Emergency Department Visits And Hospital Capacity In The US: Trends In The Medicare Population During The COVID-19 Pandemic.

Although emergency department (ED) and hospital overcrowding were reported during the later parts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the true extent and potential causes of this overcrowding remain unclear. Using data on the traditional fee-for-service Medicare population, we examined patterns in ED and hospital use during the period 2019-22. We evaluated trends in ED visits, rates of admission from the ED, and thirty-day mortality, as well as measures suggestive of hospital capacity, including hospital Medicare census, length-of-stay, and discharge destination. We found that ED visits remained below baseline throughout the study period, with the standardized number of visits at the end of the study period being approximately 25 percent lower than baseline. Longer length-of-stay persisted through 2022, whereas hospital census was considerably above baseline until stabilizing just above baseline in 2022. Rates of discharge to postacute facilities initially declined and then leveled off at 2 percent below baseline in 2022. These results suggest that widespread reports of overcrowding were not driven by a resurgence in ED visits. Nonetheless, length-of-stay remains higher, presumably related to increased acuity and reduced available bed capacity in the postacute care system.

Effect of the Presence of Emergency Departments With 300 or More Hospital Beds in Health Service Areas on 30-Day Mortality in Korea: A Nationwide Retrospective Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in emergency care accessibility exist between health service areas (HSAs). There is limited evidence on whether the presence of an emergency department (ED) that exceeds a certain hospital bed capacity is associated with emergency patient outcomes at the regional level. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of HSAs with or without of regional or local emergency centers with 300 or more hospital beds (EC300 or nEC300, respectively) by comparing the 30-day mortality of patients with severe emergency diseases (SEDs) admitted to the hospital through the ED. METHODS: The study retrospectively evaluated data from the National Health Information Database (NHID) of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Claims database and enrolled patients who were admitted from the ED for SEDs. SEDs were defined using ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision) codes for 28 disease categories with high severity, and 56 HSAs were designated as published by the NHIS. We performed hierarchical logistic regression analysis using multilevel models with the generalized linear mixed model (GLIMMIX) procedure to evaluate whether EC300 was associated with the 30-day mortality of SED patients, adjusting for patient-level, prehospital-level, hospital-level, and HSA-level variables. RESULTS: In total, 662 478 patients were analyzed, of whom 54 839 (8.3%) died within 30 days after hospital discharge. Of the 56 HSAs, 46 (82.1%) were included in the EC300 group. After adjustment for patient-level, prehospital-level, hospital-level, and HSA-level variables, nEC300 was significantly associated with increased 30-day mortality in SED patients (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.137-1.153). In addition, patients who visited EDs with fewer annual SED admissions were associated with higher 30-day mortality. CONCLUSION: nEC300 had a greater risk of 30-day mortality in patients treated with SEDs than EC300. The results indicate that not only the number of EDs in each HSA is important for ensuring adequate patient outcomes but also the presence of EDs with adequate receiving capacity.

Odontologia hospitalar: uma análise crítica sobre a inserção do cirurgião dentista na atenção terciária no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / Hospital dentistry: a critical analysis of the role of the dental surgeon in tertiary care in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Objetivo: analisar a inserção do cirurgião dentista na atenção terciária no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Método: estudo descritivo ecológico, com uso de dados secundários registrados pelo Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde no ano de 2023. A coleta de dados foi realizada em duas etapas. Na primeira etapa também foram coletados os dados do CNES referentes à presença do cirurgião dentista, tipo de vínculo contratual e especialidades ofertadas pelos serviços. Já na segunda etapa os dados coletados foram referentes aos indicadores sociodemográficos dos profissionais com habilitação em odontologia hospitalar utilizando as informações disponibilizadas pelo Sistema WSCFO do Conselho Federal de Odontologia. A análise dos dados foi realizada com o suporte do software TabWin, versão 3.6, e do software estatístico R v. 4.2.3. Os dados foram analisados por meio de análise descritiva. Resultados: apenas 6,11% das instituições são certificadas e consideradas Hospitais de Ensino. A maioria dos estabelecimentos (87,14%) oferece atendimento pelo SUS. Quanto à presença de cirurgiões dentistas nos estabelecimentos, 64,63% dos estabelecimentos relataram tê-los, enquanto 35,37% não possuem esse profissional em sua equipe. Neste estudo, constatamos que uma correlação positiva do cirurgião dentista com o número de leitos de UTI adulto e ao maior porte do hospital. Conclusão: observa-se que ainda há necessidade de estruturação da atenção terciária no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, no que se refere à odontologia hospitalar. Há poucos os cirurgiões dentistas com uma carga horária dedicada exclusivamente ao atendimento hospitalar clínico a beira leito.(AU)

