Methodology for the estimation of use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

The objective of this article is to revise the methods used for the assessment of the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Analysing the advantages of using one method or the other, as well as the most frequent methodological difficulties and problems in medication and classification of each one of these indicators. The main sources of information available from European, National and Madrid Autonomous Community levels have been consulted to estimate the most relevant aspects of these forms of substance abuse.

El objetivo de este trabajo es revisar los métodos utilizados para la estimación del consumo de tabaco, alcohol y otras drogas. Analizar las ventajas de utilizar unos u otros métodos, así como las dificultades y problemas metodológicos más frecuentes en la medición y clasificación de cada uno de estos indicadores. Se recogen las principales fuentes de información disponibles a nivel Europeo, Nacional y en la Comunidad de Madrid para estimar los aspectos más relevantes del consumo de este tipo de sustancias.

Quality of life, dependency and mental health scales of interest to nutritional studies in the population.

Quality of life, dependency and mental health are multidimensional constructs that cannot be observed directly yet can be deduced in an indirect manner through indicators or profiles generated from questionnaires. These questionnaires are based on the validity of information transmitted by the respondents about perceptions, feelings and attitudes. For this reason, the information is difficult to contrast with and translate to a measuring system. The use of questionnaires or rapid quality of life and mental health evaluation scales involve a process directed towards an early identification of specific problems so as to establish medical treatment. This work will review the most commonly used scales or questionnaires in determining these variables and their relationship with the nutritional status of the population.

Calidad de vida, dependencia y salud mental son constructos multidimensionales no observables directamente pero que pueden ser deducidos de manera indirecta a través de indicadores o perfiles generados a partir de cuestionarios. Estos cuestionarios se basan en la validez de la información de percepciones, sentimientos y actitudes que trasmite el encuestado. Por esta razón, esta información es difícil de contrastar y traducir a un sistema de medida. El empleo de cuestionarios o escalas de valoración rápida de la calidad de vida, dependencia y salud mental, conlleva un proceso dirigido a identificar precozmente a sujetos con problemas específicos para poder instaurar programas de intervención. Este trabajo revisa las escalas o cuestionarios más empleados en la determinación de estas variables y su relación con el estado nutricional de la población.

Chinchón declaration; decalogue on low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS).

Multidisciplinary experts in the areas of nutrition and health met in Chinchón, Madrid, on November 25-26, 2013 under the auspices of the Fundación para la Investigación Nutricional (Nutrition Research Foundation) and with the collaboration of the Madrid Regional Government's Health Ministry, the International Sweeteners Association and the Carlos III Health Institute CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition. They analyzed the current status of scientific knowledge on low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) and developed a consensus Decalogue on their use; this constitutes the Chinchón Declaration. Sweeteners, including sugar, represent a subject of undeniable interest and are currently a popular topic, although areas relating to their safety and benefits remain unknown to segments of academia and the general public. The nature of LNCS makes them vulnerable to biased and even contradictory information. They are food additives that are broadly used as sugar substitutes to sweeten foods, medicines and food supplements when non-nutritional or non-caloric alternatives are needed. The Chinchón Decalogue is the outcome of a meeting for reflection and consensus by a group of experts with backgrounds in different scientific disciplines (toxicology, clinical nutrition, community nutrition, physiology, food science, public health, pediatrics, endocrinology and nutrition, nursing, pharmaceutical care and food legislation). The Decalogue includes different aspects of LNCS related to regulation, use, benefits and safety. In general, benefits of LNCS have been traditionally neglected in comparison with the tendency for emphasising unexisting or unproven possible risks. The need to strengthen research on LNCS in Spain was emphasized, as well as the need to educate both professionals and the public.

Expertos de carácter multidisciplinar de las áreas de conocimiento de la nutrición y la salud reunidos en Chinchón, Madrid, los días 25 y 26 de noviembre de 2013 , bajo los auspicios de la Fundación para la Investigación Nutricional y con la colaboración de la Consejería de Sanidad del Gobierno de la Comunidad de Madrid, la International Sweeteners Association y el CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, analizaron el estado actual del conocimiento científico en torno a los Edulcorantes sin y bajos en calorías (ESBC) y desarrollaron un Decálogo sobre su uso que constituye la Declaración de Chinchón. Los edulcorantes, incluido el azúcar, constituyen un elemento de indudable interés y actualidad, aunque no exento de desconocimiento por algunos sectores tanto académicos como de la población en general. La propia naturaleza de los ESBC los hace susceptibles de informaciones tergiversadas e incluso contradictorias. Son aditivos alimentarios ampliamente utilizados como sustitutivos del azúcar para endulzar alimentos, medicamentos y complementos alimenticios cuando se persiguen fines no nutritivos. El Decálogo de Chinchón es fruto de una reunión de reflexión y consenso por parte de un grupo de expertos procedentes de distintas disciplinas científicas (toxicología, nutrición clínica, nutrición comunitaria, fisiología, bromatología, salud pública, atención primaria, pediatría, endocrinología y nutrición, enfermería, atención farmacéutica y legislación alimentaria). El decálogo incluye diferentes aspectos de los EBSC relacionados con la legislación, uso, beneficios y seguridad. En general, los beneficios de los EBSC han sido tradicionalmente desatendidos en comparación con la tendencia de destacar posibles riesgos inexistentes o que no han sido probados. Hace especial hincapié en la necesidad de fortalecer la investigación de los EBSC en España, así como la necesidad de formar en este ámbito a los profesionales y a los consumidores en general.

