RESIDENCE – Patientenkonsultation und Dosisänderung durch nicht-ärztliches medizinisches Praxispersonal – eine Querschnittsbefragung zur Delegierbarkeit

Background: Practice nurse (PN)-led patient consultations and dose adjustments of permanent medication are uncommon and understudied in general practice settings in Germany. Today, patient consultation and dose-adjustments of permanent medication are predominantly provided by general practitioners (GPs) in Germany. However, doctor nurse substitution could be one way to address the challenges of general practice in Germany: shortages of GPs and increased need for care due to a rising multimorbid elderly population.
Research questions: 1. What are the attitudes of the general population towards PN-led patient consultations and PN-led dose adjustments of long-term medication in general practice in Germany?
Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey of participants of the HeReCa cohort (Health Related Beliefs and Health Care Experiences). The HeReCa cohort is a population-based survey of healh-related beliefs and experiences with health care in Germany and includes persons aged 18 years and older. IWe used a self-developed and pre-tested questionnaire including items on attitudes towards PN-led patient consultations and PN-led dose adjustments of long-term medications, specific reasons for encounter or medication for PN-led consultation and PN-led dose adjustment. In addition, our questionnaire focuses on the preferences of the general adult population for general conditions for implementing PN-led care and sociodemographic variables. For statistical analyses we will use descriptive statistics and inferential procedures such as logistic regression analysis using IBM SPSS 25 software.
Results: Data collection will be completed at the time of the EGPRN meeting and we expect to present initial results We expect the RESIDENCE study data to show how many participants are open reluctant to the concept of PN-led consultations and PN-led dose changes of permanent medication. We also expect to show which participants characteristics are associated with openness for PN-led consultations or PN-led dose adjustments of long-term medications. Additionally, we expect to report preferences for practical general conditions regarding qualification or supervision
Conclusion: We expect that the results will be helpful for future pilot studies or pilot projects and additionally highlight relevant factors to consider when implementing extended task shifting.