Understanding support systems for Parkinson's disease management in community settings: A cross-national qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Health and social care systems face difficulties in managing multimorbidity, disease burden and complex needs in long-term conditions such as Parkinson's disease. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a European understanding of how health and social care professionals can collaborate with stakeholders from different organizations and sectors to enhance the management of Parkinson's disease in a community setting by identifying the existing gaps in this process and how people with Parkinson's disease and their family carers could benefit from these partnerships. METHODS: A mixed-methods sequential study was conducted in Denmark, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. The findings from the qualitative phase are presented. Individual semistructured interviews were analysed using Braun's and Clarke's thematic analysis. A meta-ethnography approach was used to analyse and synthesize cross-national findings. RESULTS: A total of 41 healthcare professionals and 39 stakeholders from different disciplines and sectors were interviewed in the four countries. The participants acknowledged a lack of awareness of available resources and poor communication between the different support systems in the management of Parkinson's disease. To promote multiagency collaborations, the participants highlighted the need to organize services along the Parkinson's disease journey, patient involvement and strategic involvement of carers in organizing resources and Parkinson's disease care pathways. According to the participants, the benefits from multiagency partnerships could lead to an enhanced continuity of care and specialized knowledge, mobilization of resources in the community, personalized support and improved access to services. CONCLUSIONS: Policymakers are called upon to create formal structures that facilitate multisectoral collaborations to promote an integrated system of care for the management of Parkinson's disease in the community. To address this challenge, we propose five strategies showing how organizations can work together to optimize the use of resources and enhance the management of Parkinson's disease throughout the illness trajectory. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Patient and Public Involvement groups made up of stakeholders, healthcare professionals, patients with Parkinson's disease and family carers participated in the design of the study, the development of the interview guides and the validation of the findings.

Dimensions of good palliative nursing care: Expert panel consensus and perceptions of palliative professionals.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To analyse the dimensions of quality of palliative nursing care and to explore the perceptions of professionals for the development and validation of the Palliative Nursing Care Quality Scale. BACKGROUND: The study of palliative nursing care quality has been approached from analysis of the competencies of palliative care nurses, based on various theoretical models. However, there are fewer qualitative empirical studies that have evaluated what good palliative nursing care is and what its dimensions are. DESIGN: Mixed-method, Delphi approach and exploratory qualitative study. METHODS: Consensus by a panel of experts using the Delphi technique and semi-structured interviews. The study was reported in a comprehensive manner following COREQ criteria. Data collection took place between January and June 2018. RESULTS: The eight-person expert panel reached consensus on the following dimensions of the Palliative Nursing Care Quality Scale: control and relief of symptoms, family and/or primary caregiver, therapeutic relationship, spiritual support and continuity of care. Thematic analysis of ten interviews identified four emergent themes related to good nursing care: (1) the patient and family as a whole; (2) finding meaning; (3) responsible communication; and (4) caring for the human element. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of palliative nursing care goes beyond providing comprehensive care; it means meticulously looking after every detail of what is important to the patient. The expectations of professionals are not as important. Instead, care should be based primarily on the needs and respect for the wishes of the patient and their family. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Specifying the quality of nursing care in routine practice and reaching a consensus on its dimensions means moving towards excellence in care, as well as improving the professional profile of advanced practice palliative care nurses. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Two primary caregivers participated in the panel of experts and the semi-structured interview.

Perspectives of people with Parkinson's disease and family carers about disease management in community settings: A cross-country qualitative study.

