El cuidador de pacientes con enfermedad crónica discapacitante: Descripción, análisis e implicaciones para la gestión

Abstract

The chronic patient caregiver in a fundamental agent when handling a chronic disease and the changes that its attention implies. Nevertheless, the system efforts tend to be patient-focused. The objective of this study is to describe, based on the literature, the most relevant findings related to the caregiver in these type of disabled patients, its way of working, development and implications for its management from the health care system perspective. Studies from the past decade are included, where its results are discussed and the main challenges and improvement opportunities for a management view that involves the keeper are analyzed. By meeting the keeper needs, the chronic patient's quality of life improves due to a better care, secondary disease can be prevented helping not only the patient but the keeper. All these impact would help optimizing the health care system resources.