Hospital care direct costs due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions related to diabetes mellitus in the Mexican public healthcare system.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) incur substantial costs on the health system that could be partially avoided with adequate outpatient care. Complications of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus (DM), are considered ACSC. Previous studies have shown that hospitalizations due to diabetes have a significant financial burden. In Mexico, DM is a major health concern and a leading cause of death, but there is limited evidence available. This study aimed to estimate the direct costs of hospitalizations by DM-related ACSC in the Mexican public health system. METHODS: We selected three hospitals from each of Mexico's main public institutions: the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), the Ministry of Health (MoH), and the Institute of Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE). We employed a bottom-up microcosting approach from the healthcare provider perspective to estimate the total direct costs of hospitalizations for DM-related ACSC. Input data regarding length of stay (LoS), consultations, medications, colloid/crystalloid solutions, procedures, and laboratory/medical imaging studies were obtained from clinical records of a random sample of 532 hospitalizations out of a total of 1,803 DM-related ACSC (ICD-10 codes) discharges during 2016. RESULTS: The average cost per DM-related ACSC hospitalization varies among institutions, ranging from $1,427 in the MoH to $1,677 in the IMSS and $1,754 in the ISSSTE. The three institutions' largest expenses are LoS and procedures. Peripheral circulatory and renal complications were the major drivers of hospitalization costs for patients with DM-related ACSC. Direct costs due to hospitalizations for DM-related ACSC in these three institutions represent 1% of the gross domestic product (GDP) dedicated to health and social services and 2% of total hospital care expenses. CONCLUSIONS: The direct costs of hospitalizations for DM-related ACSC vary considerably across institutions. Disparities in such costs for the same ACSC among different institutions suggest potential disparities in care quality across primary and hospital settings (processes and resource utilization), which should be further investigated to ensure optimal supply utilization. Prioritizing preventive measures for peripheral circulatory and renal complications in DM patients could be highly beneficial.

Patient factors associated with telehealth quality and experience among adults with chronic conditions.

Objective: To evaluate patient-reported experiences of telehealth and disparities in access, use, and satisfaction with telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: We examined data from the fifth wave of the COVID-19 & Chronic Conditions (C3) study conducted between December 2020 and March 2021. Results: Of the 718 participants, 342 (47.6%) reported having a telehealth visit within the past 4 months. Participants who had a recent telehealth visit were younger, reported worse overall health and chronic illness burden, and living below poverty level. Among participants who had a telehealth visit, 66.7% reported telephone visits and most participants (57.6%) rated telehealth quality as better-or-equal-to in-person visits. Inadequate health literacy was associated with lower likelihood of reporting telehealth quality and usefulness. In multivariable analyses, lower patient activation (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.19, 95% CI, 0.05-0.59) and limited English proficiency (AOR 0.12, 95% CI, 0.03-0.47) were less likely to report telehealth as being better than in-person visits; lower patient activation (AOR 0.06, 95% CI, 0.003-0.41) and income below poverty level (AOR 0.36, 95% CI, 0.13-0.98) were associated with difficulty remembering telehealth visit information. Discussion: Most participants reported usefulness and ease of navigating telehealth. Lower socioeconomic status, limited English proficiency, inadequate health literacy, lower educational attainment, and low patient activation are risks for poorer quality telehealth. Conclusion: The COVID pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telehealth, however, disparities in access and self-reported visit quality persist. Since telemedicine is here to stay, we identify vulnerable populations and discuss potential solutions to reduce healthcare disparities in telehealth use.

Avaliação da qualidade do acesso na atenção básica em uma região de saúde do Rio Grande do Norte / Evaluación de la calidad del acceso a la atención primaria en una región de salud De Rio Grande do Norte / Assessment of the quality of access in primary care in a healthcare regionin Rio Grande do Norte

Introdução: Entre os desafios para se alcançar o cuidado integral está o acesso às unidades básicas, que não ocorre com tanta facilidade como deveria, caracterizando-se como uma grande dificuldade para os gestores municipais. O Programa de Melhoria ao Acesso e Qualidade de Atenção Básica, teve como objetivo incentivar a ampliação do acesso e melhorar a qualidade da atenção básica, garantindo um padrão de qualidade comparável nacionalmente, regionalmente e localmente de maneira a permitir maior transparência e efetividade das ações governamentais relacionadas a atenção básica. Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade da atenção básica dos municípios da 6ª região de saúde, na perspectiva do acesso aos serviços de saúde. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma pesquisa avaliativa, com abordagem quantitativa. Foram utilizados dados secundários extraídos dos relatórios analíticos disponibilizados publicamente. A coleta dos dados ocorreu no período de março a maio de 2020. As informações foram organizadas a partir da elaboração de um protocolo de pesquisa contendo a dimensão: acesso. Resultados: Em relação ao acolhimento à demanda espontânea, 34 equipes não realizavam classificação de risco e 44 não realizavam acolhimento durante todo o funcionamento. Na análise dos indicadores de consulta médicas, identificou-se que 18 equipes não apresentaram resultados para os cálculos e não realizavam consultas médicas essenciais. Os dados evidenciaram que 40 equipes não agendavam consultas durante todo o horário e nana organização da agenda, apenas 9 equipes atenderam aos critérios descritos nas dimensões analisadas. Conclusões: Foi possível identificar que existem muitas barreiras organizacionais em relação ao acesso, principalmente quanto a marcação de consultas e ao acolhimento à demanda espontânea (AU).

