Characteristics of Women Seeking Cervical Cancer Cytology Screening in a Private Health Facility.

Background and Objectives: Over 80% of cervical cancer cases in sub-Saharan Africa are detected at late stages, predominantly due to the lack or inaccessibility of prevention services. Public health facilities in Ethiopia offer free cervical cancer screening for eligible women. Besides the public health facilities, private providers also offer a variety of screening services at the patients' expense. As the overall cervical cancer screening uptake in Ethiopia is still far below the 90% WHO target, coordination between all actors of the health system is key. This includes a close cooperation between the public and private sectors to combine the advantages of both to the benefit of all patients as well as media campaigns and community involvement to promote the self-initiation of screening. Materials and Methods: To gain insights into the utilization of cervical cancer screening in the private health sector, we conducted an institution-based cross-sectional study at Arsho medical laboratories in Addis Ababa. Every woman who came there for cervical cancer screening between 1 May and 30 June 2020 was asked to participate in a questionnaire-based, face-to-face interview about their socio-demographic background, cervical cancer screening experience and self-initiation of screening. A total of 274 women participated in the interviews. We further assessed the reproductive status of the patients, their risk factors for cervical cancer, source of information about the screening and barriers to cervical cancer screening. Results: The ages of the participants ranged between 20-49 years. The majority (over 70%) were married. A total of 37.6% reported self-initiating the screening. More than three-quarters of all interviewed women reported mostly using the private health care sector for all kinds of health services. Conclusions: While the Ethiopian government efforts on scaling up cervical cancer screening focus mainly on public health facilities, the private sector often does not get as much attention from policy makers. Efforts should be made to extend the government's interest in cervical cancer screening and implementation research to the private healthcare sector.

Experiencia de un servicio de pediatría del ámbito privado del área metropolitana de Buenos Aires durante la pandemia por COVID-19 / Experience at the Department of Pediatrics of a private facility in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introducción. A fin de 2019 se identificó una nueva variedad de coronavirus causante de COVID-19 que alcanzó categoría de pandemia. En Argentina, el área metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA) concentra alrededor del 37 % de la población total y el mayor número de casos diagnosticados. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir las características clínico-epidemiológicas de los pacientes con COVID-19 y describir el impacto en el funcionamiento del Servicio de Pediatría de una institución privada de la zona. Métodos. Diseño retrospectivo, observacional, desarrollado en una institución de la zona oeste del AMBA entre el 12 de marzo y el 31 de agosto de 2020. Se incluyeron todos los menores de 16 años con diagnóstico de COVID-19. Se registraron características demográficas, epidemiológicas, clínicas, indicación de internación/control ambulatorio, número de consultas externas, internación por infecciones virales estacionales, licenciamiento del personal, modificación del número de camas y de las actividades de los profesionales. Resultados. Hubo 5454 consultas ambulatorias pediátricas totales, sospecha de COVID-19 en 753/5 454 (13,8 %), se confirmaron 152/753 (20,2 %). Mediana de edad 82 meses (rango intercuartílico: 20,5-147 m), el 50 % fueron varones. La fiebre fue el síntoma más frecuente. Se internaron 22/152 (14,5 %). Las consultas disminuyeron el 87 %, no hubo internación por infecciones virales estacionales y el 52,9 % (91/172) del personal fue licenciado. Conclusiones. La mayoría de los casos fueron leves y la fiebre fue el principal síntoma. Observamos un notable impacto en el funcionamiento del servicio en cuanto al recurso humano. Destacamos la necesidad de la organización logística del servicio para enfrentar esta contingencia.

Introduction. Towards the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was identified and became a pandemic. In Argentina, approximately 37 % of the total population lives in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA), where most cases have been diagnosed. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients and the impact on the operations of the Department of Pediatrics of a private facility located in the AMBA. Methods. Retrospective, observational study conducted at a facility in the west of AMBA between March 12th and August 31st, 2020. All patients younger than 16 years diagnosed with COVID-19 were included. Demographic, epidemiological, and clinical characteristics; indication for hospitalization/outpatient follow-up; number of outpatient visits; hospitalization due to seasonal viral infections; staff on leave; changes in bed availability and health care providers' activities were recorded. Results. There were 5454 pediatric outpatient visits, COVID-19 was suspected in 753/5454 (13.8 %) and 152/753 (20.2 %) were confirmed cases. Their median age was 82 months (interquartile range: 20.5-147 months); 50 % were males. Fever was the most common symptom. In total, 22/152 (14.5 %) patients were hospitalized. Outpatients visits decreased by 87 %; there were no hospitalizations due to seasonal viral infections; and 52.9 % (91/172) of staff took a leave. Conclusions. Most cases were mild, and fever was the main symptom. The department operations were considerably affected in terms of human resources. It is worth noting the need for a logistic organization at the Department of Pediatrics to face such contingency.

