A new organizational model of primary healthcare in Liguria, Italy. Insights and implications.

After years of cost-containment policies, the Italian National Health Service (NHS) has now the chance to change and improve, especially thanks to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The plan serves as a catalyst for reform, allocating substantial funds to reinforce proximity networks, facilities, and telemedicine for territorial healthcare. Mission 6, specifically dedicated to health, focuses on integrating primary healthcare, hospital, and specialty care networks, underscoring the importance of a robust primary healthcare system. In alignment with NRRP objectives, the Ligurian model introduces innovative structures, such as Community Houses (CdCs), Community Hospitals (OdCs), and Territorial Operation Centres (COTs). These interconnected components form a dynamic network designed to enhance healthcare accessibility, prevent inappropriate hospital admissions, and facilitate efficient patient transitions. The model prioritizes multidisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and the integration of socio-healthcare services. Despite substantial NRRP funding for infrastructure, challenges related to staffing and human resources persist. The social and epidemiological context highlights concern about the economic feasibility of the reform, potential workforce shortages, and the imperative for updated regulatory frameworks. The strategic reallocation of personnel from acute hospitals to new facilities is crucial, requiring meticulous workforce planning, role definitions, and trainingIn conclusion, the Ligurian model emerges as a proactive response to the structural vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic, aligning with international trends in emphasizing primary care, prevention, and community-based services.

Pandemic influenza preparedness plan in Liguria, Italy: a valuable tool for Public Health.

As known, influenza presents a multifaceted challenge to public health, causing disease that ranges from mild cases to severe pandemics with significant morbidity and mortality. Effective pandemic preparedness demands a comprehensive strategy that integrates research, surveillance, response coordination and community engagement, to mitigate the impact of future health emergencies. The pandemic preparedness cycle involves dynamic, cyclical phases of preparation and response aimed at enhancing response capacity. Italy's 2021-2023 National Strategic-Operational Plan for Pandemic Influenza (PanFlu) incorporates lessons learned from past pandemics and serves as a framework for regional plans, such as Liguria's. The Ligurian plan delineates governance structures, surveillance strategies, healthcare services and communication measures necessary for effective pandemic management. It emphasizes the need to strengthen links between emergency structures, to avoid duplication and to adopt flexible approaches to scale actions appropriately and highlights the need for risk/benefit analysis to support evidence-based decision-making as well as clear guidance on data collection and communication activities. By integrating these elements, the region's overall readiness and resilience against influenza pandemics are expected to be reinforced.

Systematic Review of Lung Cancer Screening: Advancements and Strategies for Implementation.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Europe, with low survival rates primarily due to late-stage diagnosis. Early detection can significantly improve survival rates, but lung cancer screening is not currently implemented in Italy. Many countries have implemented lung cancer screening programs for high-risk populations, with studies showing a reduction in mortality. This review aimed to identify key areas for establishing a lung cancer screening program in Italy. A literature search was conducted in October 2022, using the PubMed and Scopus databases. Items of interest included updated evidence, approaches used in other countries, enrollment and eligibility criteria, models, cost-effectiveness studies, and smoking cessation programs. A literature search yielded 61 scientific papers, highlighting the effectiveness of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening in reducing mortality among high-risk populations. The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) in the United States demonstrated a 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality with LDCT, and other trials confirmed its potential to reduce mortality by up to 39% and detect early-stage cancers. However, false-positive results and associated harm were concerns. Economic evaluations generally supported the cost-effectiveness of LDCT screening, especially when combined with smoking cessation interventions for individuals aged 55 to 75 with a significant smoking history. Implementing a screening program in Italy requires the careful consideration of optimal strategies, population selection, result management, and the integration of smoking cessation. Resource limitations and tailored interventions for subpopulations with low-risk perception and non-adherence rates should be addressed with multidisciplinary expertise.