Introduction: Among the challenges in achieving comprehensive care is access to basic units, which does not occur as easily as it should, representing a major difficulty for municipal managers. The Program for Improving Access and Quality of Primary Care aimed to encourage the expansion of access and improve the quality of primary care, ensuring a comparable quality standard nationally, regionally, and locally to allow greater transparency and effectiveness of government actions related to primary care.Objective:Evaluate the quality of primary care in the municipalities of the 6th health region, from the perspective of access to health services.Methodology: This is an evaluative research, with a quantitative approach. Secondary data extracted from publicly available analytical reports were used. Data collection took place from March to May 2020. The information was organized based on the development of a research protocol containing the dimension: access. Results: About welcoming spontaneous demand, 34 teams did not carry out risk classification and 44 did not provide support throughout the operation. In the analysis of medical consultation indicators, it was identified that 18 teams did not present results for the calculations and did not carry out essential medical consultations. The data showed that 40 teams did not schedule appointments during all hours and when organizing the agenda, only 9 teams met the criteria described in the dimensions analyzed. Conclusions:It was possible to identify that there are many organizational barriers to access, mainly regarding scheduling appointments and accepting spontaneous demand (AU).

Introducción: Entre los desafíos para alcanzar el cuidado integral está el acceso a las unidades básicas, que no ocurre con tanta facilidad como debería, caracterizándose como una grandificultad para los gestores municipales. El Programa de Mejora al Acceso y Calidad de Atención Básica, tuvo como objetivo incentivar la ampliación del acceso y mejorar la calidad de la atención básica, garantizando un estándar de calidad comparable nacionalmente, regionalmente y local de manera a permitir mayor transparencia y efectividad de las acciones gubernamentales relacionadas con la atención básica.Objetivo: Evaluar la calidad de la atención primaria en los municipios de la 6ª región sanitaria desde la perspectiva del acceso a los servicios sanitarios.Metodología: Se trata de una investigación evaluativa, con enfoque cuantitativo. Se utilizaron datos secundarios extraídos de informes analíticos disponibles públicamente. La recolección de datos se realizó de marzo a mayo de 2020. La información se organizó a partir del desarrollo de un protocolo de investigación que contiene la dimensión: acceso.Resultados: En relación al acogimiento a la demanda espontánea, 34 equipos no realizaban clasificación de riesgo y 44 no realizaban acogida durante todo el funcionamiento. En el análisis de los indicadores de consulta médicas, se identificó que 18 equipos no presentaron resultados para los cálculos y no realizaban consultas médicas esenciales. Los datos evidenciaron que 40 equipos no programaban consultas durante todo el horario y en la organización de la agenda, solo 9 equipos atendieron a los criterios descritos en las dimensiones analizadas. Conclusiones: Fue posible identificar que existen muchas barrerasorganizacionales en relación al acceso, principalmente en cuanto a la marcación de consultas y a la acogida a la demanda espontánea (AU).

Development and acceptability of PETS-Now, an electronic point-of-care tool to monitor treatment burden in patients with multiple chronic conditions: a multi-method study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop a web-based tool for patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) to communicate concerns about treatment burden to their healthcare providers. METHODS: Patients and providers from primary-care clinics participated. We conducted focus groups to identify content for a prototype clinical tool to screen for treatment burden by reviewing domains and items from a previously validated measure, the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self-management (PETS). Following review of the prototype, a quasi-experimental pilot study determined acceptability of using the tool in clinical practice. The study protocol was modified to accommodate limitations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Fifteen patients with MCC and 18 providers participated in focus groups to review existing PETS content. The pilot tool (named PETS-Now) consisted of eight domains (Living Healthy, Health Costs, Monitoring Health, Medicine, Personal Relationships, Getting Healthcare, Health Information, and Medical Equipment) with each domain represented by a checklist of potential concerns. Administrative burden was minimized by limiting patients to selection of one domain. To test acceptability, 17 primary-care providers first saw 92 patients under standard care (control) conditions followed by another 90 patients using the PETS-Now tool (intervention). Each treatment burden domain was selected at least once by patients in the intervention. No significant differences were observed in overall care quality between patients in the control and intervention conditions with mean care quality rated high in both groups (9.3 and 9.2, respectively, out of 10). There were no differences in provider impressions of patient encounters under the two conditions with providers reporting that patient concerns were addressed in 95% of the visits in both conditions. Most intervention group patients (94%) found that the PETS-Now was easy to use and helped focus the conversation with the provider on their biggest concern (98%). Most providers (81%) felt they had learned something new about the patient from the PETS-Now. CONCLUSION: The PETS-Now holds promise for quickly screening and monitoring treatment burden in people with MCC and may provide information for care planning. While acceptable to patients and clinicians, integration of information into the electronic medical record should be prioritized.

