Defining informal caregivers by their characteristics safety roles and training needs in Europe

This research re-examines and broadens the conceptualization of patient safety in home care setting through experts’ perspective, and recent changes in the profiles of informal caregivers across Europe and explores their role in the dynamics of the evolving care economy. It assesses their contributions to home care, their impact on care quality, and their essential role in ensuring care recipient safety. A qualitative study using the consensus conference technique involving sixty-one experts from diverse healthcare and academic institutions across multiple European countries who participated in a two-day conference. The discussions focused on highlighting the characteristics of informal caregivers and identifying critical challenges in home care, recognition and reducing human errors in home care. Eligibility for participation required membership in the BetterCare consortium and expertise in patient safety. This study emphasizes the critical role of informal caregivers in Europe, updates their definition, and examines their contribution to care recipient safety in the home care setting. This finding underscores the urgent need for policymakers and healthcare institutions to support caregivers by providing education and resources to prevent errors and enhance care quality, ultimately improving outcomes for care recipients.