In-hospital mortality rates after CABG by autonomous regions in Spain.

PURPOSE: The paper's purpose is twofold: to provide a predictive model for estimating in-hospital mortality rates after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in Spanish autonomous regions (AR) after adjusting relevant factors; and to determine whether there is a difference between expected and observed mortality rates. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: All patients registered in a minimum basic data set (MSBD) undergoing CABG between 2000 and 2004 were selected. After bivariate analysis to explore associations between in-hospital death and other variables, a multivariate analysis using logistic regression was conducted. The predictive model was evaluated using calibration and discrimination techniques. Standardized mortality ratios by AR were calculated. FINDINGS: The expected Spanish in-hospital mortality rate after CABG was 7.68 and the observed rate was 7.69 deaths per 100 operations. Discrimination obtained with the model resulted in an area under the curve of 0.70 (95 per cent CI, 0.69-0.71). When each AR's mortality rate is calculated and compared with the observed rate, some ARs present an observed mortality rate higher or lower than the expected rate according to adjusted variables in the model. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The MSBD registry does not contain patients' critical data, such as arterial damage severity, or in which hospital procedures were performed. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: There are factors related to individual patient variation, financial resources or healthcare quality in different ARs, which should be investigated in follow-up studies. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper shows that, although the global expected mortality rate is almost the same as the observed Spanish mortality rate, this similarity disappears when AR rates are compared.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess satisfaction with hospital emergency care.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a questionnaire to determine satisfaction with the hospital emergency department. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study to validate a telephone questionnaire designed in Spanish by a panel of experts. SETTING: The emergency department of Hospital Gregorio Marañón, a tertiary level hospital of the Spanish national health system. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 651 emergency department patients completed the questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated; namely, construct, criterion validity, predictive validity and internal consistency. RESULTS: Two dimensions--comfortable service and personalised service--were identified from the exploratory factor analysis, and these accounted for 63% of the variance. Both factors showed a positive correlation with the global assessment items 'global satisfaction with the attention received in the emergency ward' and 'Would you recommend this emergency department?' The predictive validity of the questionnaire was assessed by means of discriminant analysis, which showed that 66.7% of patients were correctly classified. Internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha resulted in a value greater than 0.80 for both dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: This questionnaire fulfils the necessary psychometric properties to be considered a useful and reliable tool for measuring patient satisfaction with hospital emergency services.

[Hospital care of patients with A/H1N1 influenza: evaluation of the first 1000 reported cases in Spain]. / Demanda de atención hospitalaria por gripe A/H1N1: evaluación de los primeros 1.000 casos atendidos.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Influenza A is expected to have a great impact in countries in the northern hemisphere yet little has been reported about how this outbreak can affect hospital care. The aim of this study is to assess patients who demand care for flu symptoms and their outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From the beginning of the outbreak a specific protocol was established for the care of patients with potential influenza A in admission, emergency and hospitalization ward. A nominal registry was designed with clinical and epidemiological data. RESULTS: 1018 patients were evaluated for potential influenza A from the beginning of the outbreak until the 31(st) August, 2009. 77% of them fulfilled clinical criteria and were classified as suspected cases. Mean age was 31,7 years (SD17,2), 52% were women, 3,3% pregnant or puerperal. The admission rate was 23,4% with a global mean stay of 3,5 days, and 2,5 for the adults who were admitted to the short stay hospital unit. 2,8 % had pneumonia, two patients required admission to the intensive care unit and one of them died. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show an outbreak with mild illness, with a remarkable percentage of pneumonia but with good outcome. Despite of the high percentage of admissions, and in order to avoid the misleading attention to other patients, we believe that an assistance model based in specific units, short stay and post-discharge follow up could be suitable.

[Design and validation of a questionnaire of the hospital outpatient clinics in Madrid, Spain, 2006]. / Diseño y validación be un cuestionario para evaluar la satisfacción de los pacientes atendidos en las consultas externas de un hospital de Madrid en 2006.

BACKGROUND: In order to improve the quality of health care it is necessary to know the point of view of the patients through satisfaction surveys. Satisfaction surveys need some psychometric properties to guarantee its reliability and validity. The aim of this paper is to design and to validate a questionnaire to determine the satisfaction of patients of the hospital outpatient clinics. METHODS: Validation of a satisfaction questionnaire, designed by an expert group and composed for 12 questions. The questionnaire was given to a sample of 677 patients attended in the hospital Gregorio Marañón outpatient clinics. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were established: construct validity, concurrent criterion validity, predictive capacity and internal consistency. RESULTS: Two dimensions were identified in the construct validity analyses, explaining 63% of the variance: "clinical quality" and "administrative quality". The concurrent validity analysis showed a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.85 related to the standard criterion "global satisfaction with the attention provided in outpatient clinics" and an OR of 1.19 related to the criterion "do you know the name of the physician who attended you?" The predictive capacity of the questionnaire was measured by discriminated analysis, obtaining 84% of correct classified, and the internal consistency test gave a Cronbach's alpha of 0.90. CONCLUSIONS: Our questionnaire has enough psychometric properties to be considered an useful and feasible tool to measure the satisfaction of patients of the hospital outpatient clinics.