Development and quality assessment of the psychometric properties of the Self-Efficacy in Lifestyle Counselling scale (SELC 20 + 20) using Rasch analysis.

BACKGROUND: Globally as well as in Sweden, diseases that are caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits are the most common causes of death and disability. Even though there are guidelines that oblige all health-care professionals to counsel patients about lifestyle, studies have shown that it is not prioritized within healthcare. One reason for this among nurses has been shown to be lack of confidence in knowledge and counselling skills. This study aimed to develop, and quality assess the psychometric properties of an instrument to measure self-efficacy in lifestyle counselling. METHODS: An instrument inspired by an American instrument, following Bandura's recommendations for development of self-efficacy measures, was developed according to Swedish national guidelines for disease-prevention. The instrument was revised after cognitive interviews with nursing students, university teachers within health sciences, and clinical experts, then administrated to 310 nursing students at different levels in their education. The instrument was tested with Rasch Measurement Theory, with focus on dimensionality, local dependency, targeting, reliability, response category functioning, Rasch model fit, and differential item functioning by age, gender, educational level and previous health care education. RESULTS: The development of the instrument resulted in 20 + 20 items, 20 items about self-efficacy in knowledge, and 20 items about self-efficacy in ability to counsel persons about their lifestyle. The analyses showed that knowledge and ability are two different, but related, constructs, where ability is more demanding than knowledge. The findings provide support (considering dimensionality and local dependency) for that all 20 items within the knowledge construct as well as the 20 items within the ability construct can be summed, achieving two separate but related total scores, where knowledge (reliability 0.81) is a prerequisite for ability (reliability 0.84). Items represented lower self-efficacy than reported by the respondents. Response categories functioned as expected, Rasch model fit was acceptable, and there was no differential item functioning. CONCLUSIONS: The SELC 20 + 20 was found to be easy to understand with an acceptable respondent burden and the instrument showed good measurement properties.

Trends in low-value GP care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies showed that during the pandemic patients have refrained from visiting their general practitioner (GP). This resulted in medical care being delayed, postponed or completely forgone. The provision of low-value care, i.e. care which offers no net benefit for the patient, also could have been affected. We therefore assessed the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on three types of low-value GP care: 1) imaging for back or knee problems, 2) antibiotics for otitis media acuta (OMA), and 3) repeated opioid prescriptions, without a prior GP visit. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using registration data from GPs part of an academic GP network over the period 2017-2022. The COVID-19 period was defined as the period between April 2020 to December 2021. The periods before (January 2017 to April 2020) and after the COVID-19 period (January 2022 to December 2022) are the pre- and post-restrictions periods. The three clinical practices examined were selected by two practicing GPs from a top 30 of recommendations originating from the Dutch GP guidelines, based on their perceived prevalence and relevance in practice (van Dulmen et al., BMC Primary Care 23:141, 2022). Multilevel Poisson regression models were built to examine changes in the incidence rates (IR) of both registered episodes and episodes receiving low-value treatment. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 restrictions period, the IRs of episodes of all three types of GP care decreased significantly. The IR of episodes of back or knee pain decreased by 12%, OMA episodes by 54% and opioid prescription rate by 13%. Only the IR of OMA episodes remained significantly lower (22%) during the post-restrictions period. The provision of low-value care also changed. The IR of imaging for back or knee pain and low-value prescription of antibiotics for OMA both decreased significantly during the COVID-restrictions period (by 21% and 78%), but only the low-value prescription rate of antibiotics for OMA remained significantly lower (by 63%) during the post-restrictions period. The IR of inappropriately repeated opioid prescriptions remained unchanged over all three periods. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that both the rate of episodes as well as the rate at which low-value care was provided have generally been affected by the COVID-19 restrictions. Furthermore, it shows that the magnitude of the impact of the restrictions varies depending on the type of low-value care. This indicates that deimplementation of low-value care requires tailored (multiple) interventions and may not be achieved through a single disruption or intervention alone.

Evaluating clinical decision support software (CDSS): challenges for robust evidence generation.