Continuing cancer care in a religious facility: A feasible alternative in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era?

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched most healthcare systems to the point that if no adaptations are made, failure will most likely happen. The Philippine healthcare system, with its meager resources, is very much vulnerable to this. During the start of the pandemic, Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center has been converted to a COVID-19 hub, leaving cancer care and treatment displaced. We describe our experience in the feasibility of using a religious facility as an interim place for continuing oncology treatment. An outpatient chemotherapy unit was set up using the main hall of the Residencia Sacerdotal, a religious facility, in Bataan. General practices for infection control, workflow and service delivery were in accordance with existing guidelines. A total of 56 adult patients and 22 pediatric patients were seen for chemotherapy during the period of April 28 to July 15, 2020. A total of 144 chemotherapy sessions for adults and 190 sessions for pediatric patients were done. Fifty nine patients (43 adults and 16 pediatric) were tested for COVID-19 RT PCR (GeneXpert®), as baseline prior to chemotherapy, and all were negative. During the course of treatment, adverse events were noted including infusion reactions, hematologic complications which resolved without any complications. No nosocomial infection was recorded both for patients and healthcare workers. To conclude, in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era adapting to the situation is the best way forward. In our setting, continuing cancer care in a religious facility is a feasible alternative.

Stroke in Sierra Leonean Africans:Perspectives from a Private Health Facility.

BACKGROUND: Several stroke studies in West Africans have demonstrated a high proportion of haemorrhagic stroke and poor outcomes. This may be due to the socioeconomic status of patients and inadequate clinical care. Outcomes may well be different if more informed patients treated in better facilities are studied. OBJECTIVE: To study the pattern of stroke and stroke outcomes in African patients attending a private hospital in Sierra Leone METHODS: 150 consecutive African stroke patients admitted to a private hospital in Sierra Leone were studied. Demographic details, risk factors, clinical features including blood pressure were recorded. CT scans, ECG, serum cholesterol, and blood sugar were done. Patients were reviewed at day 30 and Rankin scores allocated. Two sample independent t-test was used to compare means, and chi square to compare variables. RESULTS: Hypertension was the most common risk factor present in 77.6% of patients prior to admission with diabetes in 29.5%. Other risk factors include previous stroke (11.7%), smoking (6.3%), hypercholesterolemia (23.4%), high alcohol intake (28.8%) and lack of exercise according to self-evaluation (87.5%). 76.3% of patients had ischaemic and 18.2% haemorrhagic stroke. 41% of patients aged 50 years or less had haemorrhagic stroke and 9.3% of patients had atrial fibrillation. In-patient mortality was 10.6%. CONCLUSION: Stroke types and outcomes are different from those generally reported from the sub-region. This may well be due to the population studied, and the level of care provided by a private facility. Socio-economic factors, literacy and clinical care are likely determinants of stroke types and outcomes in African patients. . More detailed studies to confirm the effects of socioeconomic factors on stroke pattern and outcomes in Africa are needed.

Trends and patterns of second-hand smoke exposure amongst the non-smokers in India-A secondary data analysis from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) I & II.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of the present study was to compare the prevalence and patterns of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in the home, workplace, public places, and at all three places amongst the non-smoker respondents between the two rounds of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in India. The secondary objectives were to assess the differences in various factors associated with SHS exposure among non-smokers. STUDY DESIGN: This secondary data analysis incorporated data generated from the previous two rounds of the cross-sectional, nationally representative GATS India, which covered 69,296 and 74,037 individuals aged 15 years and above. Exposure to the SHS at home, workplace, and public places amongst the non-smokers were the primary outcome variables. Standard definitions of the surveys were used. RESULTS: The overall weighted prevalence of exposure to SHS amongst the non-smokers inside the home and public places reduced. In contrast, the prevalence in the workplace increased marginally in round II compared to I. The proportion of adults who were exposed to SHS at all three places did not change much in two rounds of surveys. A decrease in the knowledge of the respondents exposed to SHS at home and public places was observed about the harmful effects of smoking in round II. Age, gender, occupation, place, and region of respondents were found to be significant determinants of SHS exposure at all the three places on multinomial logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The study calls for focused interventions in India and stringent implementation of anti-tobacco legislation, especially in the workplaces for reducing the exposure to SHS amongst the non-smokers and to produce encouraging and motivating results by next round of the survey.