Who Is at Higher Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection? Results from a Northern Region of Italy.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, generating a high impact on healthcare systems. The aim of the study was to examine the epidemiological burden of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections and to identify potential related risk factors. A retrospective observational study was conducted in Liguria Region, combining data from National Vaccines Registry and Regional Chronic Condition Data Warehouse. In the study period (September 2021 to May 2022), 335,117 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were recorded in Liguria, of which 15,715 were reinfected once. During the Omicron phase (which predominated from 3 January 2022), the risk of reinfection was 4.89 times higher (p < 0.001) than during the Delta phase. Unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals with at least one dose for more than 120 days were at increased risk of reinfection compared with vaccinated individuals with at least one dose for ≤120 days, respectively (odds ratio (OR) of 1.26, p < 0.001; OR of 1.18, p < 0.001). Healthcare workers were more than twice as likely to be reinfected than non-healthcare workers (OR of 2.38, p < 0.001). Lower ORs were seen among people aged 60 to 79 years. Two doses or more of vaccination were found to be protective against the risk of reinfection rather than a single dose (mRNA vaccines: OR of 0.06, p < 0.0001, and OR of 0.1, p < 0.0001; vector vaccines: OR of 0.05, p < 0.0001). Patients with chronic renal failure, cardiovascular disease, bronchopneumopathy, neuropathy and autoimmune diseases were at increased risk of reinfection (OR of 1.38, p = 0.0003; OR of 1.09, p < 0.0296; OR of 1.14, p = 0.0056; OR of 1.78, p < 0.0001; OR of 1.18, p = 0.0205). Estimating the epidemiological burden of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections and the role played by risk factors in reinfections is relevant for identifying risk-based preventive strategies in a pandemic context characterized by a high circulation of the virus and a high rate of pathogen mutations.

Has Clinical and Epidemiological Varicella Burden Changed over Time in Children? Overview on Hospitalizations, Comorbidities and Costs from 2010 to 2017 in Italy.

According to WHO estimates, varicella disease is responsible of a worldwide significant burden in terms of hospitalizations, complications, and deaths, with more than 90% of cases under 12 years old. This study aims at evaluating the clinical, epidemiological, and economic burden of varicella in Ligurian children, about comorbidities, organizational variables, and vaccination coverages from 2010 to 2017, in terms of Emergency Department accesses and hospitalizations. The overall hospitalization rate was 179.76 (per 100,000 inhab.), with a gradual but significant decline since 2015, when universal varicella vaccination was introduced in Liguria (p < 0.0001). The risk of being hospitalized for complicated varicella in subjects with at least one comorbidity was significantly higher than in subjects without comorbidities (p = 0.0016). The economic analysis showed higher costs in subjects with complicated varicella who were 0-3 years old. This age group showed higher costs also considering extra-hospital costs for both outpatient procedures and pharmaceutical costs (p < 0.0001). The results confirm the relevant burden of varicella, especially in the 0-3 age group and in children with comorbidities. Thus, vaccination with the achievement of adequate vaccination coverages is confirmed to be a necessary control strategy to reduce hospitalizations and associated complications with important economic benefits.

Non-thyroidal illness syndrome and short-term survival in a hospitalised older population.

BACKGROUND: non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) has been associated with an adverse clinical outcome. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the prevalence of NTIS, its impact on patients' survival and the possible pathogenic role of systemic inflammation. DESIGN: observational cross-sectional analysis. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: three hundred and one acutely ill older patients (156 women; median age 81 years, range 65-101) consecutively admitted to a primary care unit. METHODS: serum FT(3), FT(4) and thyrotropin levels as well as acute inflammation indexes were evaluated. RESULTS: the NTIS prevalence (specifically low T3 syndrome) was 31.9%. A significant association was found between NTIS and acute renal failure (P = 0.006), New York Heart Association classification (NYHA) IV heart failure (P = 0.003) and metastasised cancer disease (P = 0.0002). Serum FT(3) values correlated inversely with serum C-reactive protein (P < 0.0001), lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.0004), fibrinogen (P = 0.03) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0.0001) values, and progressively decreased with increasing tertiles of age (P = 0.0004). The mortality rate was significantly higher (P = 0.0002) among patients with low T3 syndrome, which emerged as the sole predictive factor of death (odds ratio 4.3; 95% confidence interval 1.7-10.5). CONCLUSIONS: low T3 syndrome is very common in the hospitalised older population, emerging as the most sensitive independent predictor of short-term survival. Serum FT(3) determination should be included in the assessment of short-term prognosis of acutely ill older patients.

Why the Anti-Meningococcal B Vaccination during Adolescence Should Be Implemented in Italy: An Overview of Available Evidence.

