Virtual communities of practice (vCoPs) facilitate online learning via the exchange of experiences and knowledge between interested participants. Compared to other communities, vCoPs need to overcome technological structures and specific barriers. Our objective was to pilot the acceptability and feasibility of a vCoP aimed at improving the attitudes of primary care professionals to the empowerment of patients with chronic conditions. We used a qualitative approach based on 2 focus groups: one composed of 6 general practitioners and the other of 6 practice nurses. Discussion guidelines on the topics to be investigated were provided to the moderator. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed using the ATLAS-ti software. The available operating systems and browsers and the lack of suitable spaces and time were reported as the main difficulties with the vCoP. The vCoP was perceived to be a flexible learning mode that provided up-to-date resources applicable to routine practice and offered a space for the exchange of experiences and approaches. The results from this pilot study show that the vCoP was considered useful for learning how to empower patients. However, while vCoPs have the potential to facilitate learning and as shown create professional awareness regarding patient empowerment, attention needs to be paid to technological and access issues and the time demands on professionals. We collected relevant inputs to improve the features, content and educational methods to be included in further vCoP implementation. ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02757781 . Registered on 25 April 2016.

This study shows the losses realized day by day by women caregivers with a chronic illness, which lead them to lose the meaning of their own lives. To know the experience of these women caregivers will help develop interventions and specific services that compensate for the losses they feel and help improve their quality of living.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed lockdown measures that affected caregiving. Understanding caregivers’ context provides reveals their adaptive strategies to continue caring in this situation of uncertainty and isolation. Objective: To better understand the caregiving experiences of caregivers looking after dependent individuals living in the community during the pandemic. Design: Qualitative research, phenomenological approach. Setting: Primary healthcare centers in Madrid region (Spain). Participants: 21 family caregivers. Methods: Purposive and theoretical sampling was used to recruit caregivers across nurses from primary healthcare centers. Participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide to explore the caring experience. Interview transcripts were evaluated using thematic analysis. Results: The findings were categorized into two themes: “Caregivers during lockdown—providing care in a time of adversity” and “Caregiving toward normality”. The sub-themes identified were the re-structuring of before-care services and the introduction of new care approaches, managing the dependent person’s health problems, looking after oneself, and dealing with adversity. To adapt to the new normal, strategies were put in place designed to recover confidence and trust, reincorporate assistance, and reconnect with others. Conclusions: Care intensified during the pandemic. Caregivers took on the task without assistance, focusing on preventing contagion and protecting themselves to be able to continue giving care.

Objective. to describe the strategies used by women who have undergone assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to cope with the process of becoming mothers and to describe their relationships with their partners and healthcare professionals throughout this process. Methods. This is a qualitative study based on grounded theory. Twenty women who had undergone ART in Spain were selected. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The analysis followed grounded theory methods. Results. ‘Fighting for a dream: motherhood’ is the main category describing women’s struggles from their diagnosis of infertility to their successful pregnancy and delivery. This process makes it possible for them to fulfil their dream and become parents along with their partners. Three subcategories describe the different stages in the process: ‘Accepting treatment: doing everything possible’, ‘Undergoing treatment: an emotional rollercoaster’, and ‘Reconsidering the dream: give up or gather strength to keep going?’ Conclusion. Women undergoing ART experience difficulties as they seek to achieve pregnancy, as there is no guarantee that they will be able to fulfil their greatest desire in life: motherhood. Women use a variety of coping strategies during ART and continue to seek emotional support from their peers and/or women who are experiencing the same situation.