OBJECTIVES: Computerized clinical decision support software (CDSS) are digital health technologies that have been traditionally categorized as medical devices. However, the evaluation frameworks for traditional medical devices are not well adapted to assess the value and safety of CDSS. In this study, we identified a range of challenges associated with CDSS evaluation as a medical device and investigated whether and how CDSS are evaluated in Australia. METHODS: Using a qualitative approach, we interviewed 11 professionals involved in the implementation and evaluation of digital health technologies at national and regional levels. Data were thematically analyzed using both data-driven (inductive) and theory-based (deductive) approaches. RESULTS: Our results suggest that current CDSS evaluations have an overly narrow perspective on the risks and benefits of CDSS due to an inability to capture the impact of the technology on the sociotechnical environment. By adopting a static view of the CDSS, these evaluation frameworks are unable to discern how rapidly evolving technologies and a dynamic clinical environment can impact CDSS performance. After software upgrades, CDSS can transition from providing information to specifying diagnoses and treatments. Therefore, it is not clear how CDSS can be monitored continuously when changes in the software can directly affect patient safety. CONCLUSION: Our findings emphasize the importance of taking a living health technology assessment approach to the evaluation of digital health technologies that evolve rapidly. There is a role for observational (real-world) evidence to understand the impact of changes to the technology and the sociotechnical environment on CDSS performance.

The FlaQuM-Quickscan: A starting point to include primary care professionals' perspectives in the evaluation of hospital quality priorities.

INTRODUCTION: Today, primary care professionals' (PCPs) perspectives on hospital quality are unknown when evaluating hospital quality priorities. The aims of the present study were to identify key healthcare quality attributes from PCPs' perspective, to validate an instrument that measures PCPs' experiences of healthcare quality multidimensionally and to define hospital quality priorities based on PCPs' experiences. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Focus groups with PCPs were conducted to identify quality attributes through a qualitative in-depth analysis. A multicentre study of 18 hospitals was used to quantitatively assess construct, discriminant and criterion validity of the FlaQuM-Quickscan, an instrument that measures 'Healthcare quality for patients and kin' (part 1) and 'Healthcare quality for professionals' (part 2). To set quality priorities, scores on quality domains were analyzed descriptively and between-hospital variation was examined by evaluating differences in hospitals' mean scores on the quality domains using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Identified key attributes largely corresponded with Lachman's multidimensional quality model. Including 'Communication' as a new quality domain was recommended. The FlaQuM-Quickscan was completed by 550 PCPs. Confirmatory factor analyses showed reasonable to good fit, except for the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) in part 2. The 'Equity' domain scored the highest in parts 1 and 2. Domains 'Kin-centred care' and 'Accessibility and timeliness' scored the lowest in part 1 and 'Resilience' and 'Partnership and co-production' in part 2. Significant variation in hospitals' mean scores was observed for eleven domains in part 1 and sixteen domains in part 2. CONCLUSIONS: The results gained a better understanding of PCPs' perspective on quality. The FlaQuM-Quickscan is a valid instrument to measure PCPs' experiences of hospital quality. Identified priorities indicate that hospital management should focus on multifaceted quality strategies, including technical domains, person-and kin-centredness, core values and catalysts.

The global, regional, and national burden and quality of care index of kidney cancer; a global burden of disease systematic analysis 1990-2019.

Kidney cancer (KC) is a prevalent cancer worldwide. The incidence and mortality rates of KC have risen in recent decades. The quality of care provided to KC patients is a concern for public health. Considering the importance of KC, in this study, we aim to assess the burden of the disease, gender and age disparities globally, regionally, and nationally to evaluate the quality and inequities of KC care. The 2019 Global Burden of Disease study provides data on the burden of the KC. The secondary indices, including mortality-to-incidence ratio, disability-adjusted life years -to-prevalence ratio, prevalence-to-incidence ratio, and years of life lost-to-years lived with disability ratio, were utilized. These four newly merged indices were converted to the quality-of-care index (QCI) as a summary measure using principal component analysis. QCI ranged between 0 and 100, and higher amounts of QCI indicate higher quality of care. Gender disparity ratio was calculated by dividing QCI for females by males to show gender inequity. The global age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of KC increased by 29.1% (95% uncertainty interval 18.7-40.7) and 11.6% (4.6-20.0) between 1990 and 2019, respectively. Globally, the QCI score for KC increased by 14.6% during 30 years, from 71.3 to 81.6. From 1990 to 2019, the QCI score has increased in all socio-demographic index (SDI) quintiles. By 2019, the highest QCI score was in regions with a high SDI (93.0), and the lowest was in low SDI quintiles (38.2). Based on the World Health Organization regions, the QCI score was highest in the region of America, with Canada having the highest score (99.6) and the lowest in the African Region, where the Central African Republic scored the lowest (17.2). In 1990, the gender disparity ratio was 0.98, and in 2019, it was 0.97 showing an almost similar QCI score for females and males. Although the quality of care for KC has improved from 1990 to 2019, there is a significant gap between nations and different socioeconomic levels. This study provides clinicians and health authorities with a global perspective on the quality of care for KC and identifies the existing disparities.