Implementation of a structured patient handoff between health care providers at a private facility in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. / Implementación de un pase estructurado de pacientes entre profesionales en una institución privada de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires.

INTRODUCTION: Failures in communication are common during patient handoffs between physicians, which predisposes to errors. Few articles have been published on this topic in Argentina. For this reason, our objective was to confirm whether using a structured handoff (I-PASS), which has been successfully used in the USA by Doctor Starmer, may reduce the omission of key data without prolonging its duration at our department. POULATION AND METHODS: The study was conducted at a private facility in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires between June 15th, 2017 and March 31st, 2018. It had a quasi-experimental, uncontrolled, before-and-after design. Pre- and post-intervention handoffs were assessed. The intervention included training physicians on how to use a structured handoff mnemonic (I-PASS: illness severity, patient summary, action list, situation awareness and contingency planning, synthesis by receiver), training on team work, written computerized handoff document, feedback observations, and simulation. RESULTS: A total of 158 and 124 pre- and postintervention assessments were done respectively. The pre- and post-intervention comparison showed a significant improvement in most of the handoff key points. The time used for the handoff was 199 seconds (174-225) before the intervention and 210 seconds (190-230) after the intervention, p = 0.523; interruptions also decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Introducing the I-PASS program reduced key data omission without prolonging handoffs. Interruptions were also reduced.

Introducción. Las fallas en la comunicación son frecuentes en los pases de guardia entre médicos, lo que predispone a cometer errores. Hay escasas publicaciones en nuestro país sobre este tema. Por eso, nuestro objetivo fue corroborar si el uso de un pase estructurado (I-PASS) utilizado en EE. UU. por la Dra. Starmer, con excelentes resultados, podría reducir la omisión de datos clave sin prolongar su duración en nuestro Servicio. Población y métodos. El estudio se realizó en una institución privada de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires desde el 15 de junio de 2017 al 31 de marzo de 2018. El diseño fue cuasiexperimental, antes-después, no controlado. Se evaluaron los pases de guardia pre- y posintervención. La intervención incluyó la capacitación de los médicos en un pase estructurado cuya regla mnemotécnica era I-PASS (importancia de la enfermedad, resumen del paciente, lista de acciones, situaciones y planes de contingencia, síntesis por el receptor), entrenamiento en trabajo en equipo, pase escrito digitalizado, observaciones con devolución y simulación. Resultados. Se realizaron 158 evaluaciones preintervención y 124 posintervención.La comparación pre- y posintervención mostró una mejoría significativa en la mayoría de los datos clave del pase de guardia. El tiempo empleado en el pase fue de 199 segundos (174- 225) preintervención y 210 segundos (190-230) posintervención, p = 0,523; además, se redujeron marcadamente las interrupciones. Conclusión. La introducción del programa I-PASS redujo la omisión de datos clave sin prolongar la duración de los pases. Se lograron reducir las interrupciones.

Oferta da disciplina de Estomatologia nos cursos de Odontologia do sudeste brasileiro / Offer of Stomatology discipline in the Dentistry courses of the Brazilian Southeast

Objetivo: oferecer um panorama sobre a presença da disciplina de Estomatologia nos projetos pedagógicos dos cursos de graduação em Odontologia da Região Sudeste do Brasil no ano de 2019. Métodos: estudo exploratório, quantitativo e transversal, no qual as grades curriculares dos cursos foram analisadas, totalizando uma amostra de 144 cursos, incluindo instituições públicas e privadas. As variáveis avaliadas foram oferta da disciplina, categoria administrativa e localização da instituição de ensino superior (IES), natureza do componente curricular, forma em que o conteúdo é ministrado e carga horária. Resultados: apenas 88 (61,11%) instituições ofertavam a disciplina em sua grade curricular, sendo que 82 (93,1%) ofertavam o conteúdo de forma obrigatória, e a maioria de forma teórico-prática. A carga horária variou de 33 a 285 horas, com média de 111,9 horas. Conclusão: o presente estudo evidenciou a dissonância com a qual a disciplina de Estomatologia é ministrada, bem como a deficiência de sua oferta por parte de muitas instituições averiguadas.(AU)

