Implementation of integration strategies between primary care units and a regional general hospital in Brazil to update and connect health care professionals: a quasi-experimental study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Better communication among field health care teams and points of care, together with investments focused on improving teamwork, individual management, and clinical skills, are strategies for achieving better outcomes in patient-oriented care. This research aims to implement and evaluate interventions focused on improving communication and knowledge among health teams based on points of care in a regional public health outreach network, assessing the following hypotheses: 1) A better-working communication process between hospitals and primary health care providers can improve the sharing of information on patients as well as patients' outcomes. 2) A skill-upgrading education tool offered to health providers at their work sites can improve patients' care and outcomes. METHODS/DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study protocol with a mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative) was developed to evaluate communication tools for health care professionals based in primary care units and in a general hospital in the southern region of São Paulo City, Brazil. The usefulness and implementation processes of the integration strategies will be evaluated, considering: 1) An Internet-based communication platform that facilitates continuity and integrality of care to patients, and 2) A tailored updating distance-learning course on ambulatory care sensitive conditions for clinical skills improvements. The observational study will evaluate a non-randomized cohort of adult patients, with historical controls. Hospitalized patients diagnosed with an ambulatory care sensitive condition will be selected and followed for 1 year after hospital discharge. Data will be collected using validated questionnaires and from patients' medical records. Health care professionals will be evaluated related to their use of education and communication tools and their demographic and psychological profiles. The primary outcome measured will be the patients' 30-day hospital readmission rates. A sample size of 560 patients was calculated to fit a valid logistic model. In addition, qualitative approaches will be used to identify subjective perceptions of providers about the implementation process and of patients about health system use. DISCUSSION: This research project will gather relevant information about implementation processes for education and communication tools and their impact on human resources training, rates of readmission, and patient-related outcomes.

Appendicitis: what does really make the difference between private and public hospitals?

BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies and is also a time-sensitive condition. Delays in treatment increase the risk of appendiceal perforation (AP), and thus AP rates have been used as a proxy to measure access to surgical care. It is very well known that in Brazil there are big differences between the public and private healthcare systems. Those differences can reflect in the treatment of what are considered simple cases, like appendicitis. As far as we know, it has no known links to behavioral or social risk factors, and has only one treatment option--appendectomy. The purpose of this study was to compare treatment received by Brazilian people, both by those who depend on the public and private healthcare system, and how it affects their outcome. METHODS: Data was collected from the records of all patients submitted to appendectomy, in a public and in a private Sao Paulo city's hospitals, during January to April of 2010. RESULTS: Patients admitted by the public hospital present symptoms for a longer period of time than those treated by the private one. It took a significantly higher amount of time for the patients from the public hospital undergo surgery, and their length of stay is also significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: Appendicitis in a public scenario is associated with increased time from onset of symptoms to operative intervention and the main reason is the delayed presentation. Clinical polices for abdominal pain should be instituted by the public healthcare system, based on population education, healthcare professionals training and establishment of strategies that can speed the diagnosis process up.

Análise dos óbitos de um hospital: busca ativa por potenciais doadores de córneas / Analysis of deaths at a hospital: active search for potential cornea donors / Análisis de los óbitos de un hospital: búsqueda activa por donadores potenciales de córneas

Estudo descritivo exploratório, com coleta retrospectiva de dados, relativo aos óbitos ocorridos em 2010, com o objetivo de analisar a viabilidade para doação de tecido ocular. Foram analisados 1.047 óbitos. Os critérios de exclusão foram os estipulados pela Portaria no 2.600, de 21 de outubro de 2009, RDC/ANVISA n° 67, de 30 de setembro de 2008. Dos 1.047 óbitos, foram considerados potenciais doadores 248(23,7%) dos casos. A maioria dos óbitos ocorreu no pronto socorro - 690(65,9%) – e na unidade de terapia intensiva- 168(16,0%). As buscas por potenciais doadores de tecido ocular devem ser norteadas pelos setores nos quais aconteça o maior número de ocorrências de falecimento, visto que, do total de óbitos ocorridos,aproximadamente um quarto deles sejam considerados potenciais doadores de córneas.

This descriptive exploratory study used retrospective data collection on 1,047 deaths from 01 January to 31 December 2010 to examine the feasibility of eye tissue donation. Exclusion criteria were as stipulated by Decision 2.600 of 21 October 2009 and DRC/Anvisa n° 67, September 30, 2008. Of total deaths, 248(23.7%) were considered potential donors. Most deaths occurred in emergency rooms (690; 65.9%) and intensive care unit (168; 16.0%). The search for potential donors of ocular tissue should be guided by the sector where most deaths occur, given that about one quarter of total deaths were considered potential cornea donors.

Estudio descriptivo exploratorio, con recolección retrospectiva de datos, relacionado a los óbitos ocurridos en el período del 01/01/2010 al 31/12/2010, con el objetivo de analizar la viabilidad para donación de tejido ocular. Fueron analizados 1.047 óbitos. Los criterios de exclusión fueron los estipulados por la Resolución 2.600 de 21 de octubre de 2009, RDC/ANVISA n° 67, de 30 de septiembre de 2008. De los 1.047 óbitos, 248(23,7%) de los casos fueron considerados donadores potenciales. La mayoría de los óbitos ocurrió en el servicio de emergencia, con 690(65,9%), y en la unidad de terapia intensiva con 168(16,0%). La búsqueda de donadores potenciales de tejido ocular deben ser norteadas por los sectores en los cuales se produzca el mayor número de ocurrencias de fallecimiento, ya que, del total de óbitos ocurridos, se espera que un cuarto de ellos sean considerados donadores potenciales de córneas.

Movimentos sociais e as políticas municipais de saúde: relatório do projeto / Social moviments and health municipal policies: report of the project

Objetivou-se formular um modelo de programa de educaçäo continuada para serviços de saúde, dentro da proposta de "participaçäo na gestäo dos serviços de saúde" estabelecida nos pressupostos da Reforma Sanitária e institucionalizada na Constituiçäo Federal de 1988. Este modelo deverá ser sistematicamente delineado, testado e revisado a partir de informaçöes obtidas da avaliaçäo.