Objective: To analyze the inclusion of dental surgeons in tertiary care in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Method: a descriptive ecological study using secondary data recorded by the National Register of Health Establishments in 2023. Data was collected in two stages. In the first stage, data was also collected from the CNES regarding the presence of a dental surgeon, the type of contractual relationship and the specialties offered by the services. In the second stage, data was collected on the sociodemographic indicators of professionals qualified in hospital dentistry using the information provided by the WSCFO System of the Federal Council of Dentistry. The data was analyzed using TabWin software, version 3.6, and R v. 4.2.3 statistical software. The data was analyzed using descriptive analysis. Results: only 6.11% of institutions are certified and considered Teaching Hospitals. The majority of establishments (87.14%) provide care through the SUS. As for the presence of dental surgeons in the establishments, 64.63% of the establishments reported having them, while 35.37% did not have this professional on their team. In this study, we found a positive correlation between the number of adult ICU beds and the size of the hospital. Conclusion: There is still a need to structure tertiary care in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in terms of hospital dentistry. There are few dental surgeons with a workload dedicated exclusively to bedside clinical hospital care.(AU)

Los Servicios de Salud Públicos de la Región Metropolitana (RM) cuentan con 9 camas psiquiátricas de corta estadía por 100.000 habitantes mayores de 18 años, insuficiente para la necesidad actual / The Public Health Services at the Metropolitan Region (MR) of Chile have nine acute psychiatric beds per 100,000 over 18 years old inhabitants, insufficient for current need Alfonso González1 2

INTRODUCCIÓN: Los Servicios de Salud Públicos de la Región Metropolitana (RM) cuentan con 9 camas psiquiátricas de corta estadía por 100.000 habitantes adultos, por debajo de las recomendaciones internacionales. OBJETIVO: El presente estudio evaluará la capacidad de resolución del principal Servicio de Urgencias Psiquiátricas de la RM lo que puede ser de utilidad para evaluar el impacto de la disponibilidad de camas de corta estadía en la RM. MATERIALES Y MÉTODO: Se realizó un estudio observacional retrospectivo de todas las atenciones realizadas en el Servicio de Urgencias del Instituto Psiquiátrico "Dr. José Horwitz B." entre los años 2017 y 2020 y las indicaciones de hospitalización y su resolución. Se obtuvieron Razones de Tasas de Incidencia crudas y ajustadas para la indicación de hospitalización, las efectuadas y aquellas rechazadas por falta de vacantes. RESULTADOS: Se realizaron 90.464 atenciones a 41.541 usuarios y se indicó la hospitalización al 12,5% de ellas. La hospitalización se efectúa en el 59,5% de las atenciones y 35,9% no se pueden realizar por falta de vacantes. Al comparar las Tasas de Incidencia ajustadas se observó solamente una mayor tasa de hospitalización efectuada para los usuarios de regiones (IRR = 1,27; IC95%: 1,11-1,44; valor-p < 0,001) y durante el primer semestre de 2020 (IRR = 1,49; IC95%: 1,35-1,65; valor-p < 0,001). CONCLUSIONES: La evidente demanda por las hospitalizaciones psiquiátricas y la baja disponibilidad de camas de corta estadía en la Región Metropolitana probablemente tiene consecuencias insospechadas. Su abordaje es un desafío que requiere de una planificación multinivel entre todos los actores involucrados.

BACKGROUND: The Public Health Services at the Metropolitan Region (MR) of Chile have nine acute psychiatric beds per 100,000 inhabitants, under international recommendations. AIM: The present study will evaluate the resolution capacity of the main MR Psychiatric Emergency Room (PER), which may help assess the impact of the availability of acute beds in the MR. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study of electronic patient records for all adult patients attending PER of the Psychiatric Institute "Dr. José Horwitz B." between 2017 and 2020 was analyzed. Crude and adjusted Incidence Rate Ratios were obtained for the indication of hospitalization, admissions, and those rejected due to lack of acute psychiatric beds. RESULTS: 90,464 attendances were evaluated on 41,541 patients, and hospitalization was indicated for 12.5% of them. Admissions were carried out in 59.5%, and 35.9% did not occur due to a lack of acute psychiatric beds. When comparing the adjusted Incidence Rates, only a higher hospitalization rate was observed for users from regions (IRR = 1,267; 95% CI: 1,11-1,44; p-value < 0.001) and during the first half of 2020 (IRR = 1.49; CI95%: 1.35-1.65; p-value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The demand for psychiatric hospitalizations and the low availability of acute psychiatric beds in the MR probably have unsuspected consequences. The solution requires multilevel planning among all the actors involved.

