ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of people with complex chronic conditions is increasing. This population's high social and health needs require person-centred integrated approaches to care. METHODS: To collect data about experiences with the health system and identify priorities for care, we conducted 2 focus groups and 15 semi-structured interviews involving patients with multimorbidity and advanced conditions, caregivers, and representatives of patients' associations. To design the programme, we combined this information with evidence-based recommendations from local healthcare and social care professionals. RESULTS: Patients' and caregivers' main priorities were to ensure (a) comprehension of information provided by healthcare professionals; (b) coordination between patients, caregivers, and professionals; (c) access to social services; (d) support to caregivers in managing situations; (e) perceived support throughout the healthcare process; (f) home care, when available; and (d) a patient-centred approach. These dimensions were included in 37 of 63 clinical actions of the programme to cover the whole care trajectory: identifying high needs, defining, and providing care plans, managing crises, and providing transitional care and end-of-life care. CONCLUSION: We developed an evidence-based integrated care programme tailored to high-need patients combining input from patients, caregivers, and healthcare and social care professionals.
ABSTRACT
AIM: To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of 3 doses of the combined diphtheria-tetanus toxoids-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B virus-inactivated poliovirus/Haemophilus influenzae type b (DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib) vaccine (Infanrix hexa) when coadministered with a CRM197-conjugated meningococcal C vaccine (Meningitec) at different injection sites during the same visit or during separate visits. METHODS: Healthy infants were randomized in an open randomized multicenter study to receive either the DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib and meningococcal C conjugate vaccines during the same vaccination visit at 2, 4 and 6 months of age (coadministration group) or the DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age and the meningococcal C conjugate vaccine at 3, 5 and 7 months of age (separate administration group). RESULTS: The immunogenicity analysis included 452 infants, 228 in the coadministration group and 224 in the separate administration group. One month after primary vaccination, 99.1% of subjects in both groups achieved anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate antibody concentrations >/=0.15 microg/mL. The vaccine response against pertussis antigens was at least 99.1% in both groups. For all other DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine antigens, at least 97.8% of all subjects of both groups were seroprotected. In addition, 99.5% of all subjects had meningococcal C bactericidal antibody titers >/=1/8 and 99.1% >/=1/128. Coadministration of both vaccines did not result in an increased local or general reactogenicity compared with separate administration. CONCLUSION: Coadministration of the combined DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine and the meningococcal C conjugate vaccine during the same vaccination visit was immunogenic and safe.