Il percorso di continuità assistenziale ospedale territorio nei pazienti con gravi cerebrolesioni acquisite. Le aspettative dei caregiver e dei professionisti.

The present study analyses how continuity of care is perceived by health professionals and GRACER (Gravi Cerebrolesioni Acquisite Emilia Romagna) patients’ caregivers, in order to investigate where the gap between expectations and reality is more heavily felt and which dimension of the continuity of care is the most important both for health professionals and GRACER patients’ caregivers. The study has been developed following the Gap Analysis theoretical model. A questionnaire, based on ServQual model, was used to collect data about the three dimensions of the construct of continuity of care related to information, management and relation, declined along the lines of expectations and perception of reality. The questionnaire was administered to health professionals and caregivers of GRACER patients (12-36 months after the event) inside 4 healthcare institutes in Emilia Romagna. The PAI (Piano Assistenziale Individuale) approach was the methodology applied in these 4 sites. To both groups the relational continuity was the most important dimension, followed at a long distance by the informational and the management ones. It has also been noted that to professionals reality is always worse than expectations, with the exception of only two items in the dimension of management continuity. To caregivers reality is worse than expectations in some items in the dimensions of information and management The study has shown that the relational dimension of continuity of care should be more investigated, as confirmed by literature. More research is needed about the professionals’ dissatisfaction generated by the negative balance between expectations and perception of reality.