{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]],"date-time":"2026-01-22T14:30:35Z","timestamp":1769092235789,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,9]],"date-time":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1636416000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Healthcare"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Patients\u2019 and carers\u2019 views regarding the Portuguese model of home respiratory care were recently described, yet the complementary perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs) is still to be investigated. Thus, this study explored HCPs experience in the management of patients needing home respiratory therapies (HRT), and their perspective about the Portuguese model. A phenomenological descriptive study, using focus groups, was carried out with 28 HCPs (median 42 y, 68% female) with distinct backgrounds (57% pulmonologists, 29% clinical physiologists, 7% physiotherapists, 7% nurses). Three focus groups were conducted in three regions of Portugal. Thematic analysis was performed by two independent researchers. HCPs have in general a positive view about the organization of the Portuguese model of home respiratory care, which was revealed in four major topics: Prescription (number of references, n = 171), Implementation and maintenance (n = 162), Carer involvement (n = 65) and Quality of healthcare (n = 247). Improvements needed were related to patients\u2019 late referral, HRT prescription (usability of the medical electronic prescription system and renewals burden), patients\u2019 education, access to hospital care team, lack of multidisciplinary work and articulation between hospital, primary and home care teams. This study describes the perspective of HCPs about the Portuguese model of home respiratory care and identifies specific points where improvements and reflections are needed. This knowledge may be useful to decision makers improve the current healthcare model.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare9111523","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,9]],"date-time":"2021-11-09T12:46:23Z","timestamp":1636461983000},"page":"1523","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Portuguese Model of Home Respiratory Care: Healthcare Professionals\u2019 Perspective"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3735-8554","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C\u00e1tia","family":"Caneiras","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Research Laboratory on Environmental Health (EnviHealthMicro Lab), Institute of Environmental Health (ISAMB), Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Healthcare Department, Nippon Gases Portugal, 2600-242 Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1151-8791","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina","family":"J\u00e1come","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Daniela","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Rheumatology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universit\u00e1rio S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o (CHUSJ), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Em\u00edlia","family":"Moreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Cl\u00e1udia Camila","family":"Dias","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1057-7893","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Liliane","family":"Mendon\u00e7a","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1207-8724","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sagrario","family":"Mayoralas-Alises","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Healthcare Management Department, Hospital Quir\u00f3n Salud San Jos\u00e9, 28002 Madrid, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0887-8796","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Almeida","family":"Almeida Fonseca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Allergy Unit, Instituto and Hospital CUF Porto, 4460-188 Matosinhos, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Salvador","family":"Diaz-Lobato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Healthcare Department, Nippon Gases Spain, 28020 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Service of Pneumology, Hospital Universitario Moncloa, 28008 Madrid, Spain"}]},{"given":"Joan","family":"Escarrabill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Programa de Atenci\u00f3n a la Cronicidad, Hospital Cl\u00ednic de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Master Plan for Respiratory Diseases (Ministry of Health) & Observatory of Home Respiratory Therapies (FORES), 08028 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"REDISSEC Health Services Research on Chronic Patients Network, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2444-8710","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Carlos","family":"Winck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jegh.2015.07.006","article-title":"Evaluation of home respiratory therapy delivered to patients in the Ministry of Health\u2019s Home Medical Program (HMP) and administered through the Madinah HMP Center, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2013","volume":"6","author":"Alhelali","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. 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