Home Care Delivered by GPs in Modena (Italy): A Descriptive Study with an Exploratory Analysis of its Determinants and Outcomes

Background: The rise in life expectancy, disabilities, and the number of elderly individuals living alone poses a challenge for healthcare services, particularly for General Practitioners (GPs), as an increasing number of patients require Home Care (HC). There are rumors circulating among the population that suggest "GPs no longer make house calls," while Italian GPs perceive an escalating workload for HC. Currently, there is no existing study in Italy describing the HC activities of GPs and their perceptions. Research questions: How is HC organized and delivered in the Province of Modena, and how many home visits do GPs perform each year? What are the determinants influencing the HC activity of GPs? Method: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study using a survey directed to all GPs in Modena Province (Italy). The study was led by GPs-investigators in collaboration with the Local Health Authority and the University Department of Public Health. Collected variables included GP characteristics (socio-demographic factors, GP experience, practice organization, level of deprivation in the neighborhood, and workload), volume and type of HC delivered (number and type of home visits performed in the previous year), and GP's performance indicators (hospitalization rates in the medical area, avoidable emergency department access). Results: Eighty-four GPs voluntarily participated in the study, representing 21% of all GPs in the province of Modena. Participants exhibited variability in age, gender, GP work experience, work setting, and volumes of HC delivered, presenting a highly diverse sample. Descriptive analysis and association models describing the relationship between exposure variables are ongoing and will be presented during the meeting. The first model will delineate the determinants, including GP characteristics and organization (explanatory variables), influencing the volume and type of HC delivered (outcome) while, the second model will elucidate the associations between the HC delivered (exposure variable) and GP's performance indicators (outcome). Points for discussion: Is there variability among the number of home visits performed by GPs in different European countries?