Trends in Telepsychiatry and In-Person Psychiatric Care for Depression in an Academic Health System, 2017-2022.

OBJECTIVE: The authors aimed to assess differences in appointment completion rates between telepsychiatry and in-person outpatient psychiatric care for patients with depression in an academic health system. METHODS: Electronic health records of encounters for patients (ages ≥10) with a depression diagnosis and at least one scheduled outpatient psychiatric appointment (N=586,266 appointments; November 2017-October 2022) were assessed for appointment volume and completion of telepsychiatry versus in-person sessions. RESULTS: Telepsychiatry became the dominant care modality after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, although the number of telepsychiatry and in-person appointments nearly converged by October 2022. Logistic regression showed that telepsychiatry appointments (July 2020-October 2022) were more likely (OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.27-1.34) to be completed than in-person appointments. CONCLUSIONS: Telepsychiatry appointments were less likely to be canceled or missed than in-person appointments, suggesting that telepsychiatry improved efficiency and continuity of care. As in-person operations resume following the pandemic, maintaining telepsychiatry services may optimize hospital-level and patient outcomes.

Characterizing the use of virtual care in primary care settings during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In March 2020, Canada implemented restrictions to curb viral transmission of COVID-19, which resulted in abrupt disruptions to conventional (in-person) clinical care. To retain continuity of care the delivery of primary care services shifted to virtual care. This study examined the nature of virtual visits, characterizing the use and users of virtual care in primary care settings from March 14/20 to June 30/20 of the COVID-19 pandemic.  METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of primary care providers in Manitoba, Canada that participate in the Manitoba Primary Care Research Network (MaPCReN) and offered ≥ 1 virtual care visit between 03/14/20 and 06/30/20 representing 142,616 patients. Tariff codes from billing records determined the visit type (clinic visit, virtual care). Between 03/14/20, and 06/30/20, we assessed each visit for a follow-up visit between the same patient and provider for the same diagnosis code. Patient (sex, age, comorbidities, visit frequency, prescriptions) and provider (sex, age, clinic location, provider type, remuneration, country of graduation, return visit rate) characteristics describe the study population by visit type. Generalized estimating equation models describe factors associated with virtual care.  RESULTS: There were 146,372 visits provided by 154 primary care providers between 03/14/20 and 06/30/20, of which 33.6% were virtual care. Female patients (OR 1.16, CI 1.09-1.22), patients with ≥ 3 comorbidities (OR 1.71, CI 1.44-2.02), and patients with ≥ 10 prescriptions (OR 2.71, 2.2-1.53) had higher odds of receiving at least one virtual care visit compared to male patients, patients with no comorbidities and patients with no prescriptions. There was no significant difference between the number of follow-up visits that were provided as a clinic visit compared to a virtual care visit (8.7% vs. 5.8%) (p = 0.6496). CONCLUSION: Early in the pandemic restrictions, approximately one-third of visits were virtual. Virtual care was utilized by patients with more comorbidities and prescriptions, suggesting that patients with chronic disease requiring ongoing care utilized virtual care. Virtual care as a primary care visit type continues to evolve. Ongoing provision of virtual care can enhance quality, patient-centered care moving forward.

Avaliação das ações e serviços de saúde bucal na atenção primária ofertada às crianças na primeira infância em um estado do sudeste brasileiro / Evaluation of the actions and services of oral health in primary care offered to preschool children in a southeastern brazilian state

