Impact of COVID-19 on Neurosurgery in Brazil's Health System: The Reality of a Developing Country Affected by the Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease identified in 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changed neurosurgery protocols to provide ongoing care for patients while ensuring the safety of health care workers. In Brazil, the rapid spread of the disease led to new challenges in the health system. Neurooncology practice was one of the most affected by the pandemic due to restricted elective procedures and new triage protocols. We aim to characterize the impact of the pandemic on neurosurgery in Brazil. METHODS: We analyzed 112 different types of neurosurgical procedures, with special detail in 11 neurooncology procedures, listed in the Brazilian Hospital Information System records in the DATASUS database between February and July 2019 and the same period in 2020. Linear regression and paired t-test analyses were performed and considered statistically significant at P < 0.05. RESULTS: There was an overall decrease of 21.5% (28,858 cases) in all neurosurgical procedures, impacting patients needing elective procedures (-42.46%) more than emergency surgery (-5.93%). Neurooncology procedures decreased by 14.89%. Nonetheless, the mortality rate during hospitalization increased by 21.26%. Linear regression analysis in hospitalizations (Slope = 0.9912 ± 0.07431; CI [95%] = 0.8231-1.159) and total cost (Slope = 1.03 ± 0.03501; CI [95%] = 0.9511-1.109) in the 11 different types of neurooncology procedures showed a P < 0.0001. The mean cost per type of procedure showed an 11.59% increase (P = 0.0172) between 2019 and 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased mortality, decreased hospitalizations, and therefore decreased overall costs, despite increased costs per procedure for a variety of neurosurgical procedures. Our study serves as a stark example of the effect of the pandemic on neurosurgical care in settings of limited resources and access to care.

The assessment of the complexity of care through the clinical nursing information system in clinical practice: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: The costs of nursing staff amounts to approximately 50% of the total budget of the health workforce and accounts for 20% to 30% of the total costs incurred by the health care companies. The goal of the study, by analyzing the complexity of care, is to provide a quantification of the assistance delivered, through the assessment of the technical aspects of the welfare activities according to the variable of time. Data from these activities flow into the clinical nursing information system Professional Assessment Instrument - PAI - which is used at the health facility involved in this study. This instrument allows nurses to document the nursing process in electronic format by using a standardized nursing language (nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions and nursing outcomes). METHODS: The design of the study is observational. The participants will be patients that are hospitalized in the cardiology departments, the intensive care units for cardiac and thoracic surgery, pulmonary medicine and medical oncology of the "A.Gemelli" hospital in Rome, Italy. The observers who will carry out the surveys will be students of the nursing degree course and the coordinators of the respective wards. The times recorded for each health care activity will be correlated with variables that are defined in the literature as the indicators of the complexity of care. The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the "A. Gemelli" Hospital in June 2015. RESULTS: In terms of results, this study aims to verify the reliability of the Professional Assessment Instrument tool as a system for the classification and measurement of nursing care which includes the entire care process, taking into account all of the variables deemed crucial to the nursing care effort. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide a tool for the assessment of the complexity of care, with the goal of improving the quality of care for the patients and of interacting with the health administration system for the management of resources.

[The QR code in society, economy and medicine--fields of application, options and chances]. / Der QR Code in Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Medizin--Anwendungsbeispiele, Möglichkeiten und Chancen.

2D codes like the QR Code ("Quick Response") are becoming more and more common in society and medicine. The application spectrum and benefits in medicine and other fields are described. 2D codes can be created free of charge on any computer with internet access without any previous knowledge. The codes can be easily used in publications, presentations, on business cards and posters. Editors choose between contact details, text or a hyperlink as information behind the code. At expert conferences, linkage by QR Code allows the audience to download presentations and posters quickly. The documents obtained can then be saved, printed, processed etc. Fast access to stored data in the internet makes it possible to integrate additional and explanatory multilingual videos into medical posters. In this context, a combination of different technologies (printed handout, QR Code and screen) may be reasonable.