AIM: To explore perceptions of people with Parkinson's disease and family carers about the use and impact of health and social care services, community and voluntary sector resources for the management of Parkinson's disease. BACKGROUND: Resources from outside the formal health care system and collaborations between different levels and sectors could address the unmet needs of people with Parkinson's disease and their family carers and improve the management of Parkinson's disease in the community setting. DESIGN: A qualitative exploratory study was carried out in Denmark, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom and was reported using the COREQ. METHODS: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with people with Parkinson's disease and family carers between May and August 2020. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. A meta-ethnographic approach was used to analyse and synthesise cross-national findings. RESULTS: Forty-seven people with Parkinson's disease and 39 family carers participated in the four countries. Four themes and eight sub-themes emerged: (1) Personalised care for needs throughout the Parkinson's disease journey; (2) Accessibility of different types of support systems (including initiatives to support emotional well-being, physical rehabilitation, information on the healthcare services, voluntary associations and community groups); (3) Multiagency collaborations, a more comprehensive approach; (4) Acknowledgment of people with Parkinson's and family carers own role in Parkinson's disease management. CONCLUSIONS: An integrated and person-and-community-centred approach, which includes the participation of the health, social, voluntary and community sectors, is desired by people with Parkinson's disease and their family carers to improve the management of Parkinson's in the community setting. These findings could contribute to the creation of more sustainable care systems at the European level that would better respond to individual and changing needs in people with Parkinson's disease and their family carers, and in other long-term conditions. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The Patient and Public Involvement groups contributed to the design of the study, the interview guides and validation of findings. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study will inform the management of Parkinson's disease at the community level and the use of resources not only directly linked to the health system. Taking into account all the actors that provide care and support to people with Parkinson' disease and family carers facilitates the creation of strategies that better respond to individual needs. Nurses and other health and social care professionals in the community and specialist levels of care should collaborate to develop multisectoral strategies that promote personalised and integrated care throughout the Parkinson's journey.

Effectiveness of a Fibromyalgia Online Nursing Consultation in the Quality of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of an online nursing consultation through the Internet platform Red Sinapsis (RS) in improving the perceived quality of life of patients with fibromyalgia (FM). METHOD: Eighty patients with FM were randomized to an intervention group (n = 40) or control group (n= 40). The intervention group (IG) was monitored by a nursing specialist through the online platform RS while the control group (CG) received standard follow-up at the clinic. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: The IG showed a 65% improvement in the perception of their general state of health at 12 months into the study, compared with an improvement of 5.6% in the CG (p < .001). The IG also achieved better results for emotional status, with a maintained improvement throughout the study of more than 2 points in the anxiety variable (from 7.64 to 5.36), that remained constant in the CG. The depression variable also showed constant improvement over the 12 months of the study in the IG, rising from an average of 7.72 (standard deviation [SD] = 2.05) to 5.33 (SD = 1.65), while in the CG a slight deterioration was observed. In both cases, the difference in mood evolution was significant (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Online nursing follow-up for people with fibromyalgia improves patients' perceived quality of life related to their welfare and emotional state. Fibromyalgia (FM) is among the diseases causing the highest rate of occupational disability in Spain. Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex condition that causes pain, fatigue, non-refreshed sleep, mood disturbance and cognitive impairment.

[The Challenge of Care Continuity in Complex Chronic Patients from Nurses' Perspective]. / La enfermera ante el reto de la gestión del paciente crónico complejo.

Introduction: The complex chronic disease requires a model of care based found on multidisciplinary teams. The aim of this study was to analyse the development of nursing leadership in managing the complex chronic patient (CCP) and to identify how the resources for the attention and follow up of these patients are managed. Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was followed through participant observation, in-depth interview to 7 health professionals (5 nurses, a doctor, and a social worker) and a discussion group with 9 Primary Health Care nurses from a intentional sample. Discourse analysis was undertaken following Conde approach: fixing discurse positions, creating and analyzing symbolic configuratons, analyzing and interpreting semantic configurations and drawing up the discourse. Results: From discourse analysis two main dimensions emerged on the nursing leadership and management: a) nursing as the leader of care: the need of nursing leadership and of improvement in the coordination structures were recognized, and b) nursing as resources manager in the CCP care related to social and health risks and resources coordination. Conclusions: Our findings enhance the case management and the home delivery care as foundations to be effective handle of CCP, where nursing has a privileged role.

[ANALYSIS USING AN EXPERT PANEL OF ACTIVITIES AND COMPETENCIES WHICH NURSING CLINICAL PRACTICE TUTORS IN THE COMUNIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE MADRID SHOULD POSSESS]. / Análisis mediante panel de expertos de las competencias. Y ACTIVIDADES DE LOS TUTORES DE PRÁCTICAS CLÍNICAS DE ENFERMERÍA EN LA COMUNIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE MADRID.

UNLABELLED: Although practical training has always been important in Nursing, it has reached a new dimension in the European Higher Education Area. This has involved adapting the syllabus, where one of the new features is considering clinical practice as an independent subject and also including the concept of competence as a result of the students' learning. The figure of the tutor becomes one of the key factors and therefore their activities and competencies must be defined. OBJECTIVE: To enumerate and prioritize, by agreement, the main activities and competences by the tutor of clinical practices in the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid should posses. METHODOLOGY. Quantitative focus, analysis by group of experts between 2010 and 2013. RESULTS. A total of 510 nurses have participated, 17 panels of experts have met and consensus has been reached on 22 competencies and 12 activities. CONCLUSIONS: The description of activities and competencies can be extremely useful for selecting, evaluating and developing nursing clinical practice tutors, becoming a baseline and reducing the subjectivity in the development of tutors according to the new demands of the European Higher Education Area.

The relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence as individual health assets for mental health promotion in students and healthcare professionals: a scoping review.

Introduction: Workplace Mental health promotion in healthcare sector, is a global priority due to the stress associated with caregiving environments and the increase of mental health problems among health professionals and students. The role of emotional intelligence (EI) and sense of coherence (SOC) have been identified as critical health protectors. However, the relationship between them as well as the underlying mechanisms of these relationships on health benefits in this population is still unclear. Aim: To synthetize the existing literature on the relationship between emotional intelligence and sense of coherence, as well as their mutual impact on healthcare workers' and student's well-being. Method: A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A systematic search was conducted in PsyCINFO, CINHAL, SCOPUS and PUBMED databases, using key-terms such as students, health professionals, emotional intelligence, and sense of coherence. Results: A total of 11 articles were included, with a range of years from 2014 to 2022. Evidence was found to support the positive relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence. The use of EI as a training pathway to improve SOC and health promoting behaviors is suggested. The benefits of intervening on these factors contribute to improved health professionals' and students' general well-being and motivation for a better performance, either in their studies or clinical work. Conclusion: The positive relationship between emotional intelligence and a sense of coherence has direct and indirect benefits on students' and healthcare professionals' well-being. Future studies should address longitudinal and experimental analysis to confirm these findings.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the self-care and health condition of the older adults. CUIDAMOS+75. A mixed methods study protocol.

Aims: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health condition of people ≥75 years of age and on their family caregivers in Spain. Design: Multicentric, mixed method concurrent study. Methods: This work, which will be conducted within the primary care setting in 11 administrative regions of Spain, will include three coordinated studies with different methodologies. The first is a population-based cohort study that will use real-life data to analyze the rates and evolution of health needs, care provision, and services utilization before, during, and after the pandemic. The second is a prospective cohort study with 18 months of follow-up that will evaluate the impact of COVID-19 disease on mortality, frailty, functional and cognitive capacity, and quality of life of the participants. Finally, the third will be a qualitative study with a critical social approach to understand and interpret the social, political, and economic dimensions associated with the use of health services during the pandemic. We have followed the SPIRIT Checklist to address trial protocol and related documents. This research is being funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III since 2021 and was approved by its ethics committee (June 2022). Discussion: The study findings will reveal the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the older adults and their caregivers. This information will serve policymakers to adapt health policies to the needs of this population in situations of maximum stress, such as that produced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial Registration: Identifier: NCT05249868 [ClinicalTrials.gov].

An exploratory prospective study of the factors associated with adverse health outcomes in older adults living with HIV. / Estudio exploratorio prospectivo de los factores asociados a eventos adversos en salud en personas mayores que viven con VIH.

Objective: This study examines the clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with adverse health outcomes (falls, emergency room visits, hospital admissions and death) in a cohort of patients older than 55 years with HIV infection. Methods: It is an exploratory prospective study with four years follow-up. People with HIV infection followed in the infectious diseases consultation unit of two hospitals in Madrid were included. Sociodemographic data and clinical variables were collected. The functional, mental, and social situations of the participants were assessed. Patient clinical histories were reviewed to gather data on the number of falls, visits to emergency departments and hospital admissions during the period studied. Results: One hundred seventeen patients with a mean age of 61,4 (SD 6,6) years and a median follow-up of 47 months(35 to 50) were included. Of these subjects, 25% had depressive symptoms, and 10% had some degree of cognitive impairment at the baseline visit. The recorded frequencies were: falls 7,7%, visits to the emergency room 53%, hospital admission 33,3% and deaths 2,6%. Depressive symptoms were associated with falls and emergency room visits in the univariate analysis. The factors associated with hospital admission were having acquired the infection through intravenous drug use, frailty and being under 65 years of age. Multivariate analysis was conducted for the hospital admissions outcome, with the variables showing p < 0,07 in the univariate analysis, none of which reached statistical significance. Conclusions: Depression screening and cognitive evaluation should be done systematically in this population group. More studies with more patients and longer follow-up times are necessary.

