Advanced nursing roles and Integrated Care: A pilot study in the Basque Country

An increasingly aging population with multiple complex conditions along with budget constraints is putting pressure to several health systems across Europe [1], and the Basque Health Service/Osakidetza is not an exception. Developing new roles for nurses and/or advance nurse practitioners (ANPs) is sought to be a way to increase the efficiency and efficacy of the existing resources and improve health outcomes [2] [3]. Accordingly, the Basque Health Service has set the development of new competences for nurses as one of its key strategic priorities for the period 2013-2016 [4] and several pilot studies have been conducted between 2010 and 2012 [5]. Furthermore, a map with examples from other Regions of Spain and abroad was drafted in order to identify good practices and to adapt them to the Basque context [6]. Three new models of ANPs have been developed, all of which are targeted to people with complex comorbidities who have been previously stratified. First, Hospital Liaison ANPs help hospitalised patients with complex health and social conditions during admissiond roles; integrated care; advanced nurse practitioner (anp) References 1. Figueras J, Evetovits T, Jowett M, Mladovsky P, Maresso A, Cylus J, et al. Economic crisis, health systems and health in Europe: impact and implications for policy. WHO Regional Office for Europe and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. 2010. Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/257579/Economic-crisis,-health-systems- and-health-in-Europe-impact-and-implications-for-policy.pdf?ua=1 2. Institute of Medicine. Keeping patients safe. Transforming the work environment of nurses. Washington DC, The National Academy Press. 2004 3. Hernandez Yanez JF. La enfermeria frente al espejo: mitos y realidades [Nursing in the mirror: Myths and Realities]. Fundacion Alternativas. 2010, no162 [cited 2014 Oct 28]. ISBN: 978-84- 92957-30-9. Available from: http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=3717836 4. Osakidetza/Basque Health Service. Lineas estrategicas y planes de accion 2013-2016 [Strategic Lines and Action Plans 2013-2016]. 2013. [In Spanish] Available from: http://www.osakidetza.euskadi.net/r85- ckserv01/es/contenidos/informacion/osk_publicaciones/es_publi/adjuntos/estrategia/lineasEstr ategicasOsakidetza.pdf 5. Osakidetza/Basque Health Service. Proyecto estrategico 8: Competencias avanzadas de enfermeria, Proyecto Piloto [Strategic Project 8: Advanced nursing competences, Pilot Project]. 2012. [In Spanish] Available from: http://www.osakidetza.euskadi.net/contenidos/informacion/osk_publicaciones/es_publi/adjunto s/enfermeria/ProyectosPilotos.pdf 15th International Conference on Integrated Care, Edinburgh, UK, March 25-27, 2015 2 International Journal of Integrated Care – Volume 15, 27 May– URN:NBN:NL:UI:10-1-116944 – http://www.ijic.org/ 6. Osakidetza/Basque Health Service. Proyecto estrategico 8: Competencias avanzadas de enfermeria [Strategic Project 8: Advanced nursing competences]. 2012. [In Spanish] Available from: http://www.osakidetza.euskadi.net/contenidos/informacion/osk_publicaciones/es_publi/adjunto s/enfermeria/InformeGlobalEs.pdf 7. Wagner EH, Austin BT, Von Korff M. Organizing care for patients with chronic illness. Milbank Quarterly. 1996, 74(4):511-544. 8. Departamento de Salud Gobierno Vasco/Basque Health Ministry. Lineas estrategicas del Departamento de Salud 2013-2016 [Stretegic Lines of the Ministry of Health 2013-2016]. 2014. [In Spanish] Available from: http://www.osakidetza.euskadi.net/contenidos/informacion/publicaciones_informes_estudio/es _pub/adjuntos/lineas_estrategicas_%20castellano.pdf 9. Integrated care: a position paper of the WHO European Office for integrated Health Care Services; World Health Organization. 2001 10. Gimenez-Maroto AM. La enfermeria y la practica avanzada: Su desarrollo en Espana [Nursing and Advance Practice: Its Development in Spain]. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. 2013[cited 2014 Oct 28]. Available from: http://eprints.ucm.es/21966/1/T34582.pdf PowerPoint presentation http://integratedcarefoundation.org/resource/icic15-presentations 15th International Conference on Integrated Care, Edinburgh, UK, March 25-27, 2015 3