Masella, C.

Background: Co-production has been widely recognised as a potential means to reduce the dissatisfaction of citizens, the inefficacy of service providers, and conflicts in relations between the former and the latter. However, the benefits of co-production has begun to be questioned: co-production has often been taken for granted, and its effects may not be effective. To understand and prevent unsuccessful citizen and provider collaboration, the recent literature has begun to focus on the causes of co-destruction.

The role played by family caregivers in delivering long-term care is crucial: they enhance the quality of care perceived by the patients and support the shift to out-of-hospital care. However, taking care of a relative entails a huge burden that usually begins with the patient’s hospital discharge and may mean that caregivers become patients in need of care as well. Owing to socio-demographic trends, informal caregiving is the most important source of care in community settings; hence targeting the caregivers’ burden properly is crucial.