Manel Esteban-Pérez
Rovira I Virgili University, Spain
Title: Complexity of end-of-life care: Criteria and levels of intervention in community health care
Biography
Biography: Manel Esteban-Pérez
Abstract
Definition: The complexity is caused by the emerging of processes, that when they interact, fulfill the criteria to be defined complex systems. Reference model: Our base model is modeled on the needs of patients and families, thus obtaining six areas of complexity: Physical needs, psycho-emotional, socio-family, spiritual, area related directly with death (situation in the last days, grief), and area of ethical aspects. Areas and criteria of complexity: In each area the following are obtained: Base definitions, situations usually creating complexity and criteria of complexity grouped in three levels: Low medium and high. Model of Intervention: The proposal is- Low complexity: Intervention of the community health care team with occasional intervention of the palliative care team. Medium complexity: Shared caring decided between the community health care team and the palliative team. High complexity: main intervention by the palliative team or hospital admission. Conclusions: It is necessary to differentiate between situations that are usually complex and criteria of complexity. The first are those situations that often behave as an emerging process, whereas the criteria of complexity correspond to the actual emergence or its results. The intervention model proposed should improve the collaboration between community care and the palliative team, as this is a co-responsible and dynamic model that does not divide the intervention.