[Advance care planning and use of health resources among COVID-19 nursing home patients in an integrated health care program for frail elders]. / Planificación anticipada de los cuidados y del uso de recursos hospitalarios en pacientes con COVID-19 en un programa de atención integrada para adultos mayores frágiles en residencias.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the magnitude and importance of a process of stratification and advance care planning and the use of health resources, among patients in an integrated health care program for frail elderls in nursing homes,that were referred to the hospital with COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective cohort study of patients >64 years old with COVID-19 infection, in a health care program in nursing homes (from 3/15/2020 to 9/15/2020). The identification of patients with palliative needs, the performing and visible registration in electronic health records of the advance care planning and the use of intensive care were assessed. RESULTS: We included 374 COVID-19 patients. 88% were women, the median age was 88 years old. The 79% were patients with palliative needs, of which 68% had the advance care planning (P<.001) registered in the electronic health record. Only 1% of patients with palliative needs and severity criteria were admitted to the intensive care unit. Overall mortality was 25%. Of those who died, 74% had severity criteria (P<.001) and 90% had palliative needs (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Carrying out a care process based on identification of patients with palliative needs and advance care planning and a central and visible registration of advance care planning in health records, could improve the quality and safety of care and optimize the use of intensive care health resources at all times and especially in public health emergencies.

Análisis de causas de muerte intrahospitalarias mal definidas e imprecisas / Analysis of ill-defined and imprecise in-hospital causes of death

Introducción: la información sobre las causas de muerte es de gran importancia tanto para los países como para las instituciones sanitarias, en la medida en que contribuye a la evaluación y el seguimiento del estado de salud de la población y a la planificación de intervenciones sanitarias. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la proporción de causas de muerte mal definidas e imprecisas y su relación con el día de la semana y período lectivo de médicos residentes en el Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires (HIBA) durante 2020. Métodos: se realizó un estudio analítico de corte transversal a partir de certificados médicos de defunción de pacientes fallecidos en el ámbito intrahospitalario, evaluando las causas de muerte mal definidas (términos médicos que no aportan información desde el punto de vista clínico y epidemiológico) y las imprecisas (no resultan lo suficientemente específicas como para identificar entidades nosológicas que permitan establecer acciones de prevención y control). Resultados: se analizaron 1030 certificados de defunción, con una proporción de certificados con causa básica de muerte mal definida del 2,3% (n = 24), mientras que en el 17,4% (n = 180) fue imprecisa. No se hallaron diferencias entre la proporción de causas básicas mal definidas y las imprecisas según el día de la semana o período lectivo. Al extender el análisis a todas las causas (básicas, mediatas e inmediatas), la proporción de causas mal definidas fue del 1,6% (n = 40) y la de imprecisas del 51% (n = 1212). Conclusiones: los resultados definen al HIBA como un centro de mediana calidad estadística en el registro de causas de muerte. Se concluye que es necesario mejorarla, para lo que resulta de interés la creación de un plan de capacitación y entrenamiento de los médicos en el grado y el posgrado. (AU)

Introduction: information on causes of death is of great importance both for countries and for health institutions, as it contributes to the evaluation and monitoring of the health status of the population and to the planning of health interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the proportion of ill-defined and imprecise causes of death and its relationship with the day of the week and academic calendar during 2020 at the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Methods: a cross-sectional study was carried out from data recorded in the death certificates of patients who died in the intrahospital setting, evaluating ill-defined causes of death (medical terms that do not provide clinical or epidemiological information) and imprecise ones (not specific enough to identify nosological entities susceptible to prevention or control). Results: 1030 death certificates were analyzed. The proportion of certificates with ill-defined underlying causes of death was 2.3% (n=24), while 17.4% (n=180) was imprecise. No significant differences were found between the ill-defined and imprecise underlying causes of death and the day of the week and academic calendar. When extending the analysis to all causes (underlying, intermediate, and immediate) the percentage of ill-defined causes was 1.6% (n=40) and 51% (n=1212) was imprecise. Conclusions: results define our hospital as of medium statistical quality on medical death certification. It is concluded that it is necessary to improve the quality of the registry, for which the creation of a training plan for undergraduate and graduate physicians is of interest. (AU)