Contribuições do núcleo interno de regulação para a segurança do paciente / Contributions of the regulatory inner core to patient safety / Aportes del núcleo interno normativo para la seguridad del paciente

Objetivo: identificar as contribuições do Núcleo Interno de Regulação para a segurança do paciente. Método: pesquisa qualitativa desenvolvida entre agosto a outubro de 2020. Foram realizadas entrevistas audiogravadas junto a 13 profissionais que atuavam nas enfermarias, no pronto-socorro, na gestão da qualidade e no Núcleo Interno de Regulação. Os dados foram analisados com o auxílio do software IraMuteq® e as etapas propostas por Creswell. Resultados: os achados revelaram que o Núcleo Interno de Regulação contribui para a segurança do paciente, entornando as metas instituídas: comunicação efetiva; identificação do paciente; redução do risco de infecções associadas aos cuidados em saúde - a pandemia de COVID-19 foi apresentada como um importante dado; segurança para cirurgia, uma vez que agiliza o acesso ao hospital para procedimento cirúrgico; e diminuição de filas de espera. Ainda, contribui para prevenir complicações decorrentes de quedas, pois o paciente pode ser alocado com agilidade num leito seguro. Por fim, o enfermeiro, no seu papel de liderança do serviço e como elo para a gerência do cuidado seguro, também se mostrou importante. Conclusão: embora algumas fragilidades tenham sido detectadas, a contribuição do Núcleo Interno de Regulação se sobressai por fortalecer as metas da segurança do paciente. Em razão disso, reafirma-se a importância de fluxos regulatórios na perspectiva de gestão de leitos hospitalares, assim como os preceitos da segurança do paciente almejada pelos gestores. Não obstante, o enfermeiro atua como elo entre esses dois cenários.(AU)

Objective: to identify the contributions of the Internal Regulation Core to patient safety. Method: qualitative research carried out between August and October 2020. Audio-recorded interviews were carried out with 13 professionals who worked in the wards, in the emergency room, in quality management and in the Internal Regulation Center. Data were analyzed using the IraMuteq® software and the steps proposed by Creswell. Results: the findings revealed that the Internal Regulation Nucleus contributes to patient safety, bypassing the established goals: effective communication; patient identification; reduction in the risk of infections associated with health care - the COVID-19 pandemic was presented as an important fact; safety for surgery, as it speeds up access to the hospital for a surgical procedure; and reduction of queues. It also helps to prevent complications resulting from falls, as the patient can be quickly allocated to a safe bed. Finally, the nurse, in his role as a leader in the service and as a link in the management of safe care, also proved to be important. Conclusion: although some weaknesses were detected, the contribution of the Internal Regulation Center stands out for strengthening patient safety goals. As a result, the importance of regulatory flows from the perspective of hospital bed management is reaffirmed, as well as the precepts of patient safety desired by managers. Nevertheless, the nurse acts as a link between these two scenarios.(AU)

Objetivo: identificar los aportes del Núcleo Interno Normativo para la seguridad del paciente. Método: investigación cualitativa desarrollada de agosto a octubre de 2020. Se realizaron entrevistas audiograbadas a 13 profesionales que trabajaban en las salas, en el servicio de urgencias, en la Gestión de Calidad y en el Núcleo Interno Normativo. Los datos fueron analizados con la ayuda del software IraMuteq® y los pasos propuestos por Creswell. Resultados: los hallazgos revelaron que el Núcleo Interno Normativo contribuye a la seguridad del paciente, desbordando los objetivos establecidos: comunicación eficaz; identificación del paciente; reducción del riesgo de infecciones asociadas a la asistencia sanitaria - la pandemia COVID-19 se presentó como un dato importante; en la seguridad para la cirugía, ya que agiliza el acceso al hospital para procedimientos quirúrgicos y, en la reducción de las colas de espera. También contribuye a la prevención de complicaciones derivadas de caídas, ya que el paciente puede ser ubicado rápidamente en una cama segura. Y, finalmente, el enfermero, en su papel de líder en el servicio, como enlace en la gestión del cuidado seguro, también resultó ser un resultado importante. Conclusión: aunque se detectaron algunas debilidades, se destaca la contribución del Núcleo Interno Normativo en el fortalecimiento de las metas de seguridad del paciente. Como resultado, reafirma la importancia de los flujos normativos desde la perspectiva de la gestión de camas hospitalarias, así como los preceptos de seguridad del paciente deseados por los gestores. Sin embargo, la enfermera actúa como enlace entre estos dos escenarios.(AU)

Prototipo de multimedia educativa para la enseñanza-aprendizaje de los indicadores del recurso cama hospitalaria. Cuba, 2020 / Educational Multimedia Prototype for teach-learn Indicators of Hospital Bed Resource. Cuba, 2020