Introducción: Gracias al tratamiento antirretroviral en Occidente, la infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) se ha convertido en una enfermedad crónica. Hoy, el 50% de las personas que viven con VIH son mayores de 50 años y en torno al 20% de los nuevos casos de esta infección se dan en ese mismo grupo etario. Este trabajo tiene por objeto el analizar los factores clínicos y sociodemográficos asociados a eventos adversos en salud (caídas, visitas a urgencias, ingresos hospitalarios y muerte) en una cohorte de personas mayores de 55 años con infección por VIH. Métodos: Estudio exploratorio prospectivo con cuatro años de seguimiento. Se incluyeron personas con infección por VIH seguidas en las consultas de enfermedades infecciosas de dos hospitales de Madrid. Se recogieron datos sociodemográficos y variables clínicas. Se evaluó la situación funcional, mental y social de los participantes. Se revisaron en las historias clínicas de los pacientes número de caídas, visitas a los servicios de urgencias, ingresos hospitalarios y muertes producidas durante el periodo estudiado. Resultados: Se incluyeron 117 pacientes con una edad media de 61,4 (desviación estándar 6,6) años y una mediana de seguimiento de 47 meses (35 a 50). De estos sujetos, el 25% tenía síntomas depresivos y el 10% tenía algún grado de deterioro cognitivo en la visita inicial. Las frecuencias de eventos adversos en salud registradas fueron: caídas del 7,7%, visitas a urgencias del 53%, ingresos hospitalarios del 33,3% y muertes del 2,6%. Los síntomas de depresión se asociaron con caídas y visitas a urgencias en el análisis bivariado. Los factores asociados a ingreso hospitalario fueron haber adquirido la infección por consumo de drogas por vía parenteral, ser frágil y ser menor de 65 años. Se realizó análisis multivariado para el resultado de ingresos hospitalarios con las variables que mostraron p < 0,05 en el análisis bivariado y ninguna de ellas alcanzó significación estadística. Conclusiones: Los síntomas de depresión y el deterioro cognitivo se presentan con una alta frecuencia en estos pacientes, por lo que debería realizarse tamizaje de ambos de forma sistemática en este grupo poblacional. Son necesarios estudios con más pacientes y mayor tiempo de seguimiento que permitan identificar los factores de riesgo asociados a eventos adversos en las personas mayores que viven con VIH.

A mixed methods study using case studies prepared by nursing students as a clinical practice evaluation tool.

AIM: To identify the presence of variability in the evaluation of case studies prepared by nursing students during their primary care rotations based on the existing evaluation rubric. To explore the difficulties experienced by link lecturers and students in preparing and evaluating case studies. DESIGN: A mixed methods study. METHODS: The scores for the rubric items and the final grades for the case studies were collected from a sample of 132 cases. Qualitative information was collected by conducting open-ended interviews with lecturers and a focus group session with students. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were identified between the lecturers' mean final grades [F(5.136) = 3.984, p = 0.002] and a variety of items in the evaluation rubric (p < 0.05). In addition, effect sizes [η2 (≈0.14)] of considerable magnitude were found. Two themes emerged from the qualitative data: (1). the challenge of preparing the case studies and (2). the variable nature of the evaluations.

Resilience among primary care professionals in a time of pandemic: a qualitative study in the Spanish context.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Spanish primary care structure and services and the mechanisms implemented by the primary care workforce to restore and reinforce their reference care model. DESIGN: An exploratory, qualitative study with semistructured interviews and a focus group discussion conducted during the fall semester of 2020. SETTING: Primary health centres in Madrid (Spain), chosen based on factors such as infection rates during the earliest stages of the pandemic and demographic and socioeconomic aspects. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 19 primary health and social care professionals were purposively selected. Criteria for inclusion were gender (male/female), at least 5 years of experience in their current position, category (health/social/administrative worker), and whether they worked in a rural or urban healthcare setting. RESULTS: Two main themes were identified: (1) reflecting on a model in crisis-particularly the reopening of centres to users and the proactive, participative strategies implemented by primary care professionals to reach their community; and (2) regaining a sense of purpose-how healthcare professionals implemented strategies to sustain their vision of their reference model. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed leadership deficiencies that, together with the initial unavailability of resources and difficulties maintaining face-to-face contact with users, triggered a sense of loss of professional identity. On the other hand, the analysis revealed potential strategies to restore and reinforce the traditional model, such as the adoption of digital technologies and reliance on community networks. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of a solid reference framework and enhances the strengths and skills of the workforce to reinforce the community-based service provision model.