Procedimentos cirúrgicos nas internações em hospitais do Departamento Regional de Saúde de Ribeirão Preto-SP / Surgical procedures in admissions to hospitals of the Regional Health Department of Ribeirão Preto-SP / Procedimientos quirúrgicos en las admisiones de hospitales del Departamento Regional de Salud de Ribeirão Preto-SP

Estudo descritivo com objetivo de analisar produção física e financeira das internações hospitalares processadas pela Direção Regional de Saúde de Ribeirão Preto (DRS-XIII), nos hospitais conveniados/contratados pelo SUS, na especialidade de clínica cirúrgica, segundo município, no período de 1996-2007. A população de estudo foram Autorizações de Internação Hospitalar (AIH) processadas através do SIH-SUS. Foram processadas 478.241 internações, sendo Ribeirão Preto, responsável por cerca de 70% delas. A cirurgia obstétrica se destacou quanto à produção física, totalizando 49,5% e 24,5%, na região e em Ribeirão Preto, respectivamente. Quanto ao financeiro, nos hospitais da região, maior gasto foi cirurgia obstétrica; nos hospitais de Ribeirão Preto, tal produção foi maior em cirurgia cardiológica. Ribeirão Preto consumiu cerca de 90% dos recursos financeiros. O acompanhamento da produção de internações é fundamental para ordenação do fluxo de usuários, prestação de contas e tratamento equitativo entre municípios, além de disponibilizar elementos que permitem a gestão...

Descriptive study aimed to analyze the physical and financial production of hospital admissions by the Regional Health Department of Ribeirão Preto (DRS-XIII) in private hospitals / contracted by the SUS in the specialty of clinical surgery, second city, in the period 1996 - 2007. The study population was composed by hospital admissions forms (AIH) processed through the SIH-SUS. 478,241 hospitalizations were processed, and Ribeirao Preto, accounting for about 70% of them. The obstetric surgery highlighted physical production, totaling 49.5% and 24.5% in the region and in Ribeirão Preto, respectively. As for the financial, in regional hospitals, increased spending was obstetric surgery, at hospitals in Ribeirão Preto, such production was higher in cardiac surgery. Ribeirao Preto consumed about 89% of financial resources. Monitoring the production of admissions is essential for sorting the flow of users, accountability and equitable treatment among municipalities, as well as provide elements that allow the management...

Estudio descriptivo con objetivo de analizar el producción física y financiera de las internaciones hospitalarios por el Departamento Regional de Salud de Ribeirão Preto (DRS-XIII) en los hospitales privados contratados por el SUS en la especialidad de cirugía clínica, según ciudad, período 1996 - 2007. La población de estudio fueron las Autorizaciones de Internación Hospitalaria (HAI) procesados en el SIH-SUS. Se procesaron 478,241 hospitalizaciones, siendo Ribeirão Preto que representa alderredor de 70% de estos. La cirugía obstétrica fue superior a la producción física, por un total de 49,5% y 24,5% en la región y en Ribeirão Preto, respectivamente. Referente a los recursos financieros, en los hospitales regionales, el aumento del gasto fue la cirugía obstétrica, en los hospitales de Ribeirão Preto, esa producción fue mayor en la cirugía cardíaca. Ribeirão Preto consume alrededor de 90% de los recursos financieros. Control de la producción de ingresos es esencial para clasificación del flujo de usuarios, la rendición de cuentas y trato equitativo entre municipios, así como aportar elementos que permitan la gestión...

Exploring health information technology innovativeness and its antecedents in Canadian hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this study was to assess the antecedents of health information technology (HIT) innovativeness in public hospitals. To do so, we built upon our own previous work to relate the level of HIT innovativeness to organizational capacity characteristics. METHODS: We conducted a survey of chief information officers (CIOs) in public hospitals in the two largest Canadian provinces to identify the level of HIT innovativeness in these settings and test nine research hypotheses derived from the proposed research model. RESULTS: A total of 106 completed questionnaires were received, which represents a response rate of 52%. Our findings indicate strong support for the research model. Seven out of nine hypotheses were supported indicating a significant relationship between HIT innovativeness and structural, financial, leadership, and knowledge sharing capacity characteristics. Results also reveal a moderate level of HIT innovativeness in the surveyed hospitals, with more emphasis on administrative systems and their integration than on clinical systems and emerging technologies. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that organizational characteristics are related to HIT innovativeness; this relationship holds irrespective of the public or private nature of hospitals.