Introducción: En la Facultad de Tecnología de la Salud se estudia la carrera Sistemas de Información en Salud que incluye en su plan de estudios diversas asignaturas como Sistemas de Información de Estadísticas de Salud, en la que se incluye el estudio de los indicadores hospitalarios del recurso cama; materia que se imparte de forma tradicional y no tiene una herramienta tecnológica de apoyo que facilite el proceso educativo. Objetivo: Diseñar un prototipo de multimedia educativa que favorezca el auto-aprendizaje de los indicadores del recurso cama hospitalaria en la asignatura Sistemas de Información de Estadísticas de Salud de la carrera Sistemas de Información en Salud. Método: Se realizó un estudio de desarrollo tecnológico donde fueron encuestados estudiantes y se entrevistó a la profesora de la asignatura para la obtención de la información. Se utilizó la metodología de Proceso Unificado de Desarrollo y el Lenguaje Unificado de Modelado. Se emplearon las herramientas Visual Paradigm para el modelado, Axure para la creación del prototipo y Mediator para el futuro diseño de la multimedia. Resultados: Se identificaron los problemas de aprendizaje desde la visión de alumnos y profesores, lo que permitió diseñar el prototipo de multimedia educativa sobre los indicadores hospitalarios del recurso cama, que fue considerado útil y pertinente. Conclusiones: Se diseñó un prototipo de multimedia educativa que de manera combinada con el método actual de enseñanza facilitarán y efectuarán de forma dinámica las actividades en el proceso docente educativo(AU)

Introduction: Health Information Systems career is included In the Faculty of Health Technology; the career have in its curriculum subjects as Health Statistics Information Systems, in which the study of hospital resource bed indicators is carried out; the subject is taught in a traditional way and does not have a technological support tool that facilitates the educational process. Objective: To design an educational multimedia prototype that favors self-learning of the indicators of the hospital bed resource in the Health Statistics Information Systems subject of the Health Information Systems career. Method: A survey of students and interview of teachers permitted to obtain the information needed to carry out a study of technological development using Unified Development Process methodology and Unified Modeling Language; Visual Paradigm tools were used for modeling; Axure for prototyping and Mediator for future multimedia design. Results: there were identified learning problems from the perspective of students and teachers, which allowed the design of the educational multimedia prototype on hospital bed resource indicators, considering it useful and pertinent. Conclusions: The design of the educational multimedia prototype, combined with the current teaching method, will facilitate and dynamically carry out the activities in the educational teaching process(AU)

The health cost of reducing hospital bed capacity.

In the past two decades, most high-income countries have reduced their hospital bed capacity. This could be a sign of increased efficiency but could also reflect a degradation in quality of care. In this paper, we use repeated cross-sections on mortality and staffed hospital beds per capita in all 21 Swedish regions to estimate the potential death toll from reduced bed capacity. Between 2001 and 2019, mortality and beds decreased across all regions, but regions making smaller bed reductions experienced on average greater decreases in mortality, equivalent to one less death per three beds retained. This estimate is stable to a wide range of specifications and to adjustment for potential confounders, which supports a causal interpretation. Our results imply that by providing one more bed, Swedish health care could produce about three quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at a cost of SEK 400,000 (∼US$40,000) per QALY. These findings could be informative about the marginal productivity of health care and support the credibility of empirical work attempting to estimate the opportunity cost of funding new healthcare interventions subject to a constrained budget.

The association of strained ICU capacity with hospital patient racial and ethnic composition and federal relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the association between strained intensive care unit (ICU) capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic and hospital racial and ethnic patient composition, federal pandemic relief, and other hospital characteristics. DATA SOURCES: We used government data on hospital capacity during the pandemic and Provider Relief Fund (PRF) allocations, Medicare claims and enrollment data, hospital cost reports, and Social Vulnerability Index data. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted cross-sectional bivariate analyses relating strained capacity and PRF award per hospital bed with hospital patient composition and other characteristics, with and without adjustment for hospital referral region (HRR). DATA COLLECTION: We linked PRF data to CMS Certification Numbers based on hospital name and location. We used measures of racial and ethnic composition generated from Medicare claims and enrollment data. Our sample period includes the weeks of September 18, 2020 through November 5, 2021, and we restricted our analysis to short-term, general hospitals with at least one intensive care unit (ICU) bed. We defined "ICU strain share" as the proportion of ICU days occurring while a given hospital had an ICU occupancy rate ≥ 90%. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: After adjusting for HRR, hospitals in the top tercile of Black patient shares had higher ICU strain shares than did hospitals in the bottom tercile (30% vs. 22%, p < 0.05) and received greater PRF amounts per bed ($118,864 vs. $92,407, p < 0.05). Having high versus low ICU occupancy relative to pre-pandemic capacity was associated with a modest increase in PRF amounts per bed after adjusting for HRR ($107,319 vs. $96,627, p < 0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences when comparing hospitals with high versus low ICU occupancy relative to contemporaneous capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals with large Black patient shares experienced greater strain during the pandemic. Although these hospitals received more federal relief, funding was not targeted overall toward hospitals with high ICU occupancy rates.

