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Even though Family and Community Nurses (FCNs) were introduced into the Italian healthcare system in 2000, to date, there is a substantial knowledge gap regarding the implementation of these professional figures within the Primary Care (PC) system. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive picture of the role of FCNs in managing older adults and the elderly with chronic conditions within the Italian PC system. A search on Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus was conducted including studies published until 7 April 2023. Among 141 potential articles, only 4 met our inclusion criteria. Each of these studies attributed their findings to the presence of FCNs. They reported a significant decrease in the prevalence of several behaviours among patients diagnosed with hypertension, a reduction in metabolic complications among frail patients receiving home enteral nutrition, a decline in hospital readmissions or emergency services utilization among patients >65 years of ages with at least one chronic disease, and, notably, a high level of effectiveness in detecting major cardiovascular events in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices. Despite the effectiveness of interventions managed by FCNs, comprehensive information and research on the integration of this role within the PC setting are still lacking in the Italian healthcare system.

Herpes Zoster (shingles) is an infection that occurs when varicella-zoster virus reactivates from the latent state. Incidence and severity of Herpes Zoster disease increase with age. Antiviral drugs are the elective treatment; however, prevention of disease reactivation through effective and safe vaccines is available in Italy out-of-pocket from age 65 onwards. The Romagna Local Health Authority (northern Italy) administered catch-up vaccinations in March–May 2022 for immunizations not performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, adherence rates to the catch-up campaign and recall activities adopted in two centers were investigated. The uptakes for only the catch-up vaccinations were 11.4% and 12.4%. Having suffered from Herpes Zoster or having family members who suffered from it would not seem to be drivers of increased uptake. Although sending text-messages to all involved patients was the main motivation for vaccine uptake (85.7–95.1%), word of mouth and web/news advertising also contributed to adoption in Center No. 2. In both centers, the need for greater synergy between public health departments and general practitioners to engage their patients emerged, as did the need for additional recall measures. Studying the main drivers of vaccine hesitancy, especially at the local level, can help in targeting campaigns and catch-up activities in order to achieve widespread acceptance.