A comparative study of the quality and availability of health information used to facilitate cost burden analysis of diabetes and hypertension in the Caribbean / Estudio comparativo de la calidad y disponibilidad de la información sobre la salud usada para facilitar el análisis del nivel de costos de la diabetes y la hipertensión en el Caribe

OBJECTIVE: Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) are leading threats to health and well-being in the Caribbean. A study was undertaken in the latter part of 2005 to compute the economic burden of diabetes mellitus and hypertension within the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). This report critiques the quality and availability of health information which can be used to facilitate cost burden analysis of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. METHODS: A form was developed and disseminated to obtain epidemiological and health service utilization data. Subsequent visits were made to seven CARICOM member countries to collect the data. RESULTS: The results revealed (i) a number of deficiencies in the reliability and validity of the data received, in particular, those needed to facilitate the analysis of cost-specific complications such as ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic renal failure, hypertensive and diabetic retinopathy and peripheral circulatory complications; (ii) data management systems in hospitals were not linked to facilitate generation of cost-effectiveness estimates and other information required to compare options for health investment; (iii) despite repeated attempts by regional governments to develop/strengthen Health Information Systems within the Caribbean, sustainability has been significantly hampered by human, material and financial resource constraints and ongoing monitoring and evaluation is generally poor. CONCLUSION: There are deficiencies in the quality and availability of health information to facilitate cost burden analysis of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the Caribbean. Strong commitment from CARICOM governments will be necessary to address these concerns if economic evaluations are to be undertaken more frequently as part of the effort to reduce the morbidity and mortality from these diseases.

OBJETIVO: Las enfermedades no comunicables (ENC) se cuentan entre las principales amenazas a la salud y el bienestar en el Caribe. Se llevó a cabo un estudio hacia finales de 2005, con el fin de computar la carga económica de la diabetes mellitus y la hipertensión dentro de la Comunidad y el Mercado Común del Caribe (CARICOM). Este reporte constituye un análisis crítico de la calidad y disponibilidad de información sobre la salud, que puede ser usada para facilitar el análisis del nivel de costos de la diabetes mellitus y la hipertensión. MÉTODOS: Se desarrolló y distribuyó un formulario para obtener datos acerca de la utilización de servicios de salud y servicios epidemiológicos. Posteriormente se realizaron visitas a siete países miembros de CARICOM con el propósito de recoger datos. RESULTADOS: Los resultados revelaron (i) algunas deficiencias en cuanto a la confiabilidad y la validez de los datos recibidos, en particular los necesarios para facilitar el análisis de las complicaciones costo-específicas, tales como la enfermedad cardíaca isquémica, la enfermedad cerebrovascular, el fallo renal crónico, la retinopatía hipertensiva y diabética, y las complicaciones circulatorias periféricas; (ii) los sistemas de administración de datos en los hospitales no estaban conectados para facilitar la producción de estimados de costo-efectividad y otras informaciones requeridas para comparar las opciones de inversión para la salud; (iii) a pesar de reiterados intentos de los gobiernos regionales por desarrollar y fortalecer los sistemas de información de salud en el área del Caribe, su sostenimiento ha sido obstaculizado significativamente a causa de restricciones en cuanto a recursos humanos, materiales y financieros, y por el hecho de que el monitoreo y la evaluación actuales son generalmente pobres. CONCLUSIÓN: Existen deficiencias en la calidad y disponibilidad de información sobre la salud, en cuanto a facilitar el análisis del nivel de la magnitud del costo de la hipertensión y la diabetes mellitus en el Caribe. Será necesario un fuerte compromiso por parte de los gobiernos del CARICOM para abordar estos problemas, si se ha de emprender evaluaciones económicas con mayor frecuencia, como parte del esfuerzo por reducir la morbilidad y la mortalidad por estas enfermedades.

