Effectiveness of a nurse-led, face-to-face health coaching intervention in enhancing activation and secondary outcomes of primary care users with chronic conditions.

Prevalence of chronic diseases and multimorbidity is rising, and it remains unclear what the best strategy is for activating people with chronic conditions in their self-care. We designed a two-group quasi-experimental time series trial to examine the effectiveness of a nurse-led, face-to-face, individually-tailored health coaching (HC) intervention in improving patient activation and secondary outcomes (self-efficacy, quality of life, anxiety and depression symptoms, medication adherence, hospitalization and emergency visits) among primary care users with chronic conditions. A total of 118 people with chronic conditions were recruited through a primary care center and allocated to either the intervention group (IG) (n = 58) or control group (CG) (n = 60).

Development and psychometric study of a simple instrument to assess patient communication and comprehension skills: the AsCkS.

Background: Instruments to examine patients' communication skills are impractical for daily clinical practice in primary health care, and it is assumed that health care professionals are always aware of the communication and comprehension status of patients.

Objective: To design and examine the psychometric properties of a new questionnaire (AsCkS) to screen patients' risk of low communication and comprehension skills.

Methods: Designing the new questionnaire involved: (i) a content validity study to generate a set of items, (ii) administration of a questionnaire in a sample of patients and (iii) study of the psychometric properties using a Rasch probabilistic model.

Self-Care Practices of Primary Health Care Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Heart Failure: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Chronic heart failure patients require self-care behaviors and active monitoring of signs and symptoms to prevent worsening. Most patients with this condition are attended in primary healthcare centers. This study aimed to evaluate the endorsement of and adherence to self-care behaviors in primary health care patients with chronic heart failure.

[Health literacy in patients with heart failure treated in primary care].

Objectives: The level of health literacy is examined, as well as its conditioning factors in patients with heart failure who are seen routinely in a Primary Health Care Area.

Design: A multicentre cross-sectional study.

Setting: 10 Primary care centres from the metropolitan area of Barcelona.

[Listening to the voice of the patient: an imperative. 2008 SESPAS Report].

To democratize health services, citizen participation should be free, informed and involve choice. To achieve this, a formal and public system of health services' evaluation is required. The present article aims to argue the need to promote the participation of patients and persons affected by disease to achieve greater democratization of health services and improve the effectiveness of healthcare.