Atenção pré-natal na estratégia saúde da família em município de referência do nordeste brasileiro / Prenatal care by the family health strategy in a reference city of northeastern Brazil / La atención prenatal en la estrategia de salud de la familia en una ciudad de referencia del noreste de Brasil

Avaliou-se a qualidade da atenção pré-natal na Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) em município de referência macrorregional do Nordeste brasileiro. Trata-se de avaliação normativa com nível analítico centrado nas Equipes de Saúde da Família (eSF). Realizaram-se entrevistas com enfermeiros gerentes das eSF, mediante um questionário estruturado, validado nacionalmente e com padrões avaliativos da estrutura e do processo de trabalho das eSF, centrado nas dimensões assistencial e gerencial. Foi feita análise descritiva, considerando a frequência de adequação das equipes a cada padrão avaliativo. Nove (69,9%) eSF avaliadas atendiam satisfatoriamente aos padrões de qualidade na atenção pré-natal e quatro (31,0%) atendiam regularmente. Na dimensão gerencial, os atributos de processos de trabalho foram os mais críticos de adequação; e na dimensão assistencial, os atributos de estrutura tiveram maior dificuldade de alcançar a adequação aos padrões de qualidade do pré-natal. Este estudo contribuiu para identificar os principais obstáculos e potencialidades da estrutura e dos processos gerenciais e assistenciais da atenção pré-natal. Os achados revelaram quais são os padrões mais críticos de adequação e que demandam dos gestores municipais e gerentes locais estratégias de melhoria da qualidade na atenção pré-natal.

This normative study evaluated the quality of prenatal care offered by the Family Health Strategy in a macro-regional reference municipality in northeastern Brazil focusing on the Family Health Teams (eSF). Interviews were conducted with eSF nurse managers using a validated structured questionnaire with evaluative standards of the eSF structure and work process, focused on the care and management dimensions. Data underwent descriptive analysis, considering the frequency of team adaptation to each evaluative standard. Nine (69.0%) of the eSF evaluated satisfactorily met quality standards in prenatal care and four (31,0%) provided regular care. Regarding management, work process attributes were the most critical for adequacy; in care, structure attributes showed greater difficulty in achieving adequacy to prenatal quality standards. This study identified the main obstacles and potentialities of prenatal care structure and management. The findings revealed which are the most critical adequacy standards and which require from municipal and local managers strategies for improving the quality of prenatal care.

Se evaluó la calidad de la atención prenatal en la Estrategia de Salud de la Familia (ESF) en un municipio macrorregional de referencia del Nordeste brasileño. Esta es una evaluación normativa con nivel analítico centrado en los Equipos de Salud de la Familia (eSF). Se realizaron entrevistas a enfermeras gestoras de los eSF, a través de un cuestionario estructurado, validado a nivel nacional y con estándares evaluativos de la estructura y del proceso de trabajo de los eSF, centrado en las dimensiones asistencial y gerencial. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo, considerando la frecuencia de adaptación de los equipos a cada estándar evaluativo. Nueve (69,0%) eSF evaluados cumplieron satisfactoriamente con los estándares de calidad en la atención prenatal, y cuatro (31,0%) brindaron atención regular. En la dimensión gerencial, los atributos del proceso de trabajo fueron los más críticos para la adecuación; y en la dimensión de atención, los atributos de estructura tuvieron mayor dificultad para lograr la adecuación a los estándares de calidad prenatal. Este estudio contribuyó a identificar los principales obstáculos y potencialidades de la estructura y de los procesos de gestión y atención prenatal. Los resultados revelaron cuáles son los estándares de adecuación más críticos y cuáles exigen de los gestores municipales y locales estrategias para mejorar la calidad de la atención prenatal.