O último levantamento epidemiológico em Saúde Bucal (Projeto SB-Brasil 2010) apresentou uma distribuição desigual e alta prevalência da doença cárie na população brasileira em crianças aos 5 anos. Desde a criação do SUS, que a oferta das ações e serviços em saúde tem o objetivo de serem empregadas atendendo os princípios: Universalidade, Integralidade e Equidade, implementados através da Lei 8.080/90. A oferta de uma atenção integral está direcionada a atender os aspectos físicos, mentais e sociais do indivíduo. Desta forma, é fundamental que a APS ofereça uma diversidade de cuidados, entre eles a atenção à saúde bucal. Uma assistência integral para crianças em idade pré-escolar é primordial, dessa maneira a atenção odontológica colabora para a prevenção de doenças bucais, principalmente a cárie, e consequentemente na manutenção dos dentes que influenciam diretamente no crescimento e desenvolvimento crânio facial, na oclusão, na função mastigatória e fonoarticulatória. O presente estudo objetivou avaliar a qualidade das ações e serviços odontológicos na APS para crianças de 0 a 5 anos no estado de Minas Gerais. Tratase de um estudo transversal, descritivo e analítico, cujo a coleta de dados foi realizada através do instrumento PCATool versão profissionais. Dos 853 municípios de Minas Gerais, 196 municípios participaram do estudo, representados pelo coordenador de saúde bucal. A análise descritiva dos dados mostrou que 86,2% dos municípios apresentam os atributos essenciais e derivados para a APS, apresentando qualidade das ações e serviços em saúde bucal para crianças de até 5 anos. O atributo acesso de primeiro contato, acesso e acessibilidade apresentou menor percentual. Apenas, 17,8% dos municípios apresentaram resultados acima da pontuação de corte estabelecida pelo instrumento PCATool. Os resultados desse estudo foram correlacionados ao IMRS, e não apresentaram relação. Apesar da grande extensão territorial do estado de Minas Gerais a distribuição da qualidade das ações e serviços em saúde bucal foi similar para as 13 regiões geográficas. As justificativas para esses resultados podem estar vinculadas ao incentivo financeiro oferecido pelo governo de Minas Gerais, que atua com o objetivo de expandir os cuidados primários, principalmente em municípios que apresentam uma maior vulnerabilidade social. Os resultados encontrados demonstram uma expressiva falta de acesso aos serviços, o que pode influenciar além de outros fatores, como a percepção sobre a saúde bucal, a alta prevalência de cárie em crianças. Contudo, esse estudo evidência que quando a criança consegue acesso aos serviços de saúde bucal esses apresentam uma condição satisfatória quanto a estrutura e processo dos serviços capazes de garantir a prevenção de doenças e recuperação da saúde. Estudos como esse são necessários uma vez que permitem criar ações e estratégias para a melhoria da qualidade dos serviços ofertados.

The last epidemiological survey on Oral Health (SB-Brazil Project 2010) showed an unequal distribution and high prevalence of caries disease in the Brazilian population of children at 5 years old. Since, the creation of SUS, the offer of health actions and services has the objective of being employed according to the principles of SUS: Universality, Integrality, and Equity, implemented by Law 8.080/90. The offer of comprehensive care is directed to meet the physical, mental, and social aspects of the individual. Thus, it is fundamental that PHC offers a diversity of care, including oral health care. Comprehensive care for preschool children is essential, thus dental care contributes to the prevention of oral diseases, especially caries, and consequently in the maintenance of teeth that directly influence the growth and craniofacial development, occlusion, chewing, and phono-articulatory function. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the quality of dental actions and services in PHC for children aged 0 to 5 years in the state of Minas Gerais. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study, whose data collection was performed using the instrument PCATool professional version. In all, from the 853 municipalities of Minas Gerais, 196 municipalities participated in the study represented by the oral health coordinator. The descriptive analysis of the data showed that 86.2% of the municipalities have the essential and derived attributes for PHC, presenting the quality of actions and services in oral health for children up to 5 years. The attribute first contact access, access, and accessibility showed a lower percentage, only 17.8% of the municipalities showed results above the cut-off score established by the PCATool instrument. The results of this study were correlated to the IMRS and showed no relationship. Despite the large territorial extension of the state of Minas Gerais, the distribution of the quality of oral health actions and services was similar for the 13 geographic regions. The justifications for these results may be linked to the financial incentive offered by the government of Minas Gerais that acts to expand primary care, especially in municipalities that present greater social vulnerability. The results found show a significant lack of access to services, which may influence, besides other factors such as perception of oral health, the high prevalence of caries in children. However, this study shows that when children have access to oral health services, these have a satisfactory conditions regarding the structure and process of services able to ensure the prevention of diseases and recovery of health. Studies like this are necessary since they allow the creation of actions and strategies to improve the quality of the services offered.

Training to Improve Communication Quality: An Efficient Interdisciplinary Experience for Emergency Department Clinicians.

