Access to healthcare remains difficult for many, particularly in underserved areas. In Italy's Marche Region, parish nursing agencies have been introduced as a territorial care strategy for enhancing access to healthcare and strengthening community-based services. The aim of this study is to assess the socio-demographic characteristics, service utilization, and satisfaction of users attending a parish nursing agency in the Marche Region.
Methods and procedures
This quantitative, cross-sectional explorative study drew on original data collected through an anonymous questionnaire completed by clients of a parish nursing agency. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods.
Results
82 individuals participated; 77% were autonomous, while 23% were accompanied by a caregiver. Among those without caregivers, 24% were foreigners, significantly higher than the regional average. Most users had a high educational level and at least one chronic condition. Frequently requested services included medical appointment scheduling, vital sign monitoring, and health information. Satisfaction was high: 83% rated the service as “excellent”, and 17% as “satisfying”.
Conclusion
These preliminary findings indicate that parish nursing can provide accessible, person-centered, and satisfactory care to vulnerable individuals from diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds and suggest that parish nursing agencies could be considered a valuable component in shaping health policy recommendations.
AhnS.LeeJ.MunningK.CampbellK. P.ZiebarthD.OwenL.HwangJ. J. (2025). Implementation of a faith community nursing transition of care program in the USA: A propensity score matching analysis. Journal of Religion and Health, 64(2), 803–820. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-024-02213-2
CameddaC.RighiM. (2024). Experiences and suggestions of nurses involved in caring for migrant populations in Italy: A qualitative study. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12(2), 275. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12020275
4.
CastroE. M.Van RegenmortelT.VanhaechtK., et al. (2016). Patient empowerment, patient participation and patient-centeredness in hospital care: A concept analysis based on a literature review. Patient Education and Counseling, 99(12), 1923–1939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2016.07.026
de Diego-CorderoR.Suárez-ReinaP.BadantaB.LucchettiG.Vega-EscañoJ. (2022). The efficacy of religious and spiritual interventions in nursing care to promote mental, physical and spiritual health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Applied Nursing Research: ANR, 67, 151618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151618
7.
DevidoJ. A.DoswellW. M.BraxterB. J., et al. (2019). Exploring the experiences, challenges, and approaches of parish nurses in their community practice. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 37(2), 121–129. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010118801414
8.
DiamandisS.ThornleyT.BenrimojS. C.OuK.Dineen-GriffinS. (2025). Frameworks, theories and models used in the development of health policies: A systematic review of systematic reviews. Health Policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 162, 105451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2025.105451
9.
DickmanS. L.HimmelsteinD. U.WoolhandlerS. (2017). Inequality and the health-care system in the USA. Lancet (London, England), 389(10077), 1431–1441. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30398-7
10.
DominguezL. J.VeroneseN.BarbagalloM. (2024). The link between spirituality and longevity. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 36(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-023-02684-5
11.
EllisJ. L.MorzinskiJ. A. (2018). Reaching and supporting at-risk community based seniors: Results of a multi-church partnership. Journal of Community Health, 43(5), 920–928. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-018-0506-0
12.
FariesM. D.Corrêa FernandesC.PhillipsE.WestT.StoutR. (2024). Religion and spirituality in lifestyle medicine. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 19(2), 324–333. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241276770
13.
Fernández-GutiérrezM.Bas-SarmientoP.Albar-MarínM. J., et al. (2018). Health literacy interventions for immigrant populations: A systematic review. International Nursing Review, 65(1), 54–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12373
14.
GasperiniB.CherubiniA.PierriF., et al. (2017). Potentially preventable visits to the emergency department in older adults: Results from a national survey in Italy. PLOS ONE, 12(12), e0189925. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189925
GBD 2021 Risk Factors Collaborators. (2024). Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990-2021: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2021. Lancet (London, England), 403(10440), 2162–2203. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00933-4
17.
GhobadzadehM.DemerathE. W.TuraY. (2015). Prevalence of blood pressure, blood glucose and Serum lipids abnormalities among Ethiopian immigrants: A community-based cross-sectional study. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 17(4), 1070–1077. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0051-6
18.