Percepción de los adolescentes y jóvenes sobre la atención en servicios de salud de El Salvador / Adolescents and Young People's Perception of Care in Health Services in El Salvador

Introducción. Los Servicios de Salud Amigables son espacios de atención integral y diferencial para personas adolescentes y jóvenes, que parten de sus necesidades biológicas, sociales y afectivas. Objetivo. Evaluar las percepciones de las juventudes sobre la calidad de atención que recibieron y su experiencia en las Unidades de Salud. Metodología. Se realizó un estudio mixto que recogió las percepciones de los participantes en dos etapas sucesivas. Primero, con un cuestionario se evaluó la calidad de atención y experiencia de los usuarios; luego, mediante entrevistas grupales e individuales se estimó el nivel de satisfacción. Resultados. El 68,2 % de los jóvenes y adolescentes desconocen los programas exclusivos para ellos. El servicio más utilizado es el de medicina general (76,6 %). En cuanto a la atención recibida, el respeto, la confianza y la privacidad brindada por los profesionales de salud fue calificada como excelente o muy buena (76 %). El 39,7 % reportó que el tiempo de espera fue de 30 a 60 minutos; el 17,6 % refirió esperar más de dos horas. Conclusión. Aunque la percepción de las unidades de salud por parte de los adolescentes y jóvenes en general es buena, los Servicios de Salud Amigables cuentan con barreras que interfieren en el acceso, oportunidad y aceptabilidad

Introduction. Friendly Health Services are spaces of comprehensive and differential care for adolescents and young people, which start from their biological, social and emotional. Objective. Evaluate the perceptions of youth about the quality of care they received and their experience in the Community Family Health Units. Methodology. A mixed study was carried out that collected the perceptions of the participants in two successive stages. First with a questionnaire that evaluated the quality of care and experience of users, then through group and individual interviews that estimated the level of satisfaction. Results. Youth consult health establishments, although 68.2 % are unaware of the exclusive programs for them (Friendly Health Services). The most used service was general medicine (76.6 %). Regarding the care received, the respect, trust and privacy provided by health professionals was rated as excellent or very good (76 %). 39.7 % reported that the waiting time was 30 to 60 minutes, 17.6 % reported waiting more than two hours. Conclusion. Currently, there is a need to improve access to services for adolescents and young people by socializing the offer to encourage their use, increase attention in preventive areas and implement their evaluation with methods different from current ones

Acute care pathway assessed through performance indicators during the COVID-19 pandemic in OECD countries (2020-2021): a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted care for non-COVID patients. Performance indicators to monitor acute care, timely reported and internationally accepted, lacked during the pandemic in OECD countries. This study aims to summarize the performance indicators available in the literature to monitor changes in the quality of acute care in OECD countries during the first year and a half of the pandemic (2020-July 2021) and to assess their trends. METHODS: Scoping review. Search in Embase and MEDLINE (07-07-2022). Acute care performance indicators and indicators related to acute general surgery were collected and collated following a care pathway approach. Indicators assessing identical clinical measures were grouped under a common indicator title. The trends from each group of indicators were collated (increase/decrease/stable). RESULTS: A total of 152 studies were included. 2354 indicators regarding general acute care and 301 indicators related to acute general surgery were included. Indicators focusing on pre-hospital services reported a decreasing trend in the volume of patients: from 225 indicators, 110 (49%) reported a decrease. An increasing trend in pre-hospital treatment times was reported by most of the indicators (n = 41;70%) and a decreasing trend in survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (n = 61;75%). Concerning care provided in the emergency department, most of the indicators (n = 752;71%) showed a decreasing trend in admissions across all levels of urgency. Concerning the mortality rate after admission, most of the indicators (n = 23;53%) reported an increasing trend. The subset of indicators assessing acute general surgery showed a decreasing trend in the volume of patients (n = 50;49%), stability in clinical severity at admission (n = 36;53%), and in the volume of surgeries (n = 14;47%). Most of the indicators (n = 28;65%) reported no change in treatment approach and stable mortality rate (n = 11,69%). CONCLUSION: This review signals relevant disruptions across the acute care pathway. A subset of general surgery performance indicators showed stability in most of the phases of the care pathway. These results highlight the relevance of assessing this care pathway more regularly and systematically across different clinical entities to monitor disruptions and to improve the resilience of emergency services during a crisis.

Socioeconomic inequalities in patient-reported outcome measures of Dutch primary hip and knee arthroplasty patients for osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To study socio-economic inequalities in patient-reported outcomes in primary hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) patients for osteoarthritis, using two analytical techniques. METHODS: We obtained data from 44,732 THA and 30,756 TKA patients with preoperative and 12-month follow-up PROMs between 2014 and 2020 from the Dutch Arthroplasty Registry. A deprivation indicator based on neighborhood income, unemployment rate, and education level was linked and categorized into quintiles. The primary outcome measures were the EQ-5D-3L index and Oxford Hip/Knee Score (OHS/OKS) preoperative, at 12-month follow-up, and the calculated change score between these measurements. We contrasted the most and least deprived quintiles using multivariable linear regression, adjusting for patient characteristics. Concurrently, we calculated concentration indices as a non-arbitrary tool to quantify inequalities. RESULTS: Compared to the least deprived, the most deprived THA patients had poorer preoperative (EQ-5D -0.03 (95%CI -0.02, -0.04), OHS -1.26 (-0.99, -1.52)) and 12-month follow-up health (EQ-5D -0.02 (-0.01, -0.02), OHS -0.42 (-0.19, -0.65)), yet higher mean change (EQ-5D 0.02 (0.01, 0.03), OHS 0.84 (0.52, 1.16)). The most deprived TKA patients had similar results. The higher mean change among the deprived resulted from lower preoperative health in this group (confounding). After accounting for this, the most deprived patients had a lower mean change. The concentration indices showed similar inequality effects and provided information on the magnitude of inequalities over the entire socio-economic range. CONCLUSION: The most deprived THA and TKA patients have worse preoperative health, which persisted after surgery. The concentration indices allow comparison of inequalities across different outcomes (e.g., revision risk).

