Herramienta de evaluación rápida para la recopilación de datos críticos / Rapid assessment tool for critical data gathering

Esta herramienta está diseñada para realizar una evaluación rápida de las instituciones prestadoras de servicios de salud y de otras relacionadas con la salud y analiza su capacidad para recopilar datos críticos y de alta calidad en la respuesta a la pandemia de COVID-19. La herramienta evalúa el compromiso institucional con la pertinencia y la calidad de los datos utilizados para la toma de decisiones a todos los niveles. Además, facilita la autoevaluación para redefinir las prioridades de la pandemia; identifica la brecha de capacidad de los sistemas de datos internacionales, nacionales y subnacionales, y evalúa la capacidad para proporcionar datos fiables y constructivos.

This tool is designed for rapid assessment of health and health-related institutions and evaluates their capacity to gather critical, high-quality data in the COVID-19 pandemic response. The tool assesses institutional commitment to the timeliness and quality of data used for decision-making at all levels. It facilitates self-assessment to redefine pandemic priorities and, identifies the capacity gap within international, national, and subnational data systems, and assesses the ability to provide reliable and constructive data.

Notificações de incidentes no espaço hospitalar: criação de um sistema de notificação interno online em hospital público federal / Incident notifications in the hospital space: creation of an online internal notification system in a federal public hospital

Introdução: O processo de notificação visa monitorar a ocorrência de incidentes para melhor compreensão e desenvolvimento de estratégias de prevenção e redução de danos, assim como promover a melhoria contínua da qualidade e segurança do cuidado prestado. O presente estudo teve como meta a estruturação de três produtos, a saber: Produto 1 ­ Produto bibliográfico técnico e tecnológico intitulado "Caracterização dos incidentes em um hospital público federal entre os anos 2014 a 2019"; Produto 2 ­ Produto bibliográfico técnico e tecnológico intitulado "Criação de sistema interno online para notificação de incidentes no espaço hospitalar: relato de experiência". Produto 3 ­ Produção técnica intitulada "Guia orientador para o preenchimento adequado dos dados no sistema interno online para notificação de incidentes". Objetivo: Criar um sistema interno online para monitoramento dos incidentes em um hospital federal, a partir do FormSUS, bem como organizar um guia orientador para a sua utilização para auxiliar os profissionais no processo de notificações. Materiais e Métodos: O primeiro produto foi um estudo transversal após pesquisa em base de dados secundários de acesso restrito referente ao período de 2014 a 2019, que identificou 10.837 incidentes classificados segundo as Metas Internacionais de Segurança do Paciente: Eventos Adversos, Incidentes sem Dano, Quase Falhas, Circunstâncias Notificáveis. O sistema de notificação foi construído por meio da plataforma do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde para criação de formulários públicos, conhecida como FormSUS versão 3.0. O instrumento já é existente no Ministério da Saúde com base na interface do FormSUS organizado a partir de dados, tais como: dados da internação, data da ocorrência do incidente, descrição completa do incidente, identificação do profissional notificador, contato por e-mail, telefone ou presencial, cargo e função do profissional notificador. Resultados: Finalmente, foi estruturado um guia orientador para preenchimento das notificações de forma simples, baseado em dúvidas mais frequentes, no qual se explicam detalhadamente os incidentes e a forma de acessar o sistema interno online de notificação para o envio ao Núcleo de Segurança do Paciente. Conclusões: Caracterizar e analisar os dados relacionados aos incidentes ocorridos no hospital é um exercício fundamental, pois auxilia o processo de educação contínua sobre segurança do paciente. A partir desse conhecimento, a criação de um sistema online de notificação, e do manual para o preenchimento correto dos formulários, pode contribuir para aumentar a adesão dos profissionais às notificações e trazer informações fidedignas para o desenvolvimento de estratégias que reduzam os danos ao paciente

Introduction: The notification process aims to monitor the occurrence of incidents in order to better understand and develop strategies for preventing and reducing harm, as well as promoting continuous improvement in the quality and safety of the care provided. The present study aimed at structuring three products, namely: Product 1 ­ Technical and technological bibliographic product entitled "Characterization of incidents in a federal public hospital between the years 2014 and 2019"; Product 2 ­ Technical and technological bibliographic product entitled "Creation of an internal online system for notification of incidents in the hospital space: experience report". Product 3 ­ Technical production entitled "Guiding guide for the proper filling of data in the internal online system for notification of incidents". Objective: Create an internal online system for monitoring incidents in a federal hospital, using FormSUS, as well as organizing a guiding guide for its use to assist professionals in the notification process. Materials and methods: The first product was a cross-sectional study after searching a secondary database with restricted access for the period from 2014 to 2019, which identified 10,837 incidents classified according to the International Patient Safety Goals: Adverse Events, Incidents Without Damage, Almost Failure, Circumstances Notifiable. The notification system was built using the platform of the Informatics Department of the Unified Health System to create public forms, known as FormSUS version 3.0. The instrument already exists at the Ministry of Health based on the FormSUS interface organized from data, such as: hospitalization data, date of the incident, complete description of the incident, identification of the notifying professional, contact by e-mail, telephone or in person, position and function of the notifying professional. Results: Finally, a guiding guide for filling out notifications in a simple way was structured, based on the most frequent doubts, in which the incidents are explained in detail and how to access the internal online notification system for sending to the Patient Safety Center. Conclusions: Characterizing and analyzing the data related to the incidents that occurred in the hospital is a fundamental exercise, as it helps the process of continuous education on patient safety. Based on this knowledge, the creation of an online notification system, and the manual for the correct filling of forms, can contribute to increase the professionals' adherence to the notifications and bring reliable information for the development of strategies that reduce harm to the patient

Smart and Age-Friendly Cities in Russia: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes, Perceptions, Quality of Life and Health Information Needs.

