The role of registries in improving health and bridging healthcare, research, education, innovation and development: a research department perspective.

Health registries are organized systems that collect data on individuals with a particular disease, condition or exposure. The aim of this narrative review was to provide an integrated perspective from the Research Department at the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Argentina, on how health registries can be used as a bridge between healthcare, research, education, innovation and development while addressing ethical challenges. The review includes a description of the experience of a registry implemented at our institution, which has provided healthcare for 170 years, and is committed to support, education and research. We focus on the potential of health registries to provide better value healthcare by reducing healthcare costs and improving health outcomes and quality of care, and to improve medical knowledge. However, we also acknowledge and discuss the challenges that accompany these achievements, such as that of ethical issues. Through effective collaboration and integration with other healthcare stakeholders, health registries can be a powerful tool to promote better health.

Association between non-attendance to outpatient clinics and emergency department consultations, hospitalizations and mortality in a Health Maintenance Organization.

BACKGROUND: Non-attendance to scheduled medical appointments in outpatient clinics is a problem that affects patient health and health-care systems. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate association of non-attendance to scheduled appointments in outpatient clinics and Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospitalizations and mortality. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of outpatients enrolled in 2015 to 2016 in the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires HMO with over five scheduled appointments. Individual non-attendance proportion was obtained by dividing missed over scheduled appointment numbers in the 365 days prior to index date. Outcomes were evaluated with a Cox proportional-hazards or Fine and Gray model for competing risks. We adjusted by several variables. RESULTS: Sixty-five thousand two hundred sixty-five adults were included. Mean age was 63.6 years (SD 18.16), 29.9% male. Outpatients had average 10.18 (SD 5.59) appointments. Non-attendance the year before the index appointment had a median of 20%. A 10% increase in non-attendance was significantly associated with ED visits (asHR 1.19; 95%CI 1.08-1.32, P < .001) and all-cause mortality (aHR 7.57; 95%CI 4.88-11.73, P < .001). In the matched subcohort analysis we observed a crude significant association of non-attendance with ED visits (P < .001) and all-cause mortality (P < .001). DISCUSSION: Our findings show non-attendance could be a marker of health events that lead to emergency department evaluations and/or death.

Retención en cuidado y distancia entre hospital y domicilio de pacientes HIV adultos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires / Retention in care and distance between home and hospital in HIV patients of Buenos Aires City

Introducción: La distancia al hospital se ha propuesto como uno de los factores limitantes para la retención en cuidado. Métodos: Estudio de cohorte retrospectiva de pacientes HIV mayores de 18 años que iniciaron seguimiento en un centro de referencia en Buenos Aires, Argentina, entre 2011 y 2013. Se consideró retención al registro de ≥1 visita médica, laboratorio (CD4 y/o CV) y/o retiro de antiretrovirales dentro del año posterior a la primera consulta. Se utilizó Google Maps® para establecer la latitud y longitud de la dirección de los pacientes y Google Maps Distance Matrix API® para la distancia domicilio-hospital y tiempo de viaje. Resultados: De los 1020 pacientes que iniciaron seguimiento se excluyeron 15 que murieron y 158 que fueron derivados. De los restantes, 816 (96,3%) tenían registrada una dirección georreferenciable en su historia clínica. La mediana de edad durante la primera visita fue de 33 (RIC 27-41) años y 654 (77,9%) pacientes eran hombres. La mediana de distancia domicilio-hospital fue 10,3 (RIC 4,4-34,7) km y el tiempo medio de viaje fue 58,5 (RIC 35-102,5) minutos. 730 pacientes (89,5%; IC 87,1-91,5%) continuaban retenidos al año. No encontramos asociación entre el tiempo de viaje ni la distancia domicilio-hospital con la retención en cuidado en esta población. Conclusiones: En adultos HIV que se atienden en un hospital público de la CABA, el tiempo de viaje y la distancia domicilio-hospital no se asocian con la retención en cuidado dentro del año de la primera visita

Background: Distance from patient's home to the hospital has been proposed as one of the limiting factors for patient's retention in care. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of HIV+ patients 18 years or older who had their first clinical visit between 2011 and 2013 at a reference center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Patients were considered to be retained in care if they had>= 1 clinical visit, laboratory markers (VL and/or CD4 count) and/or ARVs pick-up during the year after their first clinical visit. Each patient address's latitude-longitude was obtained using Google Maps® web service. Home-hospital distance and travel time were obtained with Google Maps Distance Matrix API® service. Results: Of 1020 patients who started follow-up, 15 died and 158 were transferred to another site. Of the remaining, 816 (96.3%) had identifiable address in their electronic medical record. Median age at the time of the first visit was 33 (IQR 27-41) years, 654 (77.9%) patients were male. Median home-hospital distance was 10.3 (IQR 4.4-34.7) km and median travel time was 58.5 (IQR 35-102.5) minutes. 730 patients (89.5%; CI 87.1-91.5%) remained in follow-up after 1 year of their first visit. We didn ́t find association between travel time and home-hospital distance with retention in this population. Conclusions: In our study, distance between home and the care center was not associated with lower retention one year after first visit in adult HIV patients attending a public hospital