Burden and quality of care index of chronic kidney disease: Global Burden of Disease analysis for 1990-2019.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) imposes a heavy obscure burden on individuals and health systems. Besides its burden, the quality of care of CKD is less well investigated. In this study, we aimed to explore the global, regional and national trends of CKD burden and quality of care. METHODS: The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 data were used. Trends of incidence, prevalence, deaths and disability-adjusted life years were studied for the 1990-2019 period in the global aspect. By generating four secondary indices to assess different aspects of quality of care the quality of care index (QCI) was developed to explore the care provided for CKD. Inequities and disparities between various geographic, socio-demographic and age stratifications, and sex were studied using the QCI values. RESULTS: In 2019, there were 18 986 903 (95% uncertainty interval 17 556 535 to 20 518 156) incident cases of CKD, globally. The overall global QCI score had increased slightly from 78.4 in 1990 to 81.6 in 2019, and it was marginally better in males (QCI score 83.5) than in females (80.3). The highest QCI score was observed in the European region with a score of 92.5, while the African region displayed the lowest QCI with 61.7. Among the age groups, the highest QCI was for children aged between 5 and 9 years old (92.0), and the lowest was in the age group of 20-24 year olds (65.5). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that significant disparities remain regarding the quality of care of CKD, and to reach better care for CKD, attention to and care of minorities should be reconsidered. The evidence presented in this study would benefit health policymakers toward better and more efficient control of CKD burden alongside improving the care of this condition.

The Evolving Practice of Hospital at Home in the United States.

Hospital at Home (HaH) provides hospital-level services in the home to eligible patients who would otherwise require facility-based hospitalization. In the last two decades, studies have shown that HaH can improve patient outcomes and satisfaction and reduce hospital readmissions. Improved technology and greater experience with the model have led to expansion in the scope of patients served and services provided by the model, but dissemination in the United States has been hampered by lack of insurance coverage until recently. HaH is likely at the tipping point for wide adoption in the United States. To realize its full benefits, HaH will need to continue volume expansion to achieve culture change in clinical practice as facilitated by increased insurance coverage, technological advancements, and improved workforce expertise. It is also essential that HaH programs maintain high-quality acute hospital care, ensure that their benefits can be accessed by hard-to-reach rural populations, and continue to advance health equity.

Effectiveness and safety of asynchronous telemedicine consultations in general practice: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There is a focus on increasing asynchronous telemedicine use, which allows medical data to be transmitted, stored, and interpreted later; however, limited evidence of the quality of care it allows in general practice hinders its use. AIM: To investigate uses and effectiveness of asynchronous telemedicine in general practice, according to the domains of healthcare quality, and describe how the COVID-19 pandemic changed its use. DESIGN & SETTING: Systematic review in general practice. METHOD: A systematic search was carried out across four databases using terms related to general practice, asynchronous telemedicine, uses, and effectiveness, and supported by citation searching. This was followed by screening according to pre-defined criteria, data extraction, and critical appraisal. Narrative synthesis was then undertaken guided by the six domains of healthcare quality and exploring differences in use before and following the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Searches yielded 6864 reports; 27 reports from 23 studies were included. Asynchronous telemedicine is used by a range of staff and patients across many countries. Safety and equity are poorly reported but there were no major safety concerns. Evidence from other domains of healthcare quality show effectiveness in making diagnoses, prescribing medications, replacing other consultations, providing timely care, and increased convenience for patients. Efficiency is impacted by negative effects on workflow, through poor implementation and patient non-adherence, limiting usability and requiring new administrative approaches from healthcare staff. Asynchronous telemedicine use increased rapidly from March 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. CONCLUSION: Asynchronous telemedicine provides quality care for patients but is limited by reports of increased workload and inefficient workflow compared with face-to-face consultations. Limits of evidence include heterogeneity and small-scale studies. Further research into cost-effectiveness, equity, safety, and sustained implementation will influence future policy and practice.