Dynamic assessment of surge capacity in a large hospital network during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an unprecedented scenario to deepen knowledge of surge capacity (SC), assessment of which remains a challenge. This study reports a large-scale experience of a multi-hospital network, with the aim of evaluating the characteristics of different hospitals involved in the response and of measuring a real-time SC based on two complementary modalities (actual, base) referring to the intensive care units (ICU). METHODS: Data analysis referred to two consecutive pandemic waves (March-December 2020). Regarding SC, two different levels of analysis are considered: single hospital category (referring to a six-level categorization based on the number of hospital beds) and multi-hospital wide (referring to the response of the entire hospital network). RESULTS: During the period of 114 days, the analysis revealed a key role of the biggest hospitals (>Category-4) in terms of involvement in the pandemic response. In terms of SC, Category-4 hospitals showed the highest mean SC values, irrespective of the calculation method and level of analysis. At the multi-hospital level, the analysis revealed an overall ICU-SC (base) of 84.4% and an ICU-SC (actual) of 106.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide benchmarks to better understand ICU hospital response capacity, highlighting the need for a more flexible approach to SC definition.

Distribution of hospital beds across Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2019: a cross-sectional study

Background: Adequate access to health care systems is considered a basic human right. Therefore, it is important that health care services be delivered to those who need them most in the most efficient manner possible. Aims: We evaluated the distribution of hospital beds across Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2019 to assess inequalities in hospital resource allocation. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the Health Statistical Yearbook published by the Ministry of Health during the period 2015–2019. The number of hospital beds per 100 000 population was calculated for the 20 health regions. Generation of other parameters, such as the Gini index and the Lorenz curve, was performed to assess the distribution of beds. The Pearson coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between beds and population in each health region Results: The ratio of hospital beds to population improved from 2015 to 2019 in areas such as Ha’il, Tabouk and Ta’if, which increased by 89.6, 72.5 and 32.5 respectively. The calculated mean Gini index for bed distribution in the public sector was 0.21; in the private sector it was 0.53. There was a strong positive correlation between population and hospital beds in Riyadh, Qaseem, Eastern and Ha’il regions. Conclusion: In Saudi Arabia the observed inequalities in hospital bed distributions lie mainly in the private sector. It is recommended that policymakers be aware of such inequalities and work on possible reforms to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The impact of hospital size on national trends and outcomes in isolated open proximal aortic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of hospital size on national trend estimates of isolated open proximal aortic surgery for benchmarking hospital performance. METHODS: Patients age >18 years who underwent isolated open proximal aortic surgery for aneurysm and dissection from 2002 to 2014 were identified using the National Inpatient Sample. Concomitant valvular, vessel revascularization, re-do procedures, endovascular, and surgery for descending and thoracoabdominal aorta were excluded. Discharges were stratified by hospital size and analyzed using trend, multivariable regression, propensity-score matching analysis. RESULTS: Over a 13-year period, 53,657 isolated open proximal aortic operations were performed nationally. Although the total number of operations/year increased (∼2.9%/year increase) and overall in-hospital mortality decreased (∼4%/year; both P < .001 for trend), these did not differ by hospital size (P > .05). Large hospitals treated more sicker and older patients but had shorter length of stay and lower hospital costs (both P < .001). Even after propensity-score matching, large hospital continued to demonstrate superior in-hospital outcomes, although only statistically for major in-hospital cardiac complications compared with non-large hospitals. In our subgroup analysis of dissection versus non-dissection cohort, in-hospital mortality trends decreased only in the non-dissection cohort (P < .01) versus dissection cohort (P = .39), driven primarily by the impact of large hospitals (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates increasing volume and improving outcomes of isolated open proximal aortic surgeries nationally over the last decade regardless of hospital bed size. Moreover, the resource allocation of sicker patients to larger hospital resulted shorter length of stay and hospital costs, while maintaining similar operative mortality to small- and medium-sized hospitals.

Identifying barriers to emergency department-initiated buprenorphine: A spatial analysis of treatment facility access in Michigan.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Emergency department (ED)-initiated buprenorphine/naloxone has been shown to improve treatment retention and reduce illicit opioid use; however, its potential may be limited by a lack of accessible community-based facilities. This study compared one state's geographic distribution of EDs to outpatient treatment facilities that provide buprenorphine treatment and identified ED and geographic factors associated with treatment access. METHODS: Treatment facility data were obtained from the SAMHSA 2018 National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Facilities, and ED data were obtained from the Michigan College of Emergency Physician's 2018 ED directory. Geospatial analysis compared EDs to buprenorphine treatment facilities using 5-, 10-, and 20-mile network buffers. RESULTS: Among 131 non-exclusively pediatric EDs in Michigan, 57 (43.5%) had a buprenorphine treatment facility within 5 miles, and 66 (50.4%) had a facility within 10 miles. EDs within 10 miles of a Medicaid-accepting, outpatient buprenorphine treatment facility had higher average numbers of beds (41 vs. 15; p < 0.0001) and annual patient volumes (58,616 vs. 17,484; p < 0.0001) compared to those without. Among Michigan counties with EDs, those with at least one buprenorphine facility had larger average populations (286,957 vs. 44,757; p = 0.005) and higher annual rates of opioid overdose deaths (mean 18.3 vs. 13.0 per 100,000; p = 0.02) but were similar in terms of opioid-related hospitalizations and socioeconomic distress. CONCLUSION: Only half of Michigan EDs are within 10 miles of a buprenorphine treatment facility. Given these limitations, expanding access to ED-initiated buprenorphine in states similar to Michigan may require developing alternative models of care.

