"The Group's Waiting Room": A Successful Experience in the Outpatient Clinic for Demyelinating Diseases

Introduction: the presence of patients waiting for their medical appointments is a reality in the Brazilian public healthcare system. The National Humanization Policy of the Brazilian Ministry of Health advocates for welcoming and integrating care through the adoption of healthcare measures and communication among multiprofessional teams. One of the practices used by the healthcare team for sharing experiences, feelings, and knowledge is the waiting room. In order to minimize this wait, the "The Group's Waiting Room" project was established in 2013, comprising patients, family members, caregivers, social workers, nurses, physiotherapists, neuropsychologists, among others, to provide a welcoming space to reduce anxieties and fears, provide guidance on rights, inform them about the disease, types of treatment, the importance of adherence, and adopting an exercise routine, offering patients, family members, and caregivers a welcoming space to develop a more active and participatory stance in their treatment. This project was interrupted during the pandemic and resumed in 2022, with approximately 250 participants since then.
Objective: the aim our study is describe "The Group's Waiting Room" experience as part of humanized care for patients with MS, their families, and caregivers.
Method: Welcoming, integration, and interaction are the keywords. Returning patients engage in conversations and share their experiences with recently-diagnosed patients, thus minimizing their anxieties and doubts. Health team professionals, including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, and neuropsychologists, participate in the meetings, along with other invited professionals. Throughout the meetings, the questions raised by participants are clarified, and these discussions foster topics for future meetings.
Conclusion: The project initiated in 2013 has proven successful with the participation of approximately 250 patients, family members, and caregivers.