Objective: to provide an overview of the presence of the stomatology discipline in the pedagogical projects of undergraduate dentistry courses in the Southeast region of Brazil in 2019. Methods: exploratory, quantitative and cross-sectional study. The curriculums of the courses were analyzed, totaling a sample of 144 courses, from public and private ones. The variables evaluated were the offer of the subject, administrative category and location of the Higher Education Institution (HEI), nature of the curriculum component, form in which the content is taught and workload. Results: 88 (61.11%) institutions offered the discipline in their curriculum, 82 (93.1%) offer the content in a compulsory way, and most in a theoretical-practical way. The workload ranged from 33 to 285 hours, with an average of 111.95 hours. Conclusion: the present study showed the dissonance in which the discipline of stomatology is taught, as well as the deficiency of its offer by many investigated institutions.(AU)

Mainstreaming the private health sector in the response to COVID-19: facility readinessassessment for screening services in Edo State, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for the Nigerian health system to harness the potentials available in the private sector to augment the capacity within the public health system. This survey was carried out to assess private facility readiness in providing screening services in Edo State. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among private facilities in Edo state. Facilities were selected using stratified sampling technique. Data was collected using adapted questionnaires and an observational checklist. Facility readiness was assessed using the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control recommendations for screening. Parameters were scored and overall scores were converted to proportions. Facilities that scored 70% and above were adjudged to be ready while facilities that scored 69% and below were adjudged to be not ready. RESULTS: A total of 252 health facilities were assessed, comprising 149 (59.1%) hospitals/clinics, 62 (24.6%) pharmacies and 41 (16.3%) laboratories. One hundred and forty-two (95.3%), 60 (96.8%) and 41 (100.0%) hospitals/clinics, pharmacies and laboratories, respectively had hand hygiene facilities. However, overall facility readiness assessment scores for screening services were low with only 51 (34.2%) hospitals/clinics, 2 (3.2%) pharmacies and 2 (4.9%) laboratories achieving high enough scores to be adjudged ready for screening services. CONCLUSION: Overall facility readiness of the private health sector to provide screening services in Edo State was assessed to be low. The government and facility owners will need to ensure that screening services are improved in all facilities to help mitigate community spread of COVID-19.

Colonoscopy resource availability and its association with the colorectal cancer diagnostic interval: A population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is a key resource used to diagnose colorectal cancer (CRC). This study evaluated the relationship between colonoscopy availability and the length of the CRC diagnostic interval. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of CRC patients diagnosed in Ontario, Canada, in 2008-2012. We used administrative health data to characterise colonoscopist density, private colonoscopy clinic access, distance to the closest colonoscopist and the diagnostic interval, defined as the time from patients' first cancer-related healthcare encounter to their cancer diagnosis date. We used multivariable quantile regression to evaluate the association between colonoscopy availability and the diagnostic interval, modelling the median and 90th percentile. RESULTS: The median diagnostic interval was 84 days (90th percentile 323 days). The diagnostic interval was longer in patients residing in areas with lower colonoscopists density or private clinic access (adjusted median difference = 9 and 19 days, respectively), with evidence of effect modification by symptom status. Increased distance to a colonoscopist was associated with a longer diagnostic interval in asymptomatic patients, but a shorter diagnostic interval in symptomatic patients (adjusted median difference = 29 and -25 days, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that reduced colonoscopy resource availability is associated with longer diagnostic intervals for CRC patients.

Multiple myeloma treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in the Latin America Haemato-Oncology (HOLA) Observational Study, 2008-2016.

Limited data are available regarding contemporary multiple myeloma (MM) treatment practices in Latin America. In this retrospective cohort study, medical records were reviewed for a multinational cohort of 1103 Latin American MM patients (median age, 61 years) diagnosed in 2008-2015 who initiated first-line therapy (LOT1). Of these patients, 33·9% underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). During follow-up, 501 (45·4%) and 129 (11·7%) patients initiated second- (LOT2) and third-line therapy (LOT3), respectively. In the LOT1 setting, from 2008 to 2015, there was a decrease in the use of thalidomide-based therapy, from 66·7% to 42·6%, and chemotherapy from, 20·2% to 5·9%, whereas use of bortezomib-based therapy or bortezomib + thalidomide increased from 10·7% to 45·5%. Bortezomib-based therapy and bortezomib + thalidomide were more commonly used in ASCT patients and in private clinics. In non-ASCT and ASCT patients, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 15·0 and 31·1 months following LOT1 and 10·9 and 9·5 months following LOT2, respectively. PFS was generally longer in patients treated with bortezomib-based or thalidomide-based therapy versus chemotherapy. These data shed light on recent trends in the management of MM in Latin America. Slower uptake of newer therapies in public clinics and poor PFS among patients with relapsed MM point to areas of unmet therapeutic need in Latin America.

