What kind of psychosocial support do deliver caregivers engaged in therapeutic patient education? An exploratory study

Abstract

Delivering "psychosocial support" should be one aspect of the health care providers' repertoire of patient education skills. Nevertheless, the components of psychosocial support and educational support reported in the literature have several definitions and sometimes lack clear description of their operationalisation. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to improve understanding of the practices performed by health care providers in delivering psychosocial support as part of therapeutic patient education interventions. Methods: An exploratory qualitative research was initiated in 2007 with one French team engaged in patient education activities with 90 children with cystic fibrosis at the Hospital Center of Nantes. Providers' practices were assessed through 20 observations, 1 focus group interviews and 7 individual interviews. Results: The importance of providing informal psychosocial support as part of individual long-term follow-up care of patient education interventions emerged in the observed and self-reported practices. In our results, the psychosocial support provided as part of the patient education interventions included both the development of a trusting and confident patient-provider relationship as well as an effective communication, including discussion and negotiation of therapeutic standards, various means of coping with negative feelings, and how to solve problems. Conclusion: This research concludes with a model to help formalise and acknowledge social support practices which otherwise tend to remain spontaneous and intuitive. Continuing education is needed to help health care professionals improve their practice. © EDP Sciences, SETE, 2010.