What is the concept of “kao-no-mieru kankei (face-to-face relationships)” in the community palliative care?

Abstract

To explore the concept of “kao-no-mieru kankei (face-to-face relationships)” and effects on community care networks, questionnaire and interview surveys were conducted involving 207 and 5 health care professionals, respectively. The item “face-to-face relationships” were significantly correlated with “I know his/her name, face, and way of thinking” “I understand the principles and current status of the facility” “I know his/her characteristics and how to deal with them”, and “I know what each person does” (p>0.7). An interview survey showed that “face-to-face relationships” consisted of “know the name and face” “know what s/he is like” and “trust in each other”. As effects of “face-to-face relationships” on community care networks, the following items were extracted: “It facilitates easy communication” “It provides me with information on who is responsible for which problem” “It facilitates smooth communication by changing my approach” “It makes me effective at work” “It gives me a sense of intimacy”, and “it gives me the responsibility”. Thus, preliminary findings of the concept and effects of “face-to-face relationships” were obtained.