Treatment of Urethral Pain Syndrome (UPS) in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Urethral Pain Syndrome (UPS) in women is a recurrent urethral pain without any proven infection or other obvious pathology. There are few studies on UPS, and evidence-based treatment is lacking. The primary aim was to study what treatments are used, and to compare the treatment tradition of UPS in Sweden in 2018, with what was used in 2006. METHODS: A questionnaire on the treatment of women with UPS was sent to all public gynecology, urology, gynecologic oncology and venereology clinics, and one public general practice in each county in Sweden in 2018. Private practice clinics in gynecology responded to the survey in 2017. Comparisons were made with the same survey sent to gynecology and urology clinics in 2006. FINDINGS: Of 137 invited clinics in 2018, 99 (72.3%) responded to the survey. Seventy-seven (77.8%) of them saw women with UPS and 79.2% (61/77) of these clinics treated the patients using 19 different treatment methods. Local corticosteroids and local estrogens were the methods most used. Treatments were similar in gynecology and urology clinics in 2006 and 2018, although strong corticosteroids had increased in use in the treatment regimens of 2018. More than half of the clinics used antibiotics. INTERPRETATION: Since there is no evidence-based treatment of UPS, a wide spectrum of treatments is used, and different specialties use different treatment strategies. Despite the lack of proven infection, a large number of clinics also treated the syndrome with antibiotics. There is thus a need for well-designed randomized controlled clinical trials to find evidence-based treatments of UPS.

Factores asociados con la exposición al humo de tabaco de segunda mano en lugares públicos y privados en México. Encodat 2016 / Correlates of secondhand smoke exposure in public and private settings in Mexico. Encodat 2016

Resumen: Objetivo: Determinar los factores asociados con la exposición al humo de tabaco de segunda mano (HTSM) en lugares públicos y privados. Material y métodos: Se analizó la Encuesta Nacional de Consumo de Drogas, Alcohol y Tabaco 2016. La exposición al HTSM se evaluó mediante modelos Poisson multinivel. La muestra del estudio incluye únicamente no fumadores. Resultados: La exposición al HTSM fue similar en los estados que tienen prohibición total para fumar en espacios cerrados en comparación con estados con prohibición parcial. Adultos jóvenes, hombres y personas con nivel educativo alto tienen mayor exposición al HTSM en bares y restaurantes. Los hombres tienen mayor exposición al HTSM en el trabajo, los adultos de mayor edad en el transporte público, mientras las mujeres y adolescentes en el hogar. Conclusiones: La exposición al HTSM continúa elevada y afecta diferencialmente a la población mexicana. Para reducirla, se requiere aplicar totalmente el artículo octavo del Convenio Marco para el Control del Tabaco.

Abstract: Objective: To assess the correlates of secondhand smoke exposure (SHS) in public and private settings. Materials and methods: Data came from the 2016 National Survey of Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco use. Multilevel Poisson models were conducted to evaluate factors associated with SHS. Results: Having a higher education, being male and being a young adult were associated with higher SHS in bars and restaurants. Men had greater SHS at work, while women and adolescents had greater exposure at home. Adults older than 45 years had higher SHS on public transportation compared to adolescents between 12-17 years old. Conclusions: Exposure to SHS remains high and affects the population differentially. To reduce SHS, it is necessary to apply Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

[Correlates of secondhand smoke exposure in public and private settings in Mexico. Encodat 2016.] / Factores asociados con la exposición al humo de tabaco de segunda mano en lugares públicos y privados en México. Encodat 2016.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the correlates of secondhand smoke exposure (SHS) in public and private settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data came from the 2016 National Survey of Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco use. Multilevel Poisson models were conducted to evaluate factors associated with SHS. RESULTS: Having a higher education, being male and being a young adult were associated with higher SHS in bars and restaurants. Men had greater SHS at work, while women and adolescents had greater exposure at home. Adults older than 45 years had higher SHS on public transportation compared to adolescents between 12-17 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to SHS remains high and affects the population differentially. To reduce SHS, it is necessary to apply Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

