Expectations of family nurses among residents of a midsize eastern European city: A population-based cohort study in Poland

To improve the quality of care, patients' needs and expectations must be understood, and this can be achieved through learning their attitudes and expectations connected with using health services. The main aim of this study was to describe and analyse Bialystok residents' expectations of family nurses. This cohort study was carried out in association with the ongoing project Bialystok PLUS in Poland. The respondents (n = 412) were administered a multiple-choice questionnaire concerning family nurses and the responses were analysed in association with the respondents' socio-demographic data and health self-evaluation results. Data were collected between September 2017 and September 2019. Our research found that the respondents' socioeconomic status was associated with their expectations concerning the use of prevention services offered by family nurses. A statistically significant association was found between marital status and knowledge of their family nurses. The demand for medical counselling from family nurses (concerning diet, coping with stress, physical activity) was significantly negatively correlated with age, with younger persons expecting that service more often than older persons. A significant association was also observed between respondents' age group and their opinions concerning the need for home visits by family nurses. The respondents who expected home visits by family nurses declared lower self-evaluated health compared to the other respondents. Findings suggest that services by family nurses should include an assessment of each patient's situation, including their health self-evaluation and socioeconomic status. The fact that younger persons expect family nurses to provide counselling on health matters obliges nurses to learn how to provide health information tailored to patient needs.

Automated summary

To improve the quality of care, it is important to understand patients' needs and expectations. This study found that socioeconomic status, marital status, and age were associated with patients' expectations of family nurses. Younger patients were more likely to expect health counseling from family nurses, while those who expected home visits had lower self-evaluated health. These findings suggest that family nurses should tailor their services to individual patients' situations and needs.