Background: Nurses in Catalonia have always prescribed health advice, health products, and medication in line with the professional competency of the discipline. Legislation about nurse prescriptions and the implementation of nurse prescribing varies widely among different countries. This article reports data regarding nurse prescribing in Catalonia in 2021 and 2022. Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study analyzed data from all care-providing units in Catalonia’s integrated public health system. Results: The number of nurse prescriptions increased from 139,435 in 2021 to 573,822 in 2022, and the number of nurses issuing prescriptions increased from 3604 in 2021 to 5563 in 2022. The proportion of prescriptions for different products was similar in the two years analyzed. Prescriptions for medication increased by 7.5% in 2022. Conclusions: Nurse prescribing is a recent advance in Catalonia. Despite some difficulties in rollout, the data indicate that this practice is becoming consolidated, as in other European countries.

Introduction: Integrated care models aim to provide solutions to fragmentation of care by improving coordination. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a new integrated care model (Salut + Social), which will promote the coordination and communication between social and healthcare services in southern Catalonia (Spain) to improve quality of life, adherence to treatment and access to medical services for patients with chronic conditions, and also to reduce caregiver burden. Additionally, we will evaluate the experience of caregivers, health professionals and social workers with the new model implemented. Methods and analysis: A clinical trial using mixed methodology will be carried out. The intervention consists of improving the coordination between the social and healthcare sectors during a 6-month period, by means of information and communication technology (ICT) tools that operate as an interface for the integrated care model. The study subjects are primary care patients with chronic health and social conditions that can benefit from a collaborative and coordinated approach. A sample size of 141 patients was estimated. Questionnaires that assess quality of life, treatment adherence, medical service and caregiver burden will be used at baseline and at 6, 9, and 12 months after the beginning of the study. The principal variable is quality of life. For statistical analysis, comparisons of means and proportions at different time points will be performed. A discussion group and semi-structured interviews will be conducted with the aim of improving the care model taking into account the opinions of professionals and caregivers. A thematic content analysis will be carried out. Ethics and dissemination: This study protocol has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (code P17/100). Articles will be published in international, peer-reviewed scientific journals. Trial registration: Clinical-Trials.gov: NCT04164160.

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of family and professional caregivers of persons with dementia in order to design a tailored community-based support programme. Design A two-stage study was deployed. First, qualitative research draws on three focus groups. Two of these comprised family caregivers and the third was made up of care provision professionals. Thematic content analysis was conducted by interpretative description for applied practice. Second, an experience-based codesign methodology was applied to design a tailored support programme in accordance with carers’ demands and contextual realities. Setting and study period Rural region in Catalonia, at northeast of Spain. March–June 2019. Participants We interviewed 12 family caregivers and 8 primary care providers. Results 10 main themes were identified: caregivers’ feelings, repercussions of caregiving in caregivers’ lives, education about dementia and caring skills, education about time management and self-care, caregivers’ needs to receive more information and training, improved patients’ follow-up and social assistance and more psychologic support. Finally, three themes related to caregivers’ demands: social services resources, multidisciplinary approach programmes and support from other caregivers. From these results, a multicomponent, professionally led community-based intervention was designed. The main components were the following: education and caring skills, professional psychological support, and social and community resources. Conclusion This study allowed the design of a multicomponent support intervention for family caregivers of persons with dementia aimed at reducing their burden and improving their quality of life in ways consistent with their actual needs and the available local resources.