OBJETIVO: Determinar los factores asociados con la exposición al humo de tabaco de segunda mano (HTSM) en lugares públicos y privados. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se analizó la Encuesta Nacional de Consumo de Drogas, Alcohol y Tabaco 2016. La exposición al HTSM se evaluó mediante modelos Poisson multinivel. La muestra del estudio incluye únicamente no fumadores. RESULTADOS: La exposición al HTSM fue similar en los estados que tienen prohibición total para fumar en espacios cerrados en comparación con estados con prohibición parcial. Adultos jóvenes, hombres y personas con nivel educativo alto tienen mayor exposición al HTSM en bares y restaurantes. Los hombres tienen mayor exposición al HTSM en el trabajo, los adultos de mayor edad en el transporte público, mientras las mujeres y adolescentes en el hogar. CONCLUSIONES: La exposición al HTSM continúa elevada y afecta diferencialmente a la población mexicana. Para reducirla, se requiere aplicar totalmente el artículo octavo del Convenio Marco para el Control del Tabaco.

Utilization of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme and its association with patient perceptions on healthcare quality.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the utilization of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and patient perceptions of quality of care. METHODS: Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) 2014 had 19 questions on perceptions of quality of care received during the last reported health visit (n = 4332). These questions were summarized into an overall 100-point perception score using item response theory (IRT). Patients were divided into three utilization categories: those paying with their NHIS card fully, those paying with their card and out-of-pocket (OOP), and those paying fully OOP. A multiple linear regression model was used to measure the association between NHIS utilization and overall perception. RESULTS: In general, NHIS utilization was negatively associated with overall perception, and the difference across utilization categories was higher among private facility users than public facility users. Among private facilities, those who paid fully with NHIS reported five points lower than those who paid fully OOP (P = 0.005). Among public facilities, the difference is only 1.7 (P = 0.4342). CONCLUSION: NHIS utilization was a negative predictor for patient perceptions, but the differences are more nuanced according to type of facility. Future GDHS rounds should continue measuring perceptions in aid of policy to improve service delivery under the NHIS.

Danceterias como espaço de lazer: o cenário legislativo posterior ao desastre na boate Kiss / Dance clubs as leisure space: the legislative scenario after the disaster at Kiss nightclub / Discotecas como espacios de ocio: el escenario legislativo posterior al desastre en la boate Kiss

Este estudo objetiva analisar as ações do poder público para com os estabelecimentos privados de lazer (danceterias) no âmbito da legalidade, posterior ao desastre na Boate KISS. Utilizamos como caminho a Análise Documental, como a Lei Complementar nº 14.376, de 26 de dezembro de 2013, o Inquérito Policial da boate KISS e a mídia impressa Diário de Santa Maria e, a Análise de Conteúdo. Inferimos a mobilização do poder público, posterior ao desastre, na criação de legislações que garantissem a segurança nas danceterias, em especial a Lei Kiss, bem como sua flexibilização, explicitando que o sistema econômico e interesses privados são balizadores da política e das relações entre o público e o privado. O desastre da Boate KISS registra a gravidade de riscos na esfera do lazer e nas tecnologias que incitam desejos, a necessidade de garantia de direitos sociais e de equidade social.

This study aims to analyze the actions of the public power towards private leisure establishments (dance clubs) in the scope of legality, after the disaster at KISS Nightclub. We used as a way the Document Analysis (Complementary Law nº 14.376, of December 26, 2013, the Police Investigation of the KISS Nightclub and the print media Diário de Santa Maria) and the Content Analysis. We inferred the mobilization of the public power, after the disaster, in the creation of legislations that would guarantee safety in the dance clubs, especially the Kiss Law, as well as its flexibility, explaining that the economic system and private interests are benchmarks of politics and of the relations between the public and the private. The KISS Nightclub disaster registers the seriousness of risks in the leisure sphere and in the technologies that incite desires, and the need to guarantee social rights and social equity.

Este estudio objetiva analizar las acciones del poder público hacia establecimientos privados de ocio (discotecas) en el ámbito de la legalidad posterior al desastre en la Boate Kiss. Utilizamos como instrumento el Análisis Documental de la Ley Complementar n.° 14.376, de 26 de diciembre de 2013, la investigación policial de la Boate Kiss, noticias del periódico Diário de Santa Maria, y el análisis de contenido. Inferimos la movilización del poder público, posterior al desastre, en la creación de legislaciones que garanticen la seguridad en discotecas, en especial la Ley Kiss y su flexibilización, evidenciando que el sistema económico e intereses privados son balizadores de la política y de relaciones entre el público y el privado. El desastre de la Boate Kiss registra la gravedad de riesgos en el ámbito del ocio y en las tecnologías que incitan deseos, la necesidad de garantía de derechos sociales y de equidad social.

