will reflect on why current services are struggling and propose an approach that is rooted in communities rather than in specialities. The authors suggest developing a centre of gravity in the community through a multi-agency collaboration to achieve the greatest health, social care and economic impact. Originality/value Attention needs to be directed to supporting people, communities and frontline workers to become more resilient, rather than our current focus on specialist services.

scholarly journals Health and social care ergonomics: patient safety in practice

Ergonomics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Hignett ◽  
Sara Albolino ◽  
Ken Catchpole
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Health And Social Care

scholarly journals Institutioner för ensamkommande barn

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3-4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Backlund ◽  
Tommy Lundström ◽  
Katarina Thorén
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Unaccompanied Minors ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Organizational Type ◽  
Health And Social Care

Residential care for unaccompanied minors. How can a growing and turbulent care market be understood?The number of unaccompanied minors arriving in Sweden has grown rapidly in recent years and the care of these children has become a significant part of the Swedish child welfare system. In this article, we discuss what has happened to the residential care market (known as HVB for short) in which most of these children are placed by the municipal social services. The specific questions we seek to illuminate are: Which type of residential care actors have expanded their operations? Have new actors entered the residential care market for unaccompanied minors? How can we understand changes in the residential care market in the current situation? The study is based upon the Health and Social Care Inspectorate’s registry of all licensed residential care units in Sweden. We compare data for all residential care units that targeted unaccompanied minors in 2014 with an updated register from March 2016. The residential care units are categorized based on organizational type (municipal, large and small private companies, municipal entrepreneurs, and non-profit organizations) and the article illustrates the composition of organizational type. The results show that despite the growing need for residential care for unaccompanied minors, the composition of organizational type has not changed significantly since 2014. However, the number of beds for unaccompanied minors is higher than for traditional HVBs, and it has increased between 2014 and 2016. The study also indicates that the composition of residential care for unaccompanied minors differs from the residential care market for other groups of children and young people.

scholarly journals An ethnographic study of knowledge sharing across the boundaries between care processes, services and organisations: the contributions to ‘safe’ hospital discharge

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (29) ◽  
pp. 1-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Waring ◽  
Fiona Marshall ◽  
Simon Bishop ◽  
Opinder Sahota ◽  
Marion Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Hospital Discharge ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Discharge Planning ◽  
Care Transition ◽  
System Complexity ◽  
Care Processes ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Care Systems

BackgroundHospital discharge is a vulnerable stage in the patient pathway. Research highlights communication failures and the problems of co-ordination as resulting in delayed, poorly timed and unsafe discharges. The complexity of hospital discharge exemplifies the threats to patient safety found ‘between’ care processes and organisations. In developing this perspective, safe discharge is seen as relying upon enhanced knowledge sharing and collaboration between stakeholders, which can mitigate system complexity and promote safety.AimTo identify interventions and practices that support knowledge sharing and collaboration in the processes of discharge planning and care transition.SettingThe study was undertaken between 2011 and 2013 in two English health-care systems, each comprising an acute health-care provider, community and primary care providers, local authority social services and social care agencies. The study sites were selected to reflect known variations in local population demographics as well as in the size and composition of the care systems. The study compared the experiences of stroke and hip fracture patients as exemplars of acute care with complex discharge pathways.DesignThe study involved in-depth ethnographic research in the two sites. This combined (a) over 180 hours of observations of discharge processes and knowledge-sharing activities in various care settings; (b) focused ‘patient tracking’ to trace and understand discharge activities across the entire patient journey; and (c) qualitative interviews with 169 individuals working in health, social and voluntary care sectors.FindingsThe study reinforces the view of hospital discharge as a complex system involving dynamic and multidirectional patterns of knowledge sharing between multiple groups. The study shows that discharge planning and care transitions develop through a series of linked ‘situations’ or opportunities for knowledge sharing. It also shows variations in these situations, in terms of the range of actors, forms of knowledge shared, and media and resources used, and the wider culture and organisation of discharge. The study also describes the threats to patient safety associated with hospital discharge, as perceived by participants and stakeholders. These related to falls, medicines, infection, clinical procedures, equipment, timing and scheduling of discharge, and communication. Each of these identified risks are analysed and explained with reference to the observed patterns of knowledge sharing to elaborate how variations in knowledge sharing can hinder or promote safe discharge.ConclusionsThe study supports the view of hospital discharge as a complex system involving tightly coupled and interdependent patterns of interaction between multiple health and social care agencies. Knowledge sharing can help to mitigate system complexity through supporting collaboration and co-ordination. The study suggests four areas of change that might enhance knowledge sharing, reduce system complexity and promote safety. First, knowledge brokers in the form of discharge co-ordinators can facilitate knowledge sharing and co-ordination; second, colocation and functional proximity of stakeholders can support knowledge sharing and mutual appreciation and alignment of divergent practices; third, local cultures should prioritise and value collaboration; and finally, organisational resources, procedures and leadership should be aligned to fostering knowledge sharing and collaborative working. These learning points provide insight for future interventions to enhance discharge planning and care transition. Future research might consider the implementation of interviews to mediate system complexity through fostering enhanced knowledge sharing across occupational and organisational boundaries. Research might also consider in more detail the underlying complexity of both health and social care systems and how opportunities for knowledge sharing might be engendered to promote patient safety in other areas.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

scholarly journals The Use of Internet-Based Health and Care Services by Elderly People in Europe and the Importance of the Country Context: Multilevel Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Merkel ◽  
Moritz Hess
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Care ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Use Of Internet

BACKGROUND Digital health care is becoming increasingly important, but it has the risk of further increasing the digital divide, as not all individuals have the opportunity, skills, and knowledge to fully benefit from potential advantages. In particular, elderly people have less experience with the internet, and hence, they are in danger of being excluded. Knowledge on the influences of the adoption of internet-based health and care services by elderly people will help to develop and promote strategies for decreasing the digital divide. OBJECTIVE This study examined if and how elderly people are using digital services to access health and social care. Moreover, it examined what personal characteristics are associated with using these services and if there are country differences. METHODS Data for this study were obtained from the Special Eurobarometer 460 (SB 460), which collected data on Europeans’ handling of and attitudes toward digital technologies, robots, and artificial intelligence, including data on the use of internet-based health and social care services, among 27,901 EU citizens aged 15 years or older. Multilevel logistic regression models were adopted to analyze the association of using the internet for health and social care services with several individual and country-level variables. RESULTS At the individual level, young age, high education, high social class, and living in an urban area were positively associated with a high probability of using internet-based health and social services. At the country level, the proportion of elderly people who participated in any training activity within the last month was positively associated with the proportion of elderly people using these services. CONCLUSIONS The probability of using internet-based health and social services and their accompanying advantages strongly depend on the socioeconomic background. Training and educational programs might be helpful to mitigate these differences.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document