Custo do desperdício de materiais: punção venosa periférica e banho no leito / Costo del desperdicio de materiales: venopunción periférica y baño en cama / The cost of medical supply waste: peripheral venipuncture and bed baths

Resumo Objetivo Mensurar o custo dos materiais desperdiçados em dois procedimentos de enfermagem; identificar o desperdício como evitável e não evitável; classificar esses materiais de acordo com a classificação ABC e estimar o custo anual com o desperdício desses materiais. Métodos Estudo quantitativo, exploratório-descritivo, do tipo estudo de caso único. Os dados foram coletados de março de 2016 a fevereiro de 2017 em duas unidades de um Hospital Universitário na cidade de São Paulo. Fizeram parte da amostra os procedimentos de enfermagem: Punção Venosa Periférica e Banho no Leito. O desperdício de materiais foi calculado pela soma do custo de cada item de material desperdiçado. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente quanto às frequências absolutas e relativas, por média e desvio padrão. Resultados O total com desperdício de materiais na Punção venosa periférica foi R$ 27,20 (US$ 7.31), sendo o custo "evitável" de R$ 3,50 (US$ 0.94) e R$ 23,70 (US$ 6.37) para o "não evitável". O total com desperdício de materiais no Banho no leito foi R$ 214,63 (US$ 57.73), sendo o custo de R$ 149,59 (US$ 40.24) para os materiais com classificação "evitável" e R$ 65,04 (US$ 17.49) para os "não evitável". A maioria dos materiais desperdiçados, acima de 70%, foram da classe A nos dois procedimentos. A projeção do custo anual com desperdício de materiais foi R$ 83.858,53 (US$ 22,557.94). Conclusão O desperdício de materiais mostrou comportamento distinto nos procedimentos observados, sinalizando a necessidade de serem identificados, analisados e calculados para que os enfermeiros tomem decisões com eficiência.

Resumen Objetivo Medir el costo de los materiales desperdiciados en dos procedimientos de enfermería, identificar el desperdicio evitable y no evitable, clasificar esos materiales de acuerdo con la clasificación ABC y estimar el costo anual del desperdicio de esos materiales. Métodos Estudio cuantitativo, exploratorio-descriptivo, tipo estudio de caso único. Los datos fueron recopilados de marzo de 2016 a febrero de 2017 en dos unidades de un hospital universitario en la ciudad de São Paulo. Los procedimientos de enfermería que formaron parte de la muestra fueron: venopunción periférica y baño en cama, El desperdicio de materiales fue calculado por la suma del costo de cada ítem de material desperdiciado. Los datos fueron analizados descriptivamente con relación a las frecuencias absolutas y relativas por promedio y desviación típica. Resultados El total del desperdicio de materiales en la venopunción periférica fue de R$ 27,20 (USD 7,31), del cual el costo "evitable" fue de R$ 3,50 (USD 6,37) y el "no evitable" de R$ 23,70 (USD 6,37). El total del desperdicio de materiales en el baño en cama fue de R$ 214,63 (USD 57,73), del cual el costo de R$ 149,59 (USD 40,24) fue de material clasificado como "evitable" y R$ 65,04 (USD 17,49) de "no evitable". La mayoría del material desperdiciado, más del 70 %, fue de clase A en los dos procedimientos. La proyección del costo anual del desperdicio de materiales fue de R$ 83.858,53 (USD 22.557,94). Conclusión El desperdicio de materiales mostró diferentes comportamientos en los procedimientos observados, lo que indicó la necesidad de que sean identificados, analizados y calculados para que los enfermeros tomen decisiones con eficiencia.

