Rôle et organisation des unités transversales d'éducation thérapeutique du patient dans les CHU et les CHR de France.

Introduction : The creation of transversal patient education units (UTEP), resources center to help Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) teams in hospitals, was recommended in 2008 by the High Authority of Health and the French Society of Public Health.Purpose of research : To realize a national inventory of the UTEPs function (creation, governance, composition, missions, and funding).Method : This qualitative survey by semi-directional interviews was conducted by phone using an interview guide to the 29 UTEPs identified in the University or Regional Hospitals of France.Results : Twenty-four UTEPs (83%) responded. Since the law of 2009, except Besançon and Montpellier, these multidisciplinary teams coordinated mainly by a doctor have a total staff ranging from 0.5 to 5.5 full-time equivalents. Ten UTEPs have an institutional steering committee. They are mainly attached to a public health division. All UTEPs provide support missions for the TPE programs, coordination, and transversality. Fourteen carry out training ; eleven are involved in research and one lead TPE session. Eight UTEPs are involved at the level of the Territorial Hospital Grouping or the department. These differences condition variations in funding.Conclusions : The UTEPs are mostly well entrenched in their institution, recognized by TPE teams and directors. Their organizations, operations and funding are very varied according to the hospitals with common lines given by the regional health agency within the same large region.

Hospital practices for the implementation of patient partnership in a multi-national European region.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which patients are involved in their care can be influenced by hospital policies and interventions. Nevertheless, the implementation of patient participation and involvement (PPI) at the organisational (meso) level has rarely been assessed systematically. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of PPI practises in hospitals in Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg and to analyze if, and to what extent, the hospital vision and the presence of a patient committee influence the implementation of PPI practises. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out using an online questionnaire in hospitals in the border regions of the four countries. The data were analyzed for differences between regions and the maturity of PPI development. RESULTS: Full responses were obtained from 64 hospitals. A wide range of practices were observed, the degree of maturity was mixed. A majority of hospitals promoted patient partnership in the hospital's philosophy of care statement. However, the implementation of specific interventions for PPI was not found uniformly and differences could be observed between the countries. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals in the region seem to be motivated to include patients more fully, however, implementation of PPI interventions seems incomplete and only partially integrated into the general functioning of the hospitals. The implementation of the concept seems to be more mature in the francophone part of the region perhaps due, in part, to a more favourable political context.