Internal dynamics within primary care teams in two Spanish regions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Pandemics and epidemics have represented public health emergencies with severe consequences at a global level. Primary care teams have played a crucial role in disease surveillance and monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic through early detection, contact tracing, and isolation of positive cases. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams regarding their internal dynamics and their professional performance. METHODS: Qualitative study carried out between July and December 2020 in two large central and southern Spanish regions (Castilla la Mancha and Madrid). Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with primary care workers. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Participants were accessed using purposive sampling. RESULTS: A total of 53 primary care workers participated in the study, of which 38 were individually interviewed, and 15 participated in three focus groups.The analysis of their experiences revealed two main themes regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams: 1) The need to reorganise traditional roles: Primary care settings closed their doors to the public and their workers restructured their roles to ensure the delivery of essential services; 2) The need to implement a new primary care delivery model: Each primary care team had to self-organise, making sure their reference population was cared for and developing resource optimisation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care teams have quickly adapted their roles and internal dynamics to respond to the demands generated by COVID-19. In the new delivery model, some positive aspects could be highlighted - such as increased communication between professionals and the use of telemedicine for some cases. However, it is important to address the negative impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had on of the main functions of primary care. These measures are necessary to promote well-being in primary care teams, and to provide quality care that addresses the complex and individual needs of each person and reduces inequalities in healthcare delivery.

Exploring health and social services in Denmark, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom for the development of Parkinson's care pathways. A document analysis.

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) may find it difficult to identify and access the wide number of services they need and are entitled to along their complex PD journey. As part of the project OPTIM-PARK - Optimisation of community resources and systems of support to enhance the process of living with Parkinson's Disease, document analysis was developed to create overviews of existing resources and systems of support in Denmark, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. Documents on community resources, policies, guidelines and professional recommendations were the main sources of information. They were sought systematically at official websites of the public sector (national and regional levels) and websites of non-governmental organisations and scientific societies; searches were performed in October 2020 and updated in September 2021. A higher-level cross-national content analysis integrated all the country-specific information. Data- and concept-driven coding frames were developed; trial coding and peer review strengthened face validity and reliability. The analysis led to overviews of: (1) Key aims at patient and societal levels. (2) Key elements in form of professional approaches. (3) Community resources. (4) Legally anchored services. In general, clear descriptions of how to implement care pathways and tools to facilitate delivery were missing in the included documents, and pathways and guidelines did not include referral to general social support, social security support or labour and employment support. The results shed light on the complex support systems and resources and can inspire the planning of more comprehensive care pathways for people with PD and other long-term conditions.

Major Prehospital Trauma and In-Hospital Emergencies: Massive Transfusion Triggers.

BACKGROUND: Massive transfusion (MT) in trauma is initiated on the basis of factors of different natures and depending on protocols and scales used both in prehospital and in-hospital care areas. OBJECTIVE: The main goal was to analyze and relate factors and predictive variables for MT requirements considering both health care areas. METHOD: This was a retrospective cohort study that included patients who were treated either at the emergency department of a large hospital or through prehospital care before arrival at the hospital. The patients included were adults who received MT, defined as a blood bank request of 10 or more units of red cells in the first 24 hours or 5 or more within 4 hours of trauma, from January 1, 2009, to January 1, 2017. The variables included were individual characteristics and those associated with the trauma, clinical-analytical assessment, resuscitation, timing, and survival. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients who received MT were included. The average age of the patients was 41.23 ± 16.06 years, a mean of 19.56 ± 12.77 units was administered, and the mortality rate was 21.2%. DISCUSSION: Injury mechanism, clinical-analytical variables, and resuscitation strategies have a significant influence on the need for MT; therefore, early identification is fundamental for performing quality management and addressing avoidable factors during MT processes.