Patient-provider communication has been recognized as a critical area of focus for improved health care quality, with a mounting body of evidence tying patient satisfaction and provider communication to important health care outcomes. Despite this, few programs have been studied in the emergency department (ED) setting. The authors designed a communication curriculum and conducted trainings for all ED clinical staff. Although only 72% of clinicians believed the course would be a valuable use of their time before taking it, 97% reported that it was a valuable use of their time after ( P < .001). Pre-course self-evaluation of knowledge, skill, and ability were high. Despite this, post-course self-efficacy improved statistically significantly. This study suggests that it is possible, in a brief training session, to deliver communication content that participants felt was relevant to their practice, improved their skills and knowledge, changed their attitude, and was perceived to be a valuable use of their time.

Experiências e percepções de mães adolescentes sobre o atendimento de saúde para o bebê / Experiences and perceptions of adolescent mothers regarding the baby's health care

Este estudo objetivou descrever experiências de mães adolescentes com o atendimento de saúde do bebê, no segundo mês de vida, e conhecer a sua percepção em relação a esse atendimento. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, de caráter exploratório, realizado com dez mães adolescentes primíparas residentes no Vale dos Sinos/RS. Elas foram contatadas em unidades básicas de saúde e responderam a uma entrevista semiestruturada. Evidenciou-se a presença assídua às consultas previstas para o bebê, a proximidade das instituições de saúde como facilitador da acessibilidade, a necessidade de atendimento para além da atenção primária e a pequena participação dos pais nas consultas. Ainda, destacou-se a valorização da atenção e da confiança transmitidas pelos profissionais de saúde e a necessidade de maior oferta de horários para o agendamento das consultas e de redução do tempo de espera para atendimento. Constatou-se a importância de busca contínua de excelência no atendimento materno-infantil pelas instituições de saúde(AU)

This study intended to describe adolescent mothers' experiences regarding the baby's health care, in second month of life, and to be acquainted with their perceptions of that service. This is a qualitative and exploratory study, carried out with 10 primipara adolescent mothers living at Vale dos Sinos/RS, Brazil. They were contacted in basic health units and answered a semi structured interview. Good attendance to doctor's appointments scheduled for the baby, proximity of health care institutions as a facilitating factor to accessibility, the need for support beyond primary health care and little participation of babies' fathers in the appointments were observed. In addition, attention and self-confidence received and reinforced by health professionals, the need for a greater range of time availability for scheduling appointments and reduction of waiting time was noted in the statements of adolescent mothers. The importance of health institutions continual seeking of excellence in humanization of maternal-child care is highlighted(AU)

Experiências e percepções de mães adolescentes sobre o atendimento de saúde para o bebê / Experiences and perceptions of adolescent mothers regarding the baby's health care

Este estudo objetivou descrever experiências de mães adolescentes com o atendimento de saúde do bebê, no segundo mês de vida, e conhecer a sua percepção em relação a esse atendimento. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, de caráter exploratório, realizado com dez mães adolescentes primíparas residentes no Vale dos Sinos/RS. Elas foram contatadas em unidades básicas de saúde e responderam a uma entrevista semiestruturada. Evidenciou-se a presença assídua às consultas previstas para o bebê, a proximidade das instituições de saúde como facilitador da acessibilidade, a necessidade de atendimento para além da atenção primária e a pequena participação dos pais nas consultas. Ainda, destacou-se a valorização da atenção e da confiança transmitidas pelos profissionais de saúde e a necessidade de maior oferta de horários para o agendamento das consultas e de redução do tempo de espera para atendimento. Constatou-se a importância de busca contínua de excelência no atendimento materno-infantil pelas instituições de saúde.

This study intended to describe adolescent mothers' experiences regarding the baby's health care, in second month of life, and to be acquainted with their perceptions of that service. This is a qualitative and exploratory study, carried out with 10 primipara adolescent mothers living at Vale dos Sinos/RS, Brazil. They were contacted in basic health units and answered a semi structured interview. Good attendance to doctor's appointments scheduled for the baby, proximity of health care institutions as a facilitating factor to accessibility, the need for support beyond primary health care and little participation of babies' fathers in the appointments were observed. In addition, attention and self-confidence received and reinforced by health professionals, the need for a greater range of time availability for scheduling appointments and reduction of waiting time was noted in the statements of adolescent mothers. The importance of health institutions continual seeking of excellence in humanization of maternal-child care is highlighted.