Rethinking the Role of the Public Health Clinic: Comparison of Outpatient Utilization in the Public Health Clinics and Private Clinics in Korea.

Korea has experienced an overall expansion of access to care in the past few decades, which necessitated the reconsideration of the role of the public health clinics (PHC) as a primary care provider. The recent controversy about the outpatient copayment waiver for the elderly in the PHC is in the same vein. This study compared the outpatient utilization of the PHC and private clinics, and investigated its factors. Data were acquired from the National Patient Sample in 2013. Compared with private clinics, the patients in the PHC were more elderly and had less severe conditions. Being elderly, the status of National Health Insurance (NHI) beneficiaries, less comorbidities, and low total claim costs were found to be factors for choosing the PHC over private clinics. These results suggest that the elderly, who are the main beneficiaries of copayment waivers in the PHC, are the most likely to use the outpatient service by the PHC. The functions of the PHC need to be rearranged according to the recent advancements in the health care system in Korea. Diverting the resources and efforts from outpatient care to functions that best serve the health of the population should be considered.

Two-MILP models for scheduling elective surgeries within a private healthcare facility.

This paper deals with an Integrated Elective Surgery-Scheduling Problem (IESSP) that arises in a privately operated healthcare facility. It aims to optimize the resource utilization of the entire surgery process including pre-operative, per-operative and post-operative activities. Moreover, it addresses a specific feature of private facilities where surgeons are independent service providers and may conduct their surgeries in different private healthcare facilities. Thus, the problem requires the assignment of surgery patients to hospital beds, operating rooms and recovery beds as well as their sequencing over a 1-day period while taking into account surgeons' availability constraints. We present two Mixed Integer Linear Programs (MILP) that model the IESSP as a three-stage hybrid flow-shop scheduling problem with recirculation, resource synchronization, dedicated machines, and blocking constraints. To assess the empirical performance of the proposed models, we conducted experiments on real-world data of a Tunisian private clinic: Clinique Ennasr and on randomly generated instances. Two criteria were minimised: the patients' average length of stay and the number of patients' overnight stays. The computational results show that the proposed models can solve instances with up to 44 surgical cases in a reasonable CPU time using a general-purpose MILP solver.

[Implementation of the tracer patient audit in a private radiation therapy centre]. / Mise en place de l'audit patient traceur au sein d'un centre privé de radiothérapie.

The "tracer patient" audit is an evaluation method introduced by the French health authority in the V2014 certification. This is not mandatory in private radiotherapy centres. In our continuous quality improvement approach and in order to improve the management of patient care, the management of our radiation therapy centre has decided to use this method to evaluate our medical practice and to engage healthcare professionals at the core of this approach.

Sweat test and cystic fibrosis: overview of test performance at public and private centers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE:: The sweat test (ST) measures chloride levels in sweat and is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF). However, the reliability of a ST depends on their being performed by experienced technicians and in accordance with strict guidelines. Our aim was to evaluate how sweat stimulation, sweat collection, and chloride measurement are performed at 14 centers (9 public centers and 5 private centers) that routinely perform STs in the state of São Paulo, which has the highest frequency of CF in Brazil. METHODS:: This was a cross-sectional cohort study, using a standardized questionnaire administered in loco to the staff responsible for conducting STs. RESULTS:: No uniformity regarding the procedures was found among the centers. Most centers were noncompliant with the international guidelines, especially regarding the collection of sweat (the samples were insufficient in 10-50% of the subjects tested); availability of stimulation equipment (which was limited at 2 centers); modernity and certification of stimulation equipment (most of the equipment having been used for 3-23 years); and written protocols (which were lacking at 12 centers). Knowledge of ST guidelines was evaluated at only 1 center. CONCLUSIONS:: Our results show that STs largely deviate from internationally accepted guidelines at the participating centers. Therefore, there is an urgent need for standardization of STs, training of qualified personnel, and acquisition/certification of suitable equipment. These are essential conditions for a reliable diagnosis of CF, especially with the increasing demand due to newborn screening nationwide, and for the assessment of a possible clinical benefit from the use of modulator drugs. OBJETIVO:: O teste do suor (TS) mede os níveis de cloro no suor e é considerado o padrão ouro para o diagnóstico da fibrose cística (FC). Contudo, a confiabilidade do TS depende de sua realização por técnicos experientes e segundo diretrizes rígidas. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar como são realizadas a estimulação e coleta do suor e a dosagem de cloro em 14 centros (9 públicos e 5 privados) que realizam TS rotineiramente no estado de São Paulo, que possui a maior frequência de FC do Brasil. MÉTODOS:: Estudo de coorte transversal utilizando um questionário padronizado aplicado in loco ao pessoal responsável pela realização dos TS. RESULTADOS:: Não houve uniformidade entre os centros quanto aos procedimentos. A maioria dos centros não era aderente às diretrizes internacionais, especialmente quanto à coleta do suor (amostras insuficientes em 10-50% dos indivíduos testados), disponibilidade de equipamentos de estimulação (limitada em 2 centros), modernidade e certificação dos mesmos (a maioria utilizada há 3-23 anos) e protocolos escritos (ausentes em 12 centros). Avaliou-se o conhecimento sobre diretrizes para TS em apenas 1 centro. CONCLUSÕES:: Nossos resultados mostram que, nos centros participantes, os TS estão muito distantes das diretrizes internacionalmente aceitas. Portanto, há necessidade urgente de padronização dos TS, de treinamento de pessoal qualificado e de aquisição/certificação de equipamentos adequados. Essas são condições essenciais para um diagnóstico confiável de FC, especialmente com a crescente demanda resultante da triagem neonatal em todo o país, e para a avaliação do possível benefício clínico do uso de moduladores.