Nurses' perceptions and demands regarding COVID-19 care delivery in critical care units and hospital emergency services.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health challenge that puts health systems in a highly vulnerable situation. Nurses in critical care units (CCUs) and hospital emergency services (HESs) have provided care to patients with COVID-19 under pressure and uncertainty. OBJECTIVE: To identify needs related to safety, organisation, decision-making, communication and psycho-socio-emotional needs perceived by critical care and emergency nurses in the region of Madrid, Spain, during the acute phase of the epidemic crisis. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study (the first phase of a mixed methods study) with critical care and emergency nurses from 26 public hospitals in Madrid using an online questionnaire. RESULTS: The response rate was 557, with 37.5% reporting working with the fear of becoming infected and its consequences, 28.2% reported elevated workloads, high patient-nurse ratios and shifts that did not allow them to disconnect or rest, while taking on more responsibilities when managing patients with COVID-19 (23.9%). They also reported deficiencies in communication with middle management (21.2%), inability to provide psycho-social care to patients and families and being emotionally exhausted (53.5%), with difficulty in venting emotions (44.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Critical care and emegency nurses may be categorised as a vulnerable population. It is thus necessary to delve deeper into further aspects of their experiences of the pandemic.

Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis in Spain: A Qualitative Study of Patient Experience and the Role of Health Professionals.

The aim of this study was to explore the experience of Spanish people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the support these people received from health professionals, particularly nurses. Nineteen patients with >1 year diagnosis, disease activity moderate or severe (DAS28 > 3.2), and already treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were interviewed. A thematic analysis was performed to interpret the discourses. The difficulties of symptom management; the need for home-adaptations, the difficulties of living with a deteriorating self-image; and the reluctant reliance on medication to control their disease were the main themes that emerged from the discourse analysis of this study. Nurses appeared to have a limited role in RA patients care, and focused primarily on giving information and training for biological therapies. RA patients in Spain would benefit from having contact with specialist nurses who could empower them to self-manage their disease, as happens in other countries.

Birthing ball versus pethidine and haloperidol in satisfaction with childbirth. / Pelota de parto versus petidina y haloperidol en la satisfacción en el parto.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects on maternal satisfaction of the use of the birthing ball as a method of pain relief compared to the subcutaneous administration of pethidine (50mg) and haloperidol (2.5mg), during the latent phase of labour. METHOD: Randomised, unicentric, parallel and controlled clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Low-risk pregnant women hospitalised in a pathological pregnancy ward at the Gregorio Marañón University General Hospital (Madrid) due to prolonged pregnancy, premature rupture of membranes, or labour prodromes. INTERVENTION: once the patient's labour had become painful, a series of pre-established movements were implemented with a birthing ball in the intervention group, or pethidine and haloperidol were administered at the same dose subcutaneously. After the intervention and on the post-natal ward, satisfaction was measured with the Mackey Satisfaction Childbirth scale, validated in Spanish in 2016, in the first 48-72hours after delivery. ANALYSIS: group comparisons: Student's t for continuous variables and Chi-squared for categorical variables. Significance at p<0.05. RESULTS: The maternal satisfaction was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the comparison group, in all the domains of the scale: obstetrician (4.24/3.87), dilatation (4.02/3.35), second stage (4.27/3.67), newborn (4.72/4.43), accompaniment and comfort (4.78/4.44). There were, however, no statistically significant differences in the midwife subscale, although the scores were equally high (4.65/4.45). CONCLUSION: Using birthing balls during the latent phase of labour increases women's satisfaction with their labour process more than administering pethidine and haloperidol during this period.

The experience of mothers and fathers in cases of stillbirth in Spain. A qualitative study.

AIM: To explore the experience of both the mothers and the fathers regarding the care received during delivery in cases of stillbirth. DESIGN: A hermeneutic phenomenological study based on semi-structured interviews with eleven mothers and fathers who experienced stillbirth. PARTICIPANTS: A purposive sample was recruited in Hospital XXX of XX and through a local pregnancy loss support organization. METHODS: Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. FINDINGS: Four main categories identified: 1) denial of grief, 2) the life and death paradox, 3) guilt, and 4) go through and overcome the loss. The parents manifested a lack of recognition of their loss and their parenthood. Although the midwife was the highest valued professional, not all the experiences were positive and the parents would have appreciated being accompanied by trained people with good communication skills. They also referred to in-hospital logistic barriers that complicated the process, as well as the fact that these births occurred in the same place where healthy deliveries were attended. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the importance of tailoring support systems according to mothers' and fathers' needs. Promoting social and institutional recognition of this kind of loss and training healthcare professionals in the accompaniment of this type of mourning is useful to plan comprehensive care to facilitate the initiation and subsequent evolution of healthy mourning.