Abstract Objective To measure the costs of medical supply waste in two nursing procedures; to define waste into avoidable and unavoidable; to classify these materials according to the ABC classification and estimate the annual cost of these types of medical supply waste. Methods This was a quantitative, exploratory-descriptive single case study. Data were collected between March 2016 and February 2017 in two units of a university hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The following nursing procedures composed the sample: peripheral venipuncture and bed baths. Medical supply waste was calculated as the sum of the cost of each item of wasted materials. The data were analyzed descriptively in terms of absolute and relative frequencies, average, and standard deviation. Result The total of medical supply waste of peripheral venipuncture was R$ 27.20 (US$ 7.31) of which R$ 3.50 (US$ 0.94) were "avoidable", R$ 23.70 (US$ 6.37), "unavoidable". The total volume of waste for bed baths was R$ 214,63 (US$ 57.73), of which R$ 149.59 (US$ 40.24) were "avoidable" and R$ 65.04 (US$ 17.49) "unavoidable". More than 70% of the wasted supplies were class A materials in both procedures. The projected annual cost of medical supply waste was R$ 83,858.53 (US$ 22,557.94). Conclusion Medical supply waste presented a distinct behavior in the observed procedures, which points to the need for it to be identified, analyzed and calculated for nurses to make decisions efficiently.

Núcleo Interno de Regulação hospitalar: repercussões da implantação nos indicadores dos serviços de saúde / Internal Regulation Center in hospitals: Repercussions of its implementation on the health services' indicators / Centro Interno de Regulación hospitalaria: repercusiones de la implantación en los indicadores de los servicios de salud

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar os indicadores hospitalares e suas repercussões, antes e após a implantação do Núcleo Interno de Regulação, no número de internações mensais em hospital universitário público. Método Pesquisa avaliativa, do tipo Estudo de Caso desenvolvida em hospital universitário público. Foram mensurados 28 indicadores relacionados à estrutura, produção, produtividade e qualidade, que integram o referencial de Benchmarking interno. Os dados foram analisados por estatística descritiva e regressão múltipla para identificar os fatores independentes e associados ao número de internações mensais com intervalos de confiança de 95%. Resultados A implantação do Núcleo aumentou significativamente (p<0,001) o número de altas, o fator de utilização e índice de renovação dos leitos, internação de urgência, porcentagem de ocupação dos leitos, procedimentos cirúrgicos realizados e média de paciente-dia (p=0,027). Houve redução (p<0,001) no número de atendimentos no pronto socorro médico, obstétrico e ortopédico, nas taxas de infecção hospitalar e de mortalidade infantil, bem como na diminuição média de permanência de 0,81/dia, aproximadamente um dia a menos de internação por paciente, ou um ganho de 40 leitos disponíveis ao mês. Conclusão Embora o número de leitos disponíveis tenha sido menor no período pós-implantação, o intervalo de substituição de leitos reduziu, representando o aumento de mais 40 leitos ao mês devido à diminuição do tempo de permanência dos pacientes na instituição.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the hospital indicators and their repercussions on the number of monthly admissions to a public university hospital, before and after implementing the Internal Regulation Center. Method An evaluative research study, of the Case Study type, developed in a public university hospital. A total of 28 indicators related to structure, production, productivity and quality were measured, which are part of internal Benchmarking. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and multiple regression to identify the independent factors and those associated with the number of monthly hospitalizations with 95% confidence intervals. Results Implementation of the Center significantly increased (p<0.001) the number of discharges, the bed utilization factor and the bed renewal rate, emergency hospitalization, bed occupancy percentage, surgical procedures performed and the patient-day mean value (p=0.027). There was a reduction (p<0.001) in the number of visits to the medical, obstetric and orthopedic emergency room, in the rates of in-hospital infection and infant mortality, as well as a mean reduction of 0.81/day, approximately one day less of hospitalization per patient, or a gain of 40 available beds per month. Conclusion Although the number of available beds was lower in the post-implementation period, the bed replacement interval was reduced, representing an increase of 40 more beds per month due to the reduction in the patients' length of stay in the institution.

Resumen Objetivo Evaluar los indicadores hospitalarios y sus repercusiones, antes y después de la implantación del Centro Interno de Regulación, sobre el número de internaciones mensuales en un hospital universitario público. Método Investigación evaluativa, del tipo Estudio de Caso, desarrollada en un hospital universitario público. Se midieron 28 indicadores relacionados con la estructura, producción, productividad y calidad, que forman parte del Benchmarking interno. Los datos fueron analizados por estadística descriptiva y regresión múltiple para identificar factores independientes y asociados con el número de hospitalizaciones mensuales con un intervalo de confianza del 95%. Resultados La implantación del Centro incrementó significativamente (p<0,001) el número de altas, el factor de utilización y tasa de renovación de camas, la hospitalización de urgencia, el porcentaje de ocupación de camas, los procedimientos quirúrgicos realizados y el promedio de pacientes/día (p =0,027). Se registró una reducción (p<0,001) en el número de las consultas de emergencias médicas, obstétricas y ortopédicas, en las tasas de infección hospitalaria y mortalidad infantil, además de una disminución promedio de la estancia del 0,81/día, aproximadamente un día menos de hospitalización por paciente, o 40 camas disponibles más mes. Conclusión Aunque el número de camas disponibles fue menor en el período posterior a la implantación, el intervalo de sustitución de camas se redujo, lo que representó un aumento de 40 camas más por mes debido a la disminución de la estancia de los pacientes en la institución.