Sweat test and cystic fibrosis: overview of test performance at public and private centers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil / Teste do suor e fibrose cística: panorama da realização do teste em centros públicos e privados do estado de São Paulo

ABSTRACT Objective: The sweat test (ST) measures chloride levels in sweat and is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF). However, the reliability of a ST depends on their being performed by experienced technicians and in accordance with strict guidelines. Our aim was to evaluate how sweat stimulation, sweat collection, and chloride measurement are performed at 14 centers (9 public centers and 5 private centers) that routinely perform STs in the state of São Paulo, which has the highest frequency of CF in Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional cohort study, using a standardized questionnaire administered in loco to the staff responsible for conducting STs. Results: No uniformity regarding the procedures was found among the centers. Most centers were noncompliant with the international guidelines, especially regarding the collection of sweat (the samples were insufficient in 10-50% of the subjects tested); availability of stimulation equipment (which was limited at 2 centers); modernity and certification of stimulation equipment (most of the equipment having been used for 3-23 years); and written protocols (which were lacking at 12 centers). Knowledge of ST guidelines was evaluated at only 1 center. Conclusions: Our results show that STs largely deviate from internationally accepted guidelines at the participating centers. Therefore, there is an urgent need for standardization of STs, training of qualified personnel, and acquisition/certification of suitable equipment. These are essential conditions for a reliable diagnosis of CF, especially with the increasing demand due to newborn screening nationwide, and for the assessment of a possible clinical benefit from the use of modulator drugs.

RESUMO Objetivo: O teste do suor (TS) mede os níveis de cloro no suor e é considerado o padrão ouro para o diagnóstico da fibrose cística (FC). Contudo, a confiabilidade do TS depende de sua realização por técnicos experientes e segundo diretrizes rígidas. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar como são realizadas a estimulação e coleta do suor e a dosagem de cloro em 14 centros (9 públicos e 5 privados) que realizam TS rotineiramente no estado de São Paulo, que possui a maior frequência de FC do Brasil. Métodos: Estudo de coorte transversal utilizando um questionário padronizado aplicado in loco ao pessoal responsável pela realização dos TS. Resultados: Não houve uniformidade entre os centros quanto aos procedimentos. A maioria dos centros não era aderente às diretrizes internacionais, especialmente quanto à coleta do suor (amostras insuficientes em 10-50% dos indivíduos testados), disponibilidade de equipamentos de estimulação (limitada em 2 centros), modernidade e certificação dos mesmos (a maioria utilizada há 3-23 anos) e protocolos escritos (ausentes em 12 centros). Avaliou-se o conhecimento sobre diretrizes para TS em apenas 1 centro. Conclusões: Nossos resultados mostram que, nos centros participantes, os TS estão muito distantes das diretrizes internacionalmente aceitas. Portanto, há necessidade urgente de padronização dos TS, de treinamento de pessoal qualificado e de aquisição/certificação de equipamentos adequados. Essas são condições essenciais para um diagnóstico confiável de FC, especialmente com a crescente demanda resultante da triagem neonatal em todo o país, e para a avaliação do possível benefício clínico do uso de moduladores.