Longer-term quality of care, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of implementing a model of care for osteoarthritis: A cluster-randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of care, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness over 12 months after implementing a structured model of care for hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) in primary healthcare as compared to usual care. DESIGN: In this pragmatic cluster-randomized, controlled trial with a stepped-wedge cohort design, we recruited 40 general practitioners (GPs), 37 physiotherapists (PTs), and 393 patients with symptomatic hip or knee OA from six municipalities (clusters) in Norway. The model included the delivery of a 3-hour patient education and 8-12 weeks individually tailored exercise programs, and interactive workshops for GPs and PTs. At 12 months, the patient-reported quality of care was assessed by the OsteoArthritis Quality Indicator questionnaire (16 items, pass rate 0-100%, 100%=best). Costs were obtained from patient-reported and national register data. Cost-effectiveness at the healthcare perspective was evaluated using incremental net monetary benefit (INMB). RESULTS: Of 393 patients, 109 were recruited during the control periods (control group) and 284 were recruited during interventions periods (intervention group). At 12 months the intervention group reported statistically significant higher quality of care compared to the control group (59% vs. 40%; mean difference: 17.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.1, 24.0)). Cost-effectiveness analyses showed that the model of care resulted in quality-adjusted life-years gained and cost-savings compared to usual care with mean INMB €2020 (95% CI 611, 3492) over 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that implementing the model of care for OA in primary healthcare, improved quality of care and showed cost-effectiveness over 12 months compared to usual care. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02333656.

Does size matter? Hospital volume and resource use in paediatric diabetes care.

AIMS: Paediatric diabetes care has become increasingly specialised due to the multidisciplinary approach and technological developments. Guidelines recommend sufficient experience of treatment teams. This study evaluates associations between hospital volume and resource use and hospital expenditure in Dutch children with diabetes. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using hospital claims data of 5082 children treated across 44 Dutch hospitals (2019-2020). Hospitals were categorised into three categories; small (≥20-100 patients), medium (≥100-200 patients) and large (≥200 patients). All-cause hospitalisations, consultations, technology and hospital expenditure were analysed and adjusted for age, sex, socio-economic status (SES) and hospital of treatment. RESULTS: Fewer hospitalisations were observed in large hospitals compared to small hospitals (OR 0.48; [95% CI 0.32-0.72]; p < 0.001). Median number of yearly paediatrician visits was 7 in large and 6 in small hospitals, the significance of which was attenuated in multilevel analysis (OR ≥7 consultations: 1.89; [95%CI 0.74-4.83]; p = 0.18). Technology use varies between individual hospitals, whereas pump usage and real-time continuous glucose monitoring showed no significant differences between hospital volumes. Mean overall expenditure was highest in medium-sized centres with €6434 per patient (IQR €2555-7955); the difference in diabetes care costs was not significant between hospital patient volumes. CONCLUSIONS: Care provision patterns vary by hospital patient volume. Large hospitals had the lowest hospitalisation rates. The use of diabetes technology was not different between hospital patient volumes. Medium-sized hospitals showed the highest overall expenditure, but diabetes care costs were similar across hospital volumes.

Transgender Patients Report Lower Satisfaction with Care Received than Cisgender Patients Receiving Care in an Academic Medical Care System.

Purpose: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) patients experience challenges in health care settings, including stigma, lack of culturally competent providers, and suboptimal gender-affirming care. However, differences in patient satisfaction between TGD patients compared with cisgender patients have been inadequately studied. This study aimed to assess such differences in patient satisfaction with care received in a large academic medical care system in Boston, Massachusetts. Methods: Routine patient satisfaction surveys were fielded from January to December 2021 and were summarized. Logistic regression models compared low net promoter scores (NPS; ≤6) between gender identity groups (cisgender women, transmasculine and nonbinary/genderqueer people assigned female at birth [AFAB], transfeminine and nonbinary/genderqueer people assigned male at birth) relative to cisgender men, adjusting for age, race, ethnicity, education, inpatient/outpatient service delivery, and distance from medical center. Results: Of 94,810 patients, 246 (0.3%) were TGD and 94,549 (99.7%) were cisgender. The mean age was 58.3 years (standard deviation = 16.6). Of the total sample, 17.0% of patients were people of color, 6.6% were Hispanic/Latinx, 48.6% were college graduates, and 2.6% had received inpatient care. In general, patient satisfaction with health care received was lower for TGD patients than for cisgender patients (7.3% vs. 4.5% reporting low NPS; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.70-1.85). Transmasculine and nonbinary/genderqueer patients AFAB had elevated odds of low NPS compared with cisgender men (8.8% vs. 3.6%; aOR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.02-2.89). Conclusion: Future research is warranted to better understand factors driving lower ratings among TGD patients. Health care quality improvement efforts are needed to address gender identity inequities in care.