Cancellation of elective orthopaedic procedures is not a benign practice and is often preventable.

AIM: To quantify the reasons for cancelled elective orthopaedic operations, in particular hip and knee arthroplasty. Secondary aims included defining how long these patients had to wait until their operation, and investigating the impact delayed surgery has on patients in terms of re-presentation to healthcare services. METHODS: We reviewed hospital records for all cancelled elective orthopaedic operations over a two-year period at a secondary hospital in New Zealand, investigated the reasons for these cancellations, wait times and comorbidities and compared total hip and knee arthroplasty to other elective orthopaedic operations. RESULTS: 76 orthopaedic elective cases were cancelled. 28 (37%) were hip and knee arthroplasties. 71% of these arthroplasties were cancelled due to hospital-related factors (bed availability, operating theatre capacity). Mean wait time for an eventual operation was 56.20 days. Hip joint arthroplasties waited significantly longer (76.10 days, p=0.008). 10% of patients awaiting hip and knee arthroplasties re-presented to healthcare services before their eventual operation. CONCLUSIONS: Patients are having their elective hip and knee arthroplasty operations cancelled for hospital-related reasons that could be avoidable. There are significant wait times contributing to decreased quality of life and may be contributing to avoidable re-presentation with its associated demand on healthcare services.

The association between various indicators of hospital capacity, age category, and the number of screening tests performed with case fatality rate and recovery rate during the COVID-19 disease pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19-related deaths are growing rapidly around the world, especially in Europe and the United States. PURPOSE: In this study we attempt to measure the association of these variables with case fatality rate (CFR) and recovery rate (RR) using up-to-date data from around the world. METHODS: Data were collected from eight global databases. According to the raw data of countries, the CFR and RR and their relationship with different predictors was compared for countries with 1,000 or more cases of COVID-19 confirmed cases. RESULTS: There were no significant correlation between the CFR and number of hospital beds per 1,000 people, proportion of population aged 65 and older ages, and the number of computed tomography per one million inhabitants. Furthermore, based on the continents-based subgroup univariate regression analysis, the population (R2 = 0.37, P = 0.047), GPD (R2 = 0.80, P < 0.001), number of ICU Beds per 100,000 people (R2 = 0.93, P = 0.04), and number of CT per one million inhabitants (R2 = 0.78, P = 0.04) were significantly correlated with CFR in America. Moreover, the income-based subgroups analysis showed that the gross domestic product (R2 = 0.30, P = 0.001), number of ICU Beds per 100,000 people (R2 = 0.23, P = 0.008), and the number of ventilator (R2 = 0.46, P = 0.01) had significant correlation with CFR in high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: The level of country's preparedness, testing capacity, and health care system capacities also are among the important predictors of both COVID-19 associated mortality and recovery. Thus, providing up-to-date information on the main predictors of COVID-19 associated mortality and recovery will hopefully improve various countries hospital resource allocation, testing capacities, and level of preparedness.

Association of COVID-19 Hospitalization Volume and Case Growth at US Hospitals with Patient Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Whether the volume of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations is associated with outcomes has important implications for the organization of hospital care both during this pandemic and future novel and rapidly evolving high-volume conditions. METHODS: We identified COVID-19 hospitalizations at US hospitals in the American Heart Association COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry with ≥10 cases between January and August 2020. We evaluated the association of COVID-19 hospitalization volume and weekly case growth indexed to hospital bed capacity, with hospital risk-standardized in-hospital case-fatality rate (rsCFR). RESULTS: There were 85 hospitals with 15,329 COVID-19 hospitalizations, with a median hospital case volume was 118 (interquartile range, 57, 252) and median growth rate of 2 cases per 100 beds per week but varied widely (interquartile range: 0.9 to 4.5). There was no significant association between overall hospital COVID-19 case volume and rsCFR (rho, 0.18, P = .09). However, hospitals with more rapid COVID-19 case-growth had higher rsCFR (rho, 0.22, P = 0.047), increasing across case growth quartiles (P trend = .03). Although there were no differences in medical treatments or intensive care unit therapies (mechanical ventilation, vasopressors), the highest case growth quartile had 4-fold higher odds of above median rsCFR, compared with the lowest quartile (odds ratio, 4.00; 1.15 to 13.8, P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: An accelerated case growth trajectory is a marker of hospitals at risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes, identifying sites that may be targets for influx of additional resources or triage strategies. Early identification of such hospital signatures is essential as our health system prepares for future health challenges.