[Implementation of the multi-center basis documentation CL-BaDo for conciliar and liaison services: generating data for internal quality management and cost calculation]. / Implementierung der multizentrischen Basisdokumentation CL-BaDo für den Konsiliarund Liaisondienst: Generierung von Daten für internes Qualitätsmanagement und Kostenkalkulation.

In the German DRG system the funding of CL services is not ensured. The documentation of psychiatric comorbidity and CL care delivery is a pre-condition to the development of funding models for CL-services. A task force of several German psychosomatic associations (German College of Psychosomatic Medicine, German Society of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, General Medical Society for Psychotherapy) developed a new documentation form for CL-services (CL-BaDo). The pilot study explored the multicenter implementation of CL-BaDo and the use of the documentation form for quality management and cost calculation. Over a period of at least three months, participating CL-services documented all CL cases consecutively with the CL-BaDo. One site applied full electronic data processing. 2116 CL cases from eight psychosomatic CL-services were analysed. The CL-BaDo is a time-efficient, feasible and acceptable documentation form for CL-service delivery. The full electronic data processing enables networking with a hospital information system to produce higher data quality. The data of CL-BaDo can be used locally for quality management, development of management strategies and communication with consultants, as well as nationwide for health policy questions and research.

Making the business case for hospital information systems--a Kaiser Permanente investment decision.

Further evidence in favor of the clinical IT business case is set forth in Kaiser Permanente's cost/benefit analysis for an electronic hospital information system. This article reviews the business case for an inpatient electronic medical record system, including 36 categories of quantifiable benefits that contribute to a positive cumulative net cash flow within an 8.5 year period. However, the business case hinges on several contingent success factors: leadership commitment, timely implementation, partnership with labor, coding compliance, and workflow redesign. The issues and constraints that impact the potential transferability of this business case across delivery systems raise questions that merit further attention.

An info-tech disconnect. Even as groups such as Leapfrog push IT as an answer to quality issues, doctors and executives say, 'not so fast'.

The future is now. A new wave of information technology is gaining wide support outside the hospital industry as a solution to medication errors and patient-safety lapses. But in our survey of information system trends, most firms say they aren't operating or launching a physician order-entry system for drugs or treatments. Consultant Steven Roth, left, says recent examples of disasters have warded off many healthcare executives.

[Improving productivity by implementing RIS and PACS throughout the clinic: a case study]. / Produktivitätsverbesserung durch klinikweite RIS und PACS: eine Fallstudie.

PROBLEM: How are improvements in productivity in connection with RIS/PACS to be defined? What do they cost? To limit the problem to the relevant topics, we first describe the objectives of a radiology department and the identified bottlenecks in the workflow. How to define and assess the improvements is discussed. METHODS: The case in question for this study is the RIS/PACS project at the "Klinikum der Universität München, Campus Grosshadern". The goals of the project and its present status are reviewed. The project is not yet completed, so this is a "midterm" report. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: We describe the status of the achieved and not yet achieved goals and of the eliminated bottlenecks. On the plus side, for example, nearly 100% of all digitally generated images (except mammogramms) are digitally archived. They are accessible to the same percentage in radiology via PACS and in the hospital via the webbased intranet image distribution system when needed. In some radiology areas, such as multislice CT, already the reporting can no longer be performed without softcopy image interpretation. However, the full elimination of hardcopy images is still not reality, since the distribution to DICOM viewers for selected requesters with demands for almost reporting quality, high cost image displays is still in the testphase. To reduce film costs, images are being printed on a high resolution paper printer in addition to the intranet distribution during this transition period. On the negative side, due to a lack of job positions in the transcription rooms, about 40% of the reports are still being handwritten by radiologists. Furthermore, the dictated and transcribed reports are usually still not available early enough in the RIS and thereby in the intranet report distribution of the hospital. Here only a speech recognition system can remedy the situation. As soon as this problem is solved and the image distribution to the DICOM viewers works routinely, the reports and the images will be accessible within minutes to maximally within some hours after the examination. CONCLUSION: The goals reached so far suffered delays due to unforeseen problems and pitfalls. Altogether, a quieter operation and workflow in radiology has already been achieved, due to less inquiries from the requestors for unfinished examinations, images and/or image copies.