GkioulekaA.WongG.SowdenS.KuhnI.MoseleyA.ManjiS.HarmstonR. R.SiersbaekR.BambraC.FordJ. A. (2024). Reducing health inequalities through general practice: A realist review and action framework. Health and Social Care Delivery Research, 12(7), 1–104. https://doi.org/10.3310/YTWW7032
19.
GrebeldingerT. A.BuckleyK. M. (2016). You are not alone: Parish nurses bridge challenges for family caregivers. Journal of Christian Nursing, 33(1), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000242
20.
HaileamlakA. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on non-communicable diseases. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, 32(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.4314/ejhs.v32i1.1
21.
HarrisM. D. (2018). Power in the Local: Lifesaving Partnerships Between Churches and the American Red Cross. Journal of Christian Nursing, 35(2), 120–125. https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000476
JagerJ.PutnickD. L.BornsteinM. H. (2017). More than just convenient: The scientific merits of homogeneous convenience samples. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 82(2), 13–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/mono.12296
25.
LucchettiG.PeresM. F. P.DamianoR. F. (2019). Spirituality, religiousness and health. Religion, spirituality and health: a social scientific approach from research to clinical practice. Springer. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21221-6
26.
MatrangaD.ManiscalcoL. (2022). Inequality in healthcare utilization in Italy: How important are barriers to access?International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1697. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031697
27.
Miguélez-ChamorroA.Ferrer-ArnedoC. (2014). La enfermera familiar y comunitaria: Referente del paciente crónico en la comunidad. Enfermería Clínica, 24(1), 5–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2013.12.002
28.
MillerdE.FisherA.LambertJ. M.PfaffK. A. (2021). What are the characteristics of the parish nursing research literature and how can it inform parish nurse practice and research in Canada? A scoping review. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 55(1), 3–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/08445621211067378
29.
OlsonJ.ClarkM.SimingtonJ. (1999). The Canadian experience. In Solari-TwadellP. A.McDermottM. A. (Eds.), The Canadian experience (pp. 277–286). Sage Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452232874.n25
30.
RasanathanK.EvansT. G. (2020). Primary health care, the declaration of Astana and COVID-19. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 98, 801–808. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.252932
31.
RosenthalT.TouyzR. M.OparilS. (2022). Migrating populations and health: Risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Current Hypertension Reports, 24(9), 325–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-022-01194-5
Sierra-HerediaC.TayyarE.BozorgiY.ThakoreP.HagosS.CarrilloR.MachadoS.PetersonS.GoldenbergS.WiedmeyerM. L.LavergneM. R. (2024). Growing inequities by immigration group among older adults: Population-based analysis of access to primary care and return to in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Canada. BMC primary Care, 25(1), 332. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02530-1
34.
SmithmanM. A.DescôteauxS.DionneÉ, et al. (2020). Typology of organizational innovation components: Building blocks to improve access to primary healthcare for vulnerable populations. International Journal for Equity in Health, 19(1), 174. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01263-8
35.
SteinhornD. M.DinJ.JohnsonA. (2017). Healing, spirituality and integrative medicine. Annals of Palliative Medicine, 6(3), 237–247. https://doi.org/10.21037/apm.2017.05.01
36.
TrinitapoliJ.EllisonC. G.BoardmanJ. D. (2009). US Religious congregations and the sponsorship of health-related programs. Social Science & Medicine, 68(12), 2231–2239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.03.036
37.
VincensiB. B. (2019). Interconnections: Spirituality, spiritual care, and patient-centered care. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing, 6(2), 104–110. https://doi.org/10.4103/apjon.apjon_48_18
38.
WordsworthH.MooreR.WoodhouseD. (2016). Parish nursing: A unique resource for community and district nurses. British Journal of Community Nursing, 21(2), 66–74. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2016.21.2.66
39.
ZaalbergT.BartenD. G.van HeugtenC. M., et al. (2023). Prevalence and risk factors of burden among caregivers of older emergency department patients. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 7250. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31750-1
40.
ZiebarthD. J. (2016). Wholistic health care: Evolutionary conceptual analysis. Journal of Religion and Health, 55(5), 1800–1823. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0199-6