¿Un recuento elevado de leucocitos aleja la sospecha de dengue? Aportes al algoritmo diagnóstico / Does a high white blood cell count drive away the suspicion of dengue? Contributions to the diagnostic algorithm

Objetivo: Evaluar la utilidad del recuento leucocitario en pacientes con sospecha de dengue como predictor de ausencia de la enfermedad al momento de la consulta inicial al sistema de salud.Métodos: Estudio analítico de cohorte retrospectiva y test diagnóstico, que incluyó todos los pacientes atendidos en el Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires entre las SE 1/2015 y 7/2016 por sospecha de dengue, con seguimiento de laboratorio completo hasta confirmar o descartar la enfermedad (según guías argentinas).Resultados: Durante el periodo de estudio fueron atendidos 352 pacientes con sospecha de dengue. Incluimos los 180 pacientes que completaron el seguimiento (58 dengue confirmado, 122 dengue descartado). Edad mediana 37 años (RIC 28-47.5), sexo masculino 51,1% (IC95% 44-58). Entre aquellos con dengue confirmado, 46,6% (IC95% 33-60) eran casos autóctonos. El serotipo predominante fue DEN-1. En 43/45 pacientes con recuento leucocitario inicial ≥ 9000 se descartó el diagnóstico de dengue. El Valor Predictivo Negativo de este punto de corte es de 95,5% (IC95% 84.9-99.5).Conclusiones: Agregar un recuento leucocitario ≥9000 a los algoritmos actuales como criterio para alejar la sospecha de dengue al momento de la primera consulta podría mejorar significativamente el valor predictivo negativo de los mismos. Solo 1 de cada 20 pacientes que presentan recuento de leucocitos ≥ 9000 durante la primera consulta en este contexto tienen diagnóstico confirmado de dengue

Objective: To evaluate the value of leukocyte count in patients with suspected dengue as a predictor of absence of disease at the initial contact with the health system.Methods: Retrospective cohort analytical and diagnostic test study, which included all patients treated at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires between EW 1/2015 and 7/2016 with suspected dengue, complete laboratory monitoring and WBC in the EW of epidemiological reporting.Results: During the study period 352 patients with suspected dengue were treated. We included 180 patients who completed follow-up (58 confirmed dengue and 122 discarded dengue). Median age 37 years (IQR 28-47.5), male 51.1% (95% CI 44-58). Among those with confirmed dengue, 46.6% (95% CI 33-60) were autochthonous cases. The predominant serotypewas DEN-1. In 43/45 patients with an initial WBC ≥ 9000diagnosis of dengue was discarded. The negative predictivevalue of this cut-off point is 95.5% (95% CI 84.9-99.5).Conclusions: To add a leukocyte count ≥9000 as a criterionto the existing algorithms, in order to reduce the suspicion ofdengue at the time of the initial contact, could significantlyimprove their negative predictive value . Only 1 in 20 patientswith a WBC ≥ 9000 during the first contact with the healthsystem in this context has a confirmed diagnosis of dengue

[Retention in care and distance between home and hospital in HIV patients of Buenos Aires City]. / Retención en cuidado y distancia entre hospital y domicilio de pacientes HIV adultos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Background: Distance from patient's home to the hospital has been proposed as one of the limiting factors for patient's retention in care. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of HIV+ patients 18 years or older who had their first clinical visit between 2011 and 2013 at a reference center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Patients were considered to be retained in care if they had>=1 clinical visit, laboratory markers (VL and/or CD4 count) and/or ARVs pick-up during the year after their first clinical visit. Each patient address's latitude-longitude was obtained using Google Maps® web service. Home-hospital distance and travel time were obtained with Google Maps Distance Matrix API® service. Results: Of 1020 patients who started follow-up, 15 died and 158 were transferred to another site. Of the remaining, 816 (96.3%) had identifiable address in their electronic medical record. Median age at the time of the first visit was 33 (IQR 27-41) years, 654 (77.9%) patients were male. Median home-hospital distance was 10.3 (IQR 4.4-34.7) km and median travel time was 58.5 (IQR 35-102.5) minutes. 730 patients (89.5%; CI 87.1-91.5%) remained in follow-up after 1 year of their first visit. We didnt find association between travel time and home-hospital distance with retention in this population. Conclusions: In our study, distance between home and the care center was not associated with lower retention one year after first visit in adult HIV patients attending a public hospital.