[Clinic communication and disease-oriented centers]. / Klinikkommunikation und krankheitsorientierte Zentren.

German hospitals and surgical clinics/departments are facing far-reaching changes. One triggering factor is the imminent reorganization of hospital financing to a system of compensation, which is universally based on diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and entails a market-economy orientation in the hospital sector. Digital technologies, which facilitate making the necessary adjustments to clinic structures to meet forthcoming challenges, represent another element. The "digital transformation" of the hospital of the future takes place on three levels. The restructuring of the surgical realm runs rather a traditional course by increasing use of information technology, mostly to optimize documentation and existing procedures or to reduce costs. The second sphere reaches substantially further, encompassing reorganization of disease-oriented cooperation between the different medical specialties and enabling the establishment of suitably structured disease-oriented medical centers. This is followed by the third phase, which involves networking clinics or medical centers with private practitioners, aftercare and rehabilitation services, and other disease-oriented care providers.

Point and click. (If only it were that easy.).

Along with tight reimbursement and confounding regulations, any list of big headaches for health care leaders includes information technology. We've been promised so much from IT for so long, and have been disappointed so many times, who can blame us for being skeptical, if not downright cynical? When is the last time an investment in information technology actually improved your bottom line? But we know we can't dismiss IT altogether. At the end of the rainbow there really is efficiency, security and better care for patients. So how close are we? In this issue, H&HN takes a hard look at technology--what it can do for us today and tomorrow. We look at return on investment, examining whether hospitals are measuring what they get back against what they put in; a budding effort to bring a common platform to health care IT; handheld computers; electronic medical records; and computerized physician order entry. The technology is out there, but it's fair to ask: is it really clicking yet?

Computerized physician-order entry: are we there yet?

Computerized physician-order entry (CPOE) is a system of hardware and software through which a physician enters orders directly into a computer rather than writing them on paper. The advantages of CPOE include order legibility, improved response time, reduction in adverse drug reactions, reduced cost of care, and improved patient outcomes. The maturation of mobile computing platforms, graphical user interfaces, and wireless technologies are making CPOE more practical for both outpatient and inpatient care. Significant barriers to the implementation of CPOE include the reluctance of physicians to change existing practices, doubt about the possible benefits, increased front-end time to enter orders, and system cost.

[Interventional radiology and the medical applications of information systems: what consequences for the radiology department?]. / Radiologie interventionnelle et programme de médicalisation des systèmes d'information (PMSI): quelles conséquences pour un service de radiologie?

The French health care system reform has introduced some changes in the distribution of hospital budgets according to the distribution of admitted patients in diagnosis related groups (DRGs). This new model of budget allocation does not take into account the more technical nature of some medical procedures and services and does not promote the implementation of new technologies. Using four simulated clinical cases, we studied the length of stay in different DRGs and the number of associated points (points d'indice synthétique d'activité, ISA). The addition of the interventional radiologic procedures did not modify the DRG (which remained unchanged from the initial DRG). In order to achieve recognition of the specific nature of interventional radiology procedures, a database should be created and an economical evaluation conducted.

Houston cancer center improves productivity, saves big with reengineered info system.

Reengineer information systems the right way: Integrating disparate software programs is no small feat when complex webs of systems need to be dismantled and redesigned. That's what The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston discovered when reengineering its information systems within the facilities management department. The painstaking effort has already begun paying off, with improvements in productivity and savings on inventory. Learn how M.D. Anderson expects to save more than $100,000 a year with this new system.

[Electronic data processing in ward management--possibilities for rationalization and cost control]. / EDV-Stationsmanagement--Möglichkeiten zur Rationalisierung und Kostendämpfung.

Electronic data processing in ward management increases cost and time efficiency. Nurses and doctors will have more time to concentrate their genuine rather than administrative duties. Therefore the presented model has gained high acceptance.