Although meningococcal disease has a low incidence in Italy, it is a public health concern owing to its high lethality rate and high frequency of transitory and/or permanent sequelae among survivors. The highest incidence rates are recorded in infants, children and adolescents, and most of the cases are due to Neisseria meningitidis B. In Italy, anti-meningococcal B (anti-MenB) vaccination is free for infants but, despite the considerable disease burden in adolescents, no national recommendation to vaccinate in this age-group is currently available. The aim of this study was to assess the main available scientific evidence to support the Italian health authorities in implementing a program of free anti-MenB vaccination for adolescents. We conducted an overview of the scientific literature on epidemiology, disease burden, immunogenicity and safety of available vaccines, and economic evaluations of vaccination strategies. Each case of invasive meningococcal disease generates a considerable health burden (lethality rate: 9%; up to 60% of patients experience at least one sequela) in terms of impaired quality of life for survivors and high direct and indirect costs (the mean overall cost of acute phase for a single case amounts to about EUR 13,952; the costs for post-acute and the long-term phases may vary widely depending of the type of sequela, reaching an annual cost of about EUR 100,000 in cases of severe neurological damage). Furthermore, vaccination against meningococcus B in adolescence proved cost-effective. The study highlights the need to actively offer the anti-MenB vaccination during adolescence at a national level. This would make it possible to avoid premature deaths and reduce the high costs borne by the National Health Service and by society of supporting survivors who suffer temporary and/or permanent sequelae.

Development of evidence-based guidelines: local working conditions hamper adaptation and use of recommendation.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical practice guidelines need rigorous and transparent methods for summarizing the evidence, rate its certainty and moving from evidence to recommendations. We describe an intervention to support local efforts to provide optimal and safer care bridging the gap between researchers and local busy clinicians. METHODS: A group of methodologists provided a wide range of research services to the medical community of a local non-teaching general hospital in Italy. Methodological support encompassed synthesis of evidence, rating of uncertainty and moving from evidence to recommendations. Local professionals were asked to judge GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology and its impact on patients' safety, professional liability, and guideline reliability. The research team then reflected on the barriers of implementing GRADE in local settings. RESULTS: Seven clinical recommendations about frequent complex medical conditions were produced. Few local clinicians completed the project. All clinicians found the GRADE methodology a guarantee for defending excellent standards of care. However, we identified a diffuse sense of inability to improve clinical behaviours as negative effects of general poor working conditions, in particular the strained health care workforce. DISCUSSION: Current financial constraints may be impeding the ability of clinicians in improving their clinical practice through adaptation and use of evidence. A successful integration of evidence-based guidelines cannot be separated from an activate promotion by the institutional management.

Combined assessment of thrombotic and haemorrhagic risk in acute medical patients.

Acute medical patients have a high risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE). Unfortunately, the fear of bleeding complications limits the use of antithrombotic prophylaxis in this setting. To stratify the VTE and haemorrhagic risk, two clinical scores (PADUA, IMPROVE) have recently been developed. However, it is not clear how many patients have a concomitant high VTE and haemorrhagic risk and what is the use of prophylaxis in this situation. To clarify these issues we performed a prospective cohort study enrolling consecutive patients admitted to internal medicine. Patients admitted to internal medicine (January to December 2013) were included. VTE and haemorrhagic risk were evaluated in all the included patients. Use and type of anti-thrombotic prophylaxis was recorded. A total of 1761 patients (mean age 77.6 years) were enrolled; 76.8% (95% CI 74.7-78.7) were at high VTE risk and 11.9% (95% CI 10.4-13.5) were at high haemorrhagic risk. Anti-thrombotic prophylaxis was used in 80.5% of patients at high VTE risk and in 6.5% at low VTE risk (p<0.001), and in 16.6% at high haemorrhagic risk and in 72.5% at low haemorrhagic risk (p<0.001). Prophylaxis was used in 20.4% at both high VTE and haemorrhagic risk and in 88.9% at high VTE risk but low haemorrhagic risk. At multivariate-analysis, use of prophylaxis appeared highly influenced by the VTE risk (OR 68.2, 95% CI 43.1 - 108.0). In conclusion, many patients admitted to internal medicine were at high risk of VTE. Since almost 90% of them were at low haemorrhagic risk, pharmacological prophylaxis may be safely prescribed in most of these patients.