Sciences Building. PHOTO: Manuel Castells

The Clínica Universidad de Navarra has made submission to the authors of the research 'development of improvements in a radiology service through a research in participative action' of the award to the Best Communication of all those presented throughout the year during the celebration of a workshop of Nursing celebrated in the hospital center.

The authors of this research are María Ángeles Betelu Oronoz, Marta Jiménez Hernández, María Victoria García Arregui, Amparo Zaragoza Salcedo, Juana María Senosiain García, Olga López-Dicastillo and María Carmen Portillo Vega, who presented their communication at the National congress of the Radiological Nursing Society.

summary of project
The aging of the Spanish population is leading to an increase in chronic neurological diseases. After diagnosing a chronic disease it is necessary for patients and family members to begin a process of acceptance and coping that is not always promoted or achieved. A holistic and personalized nursing care from diagnosis could facilitate the involvement of patients and relatives in the coping process.

This study aims to improve the nursing internship , through a approach of research in Participatory Action, to help patients and relatives to accept and cope with a possible diagnosis or worsening of a chronic neurological disease, from a diagnostic stage. It will collect data in two MRI units of a tertiary level hospital, completing cycles with stages of evaluation, planning, action and assessment.

The study is planned to last three years. Nurses and other health professionals, patients with a possible diagnosis of chronic neurological disease, and family members will be accessed and involved on an ongoing basis. With the information gathered at the stage of evaluation with the participants, a program educational will be designed and implemented to improve professional internship and interdisciplinary communication, and to facilitate the process of acceptance and coping with the chronic process at partnership with Neurology consultations. Based on previous experiences, the educational program could focus on training sessions on chronic neurological processes with health professionals, and on professional interventions focused on increasing and clarifying information, Education, developing with patients and relatives coping tools and strategies to increase emotional well-being. The intervention will then be evaluated at the professional and Username levels.

The data will be collected and triangulated with semi-structured interviews, participant observations, field notes, sociodemographic data sheets and scales measuring satisfaction with care. This study is of special relevance today because it will provide knowledge on the experience of patients and relatives in the diagnostic stage of a chronic process, improve communication between Radiology and Neurology services, promoting the internship multidisciplinary . It is hoped that all these improvements will help professionals to provide higher quality care so that patients and families learn to accept and cope with the disease from the initial stages of the process.