Public health nurses' descriptions of "healthcare targets and results".

Abstract

Objectives This study examined the sentences that public health nurses (PHNs) use to describe "healthcare targets and results"; how they use the four components-target, result, term, and achievement degree-necessary for explaining, for example, a plan for healthcare activities; and what kind of contents they describe.Methods The participants were full-time PHNs working at randomly chosen prefectural public health centers or municipal health centers. Questionnaires were distributed by mail, and the subjects were asked to give a sentence describing "healthcare targets and results." The contents of the sentences were examined, four components were extracted, and the sentences were classified by their contents. Depending on the number of components, the sentences were classified into five groups: 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0. We ascertained the ratio of each component and group, and the combinations of components in sentences. Related factor measures were years of PHN experience and municipality.Results Of the 1,615 participants, 1,088 (67.4%) responded, and 961 (59.5%) responses were valid. The ratio of sentences expressing "target" was 81.0%, "result" was 58.8%, "term" was 3.4%, and "achievement degree" was 18.5%. Most of the answers for "target" expressed attributes. The answers for "result" expressed not only specific indicators of activity or health, but also a general vision or output (not the results like outcome) of the process of PHNs' healthcare activities. The answers for "term" expressed the time limit of the evaluation, and those for "achievement degree" expressed a specific rate, ratio, or number. Within each component group, the sentences were classified as follows: Group 4 (2.4%), Group 3 (15.6%), Group 2 (33.8%), Group 1 (37.7%), and Group 0 (10.5%), which were found to lack the component "term," "achievement degree," "result," and "target" respectively. The ratio of Group 4 increased with more years of PHN experience and larger municipality, but there were no significant differences.Conclusion A few of the PHNs' sentences described all the components of "healthcare targets and results," and the fewest described "term" and "achievement degree." In addition, these sentences expressed abstract contents or the process of PHNs' healthcare activities. PHNs should be able to describe the target's specific health issue, the time limit for solution, and numerical target results.