In Russia, initiatives for healthy ageing have been growing over the last two decades; however, none use an evidence-based (EB) approach. It is proposed that Kazan, a city with a population of over a million in the European part of Russia, has good chances of moving towards age-friendliness and contributing to raising awareness about healthy ageing through Cochrane evidence. One of the eight essential features of age-friendly cities by the World Health Organisation (WHO) directly points to health services. This exploratory study assesses the health information needs of the ageing population of Kazan and the challenges people face in improving their health and longevity. Survey data were used from 134 participants, patients, caregivers and healthcare providers of the Interregional Clinical Diagnostic Centre (ICDC), aged from 30 to over 80 years, and potential associations of the studied parameters with age, gender, quality of life and other characteristics were analysed. Older people (60+) were less positive about their quality of life, took medicines more often on a daily basis (10/16 compared to 29/117 of people under 60), encountered problems with ageing (9/16 compared to 21/117 of people under 60) and rated their quality of life as unsatisfactory (4/14 compared to 9/107 of people under 60). Awareness of EB approaches and Cochrane was higher within health professions (evidence-based medicine: 42/86 vs. 13/48; Cochrane: 32/86 vs. 2/48), and health information needs did not differ between age or gender groups or people with a satisfactory and unsatisfactory quality of life. The minority (10%-13/134) were aware of ageism without age or gender differences. The low awareness calls for the need of Cochrane intervention both for consumers and those in the health profession to raise awareness to contribute to Kazan moving towards an age-friendly city.

Health system integration with physician specialties varies across markets and system types.

OBJECTIVE: To examine system integration with physician specialties across markets and the association between local system characteristics and their patterns of physician integration. DATA SOURCES: Data come from the AHRQ Compendium of US Health Systems and IQVIA OneKey database. STUDY DESIGN: We examined the change from 2016 to 2018 in the percentage of physicians in systems, focusing on primary care and the 10 most numerous nonhospital-based specialties across the 382 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the US. We also categorized systems by ownership, mission, and payment program participation and examined how those characteristics were related to their patterns of physician integration in 2018. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We examined local healthcare markets (MSAs) and the hospitals and physicians that are part of integrated systems that operate in these markets. We characterized markets by hospital and insurer concentration and systems by type of ownership and by whether they have an academic medical center (AMC), a 340B hospital, or accountable care organization. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Between 2016 and 2018, system participation increased for primary care and the 10 other physician specialties we examined. In 2018, physicians in specialties associated with lucrative hospital services were the most commonly integrated with systems including hematology-oncology (57%), cardiology (55%), and general surgery (44%); however, rates varied substantially across markets. For most specialties, high market concentration by insurers and hospital-systems was associated with lower rates of physician integration. In addition, systems with AMCs and publicly owned systems more commonly affiliated with specialties unrelated to the physicians' potential contribution to hospital revenue, and investor-owned systems demonstrated more limited physician integration. CONCLUSIONS: Variation in physician integration across markets and system characteristics reflects physician and systems' motivations. These integration strategies are associated with the financial interests of systems and other strategic goals (eg, medical education, and serving low-income populations).

Improving quality and use of routine health information system data in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: A routine health information system is one of the essential components of a health system. Interventions to improve routine health information system data quality and use for decision-making in low- and middle-income countries differ in design, methods, and scope. There have been limited efforts to synthesise the knowledge across the currently available intervention studies. Thus, this scoping review synthesised published results from interventions that aimed at improving data quality and use in routine health information systems in low- and middle-income countries. METHOD: We included articles on intervention studies that aimed to improve data quality and use within routine health information systems in low- and middle-income countries, published in English from January 2008 to February 2020. We searched the literature in the databases Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Global Health. After a meticulous screening, we identified 20 articles on data quality and 16 on data use. We prepared and presented the results as a narrative. RESULTS: Most of the studies were from Sub-Saharan Africa and designed as case studies. Interventions enhancing the quality of data targeted health facilities and staff within districts, and district health managers for improved data use. Combinations of technology enhancement along with capacity building activities, and data quality assessment and feedback system were found useful in improving data quality. Interventions facilitating data availability combined with technology enhancement increased the use of data for planning. CONCLUSION: The studies in this scoping review showed that a combination of interventions, addressing both behavioural and technical factors, improved data quality and use. Interventions addressing organisational factors were non-existent, but these factors were reported to pose challenges to the implementation and performance of reported interventions.

Population Health Management to identify and characterise ongoing health need for high-risk individuals shielded from COVID-19: a cross-sectional cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To use Population Health Management (PHM) methods to identify and characterise individuals at high-risk of severe COVID-19 for which shielding is required, for the purposes of managing ongoing health needs and mitigating potential shielding-induced harm. DESIGN: Individuals at 'high risk' of COVID-19 were identified using the published national 'Shielded Patient List' criteria. Individual-level information, including current chronic conditions, historical healthcare utilisation and demographic and socioeconomic status, was used for descriptive analyses of this group using PHM methods. Segmentation used k-prototypes cluster analysis. SETTING: A major healthcare system in the South West of England, for which linked primary, secondary, community and mental health data are available in a system-wide dataset. The study was performed at a time considered to be relatively early in the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. PARTICIPANTS: 1 013 940 individuals from 78 contributing general practices. RESULTS: Compared with the groups considered at 'low' and 'moderate' risk (ie, eligible for the annual influenza vaccination), individuals at high risk were older (median age: 68 years (IQR: 55-77 years), cf 30 years (18-44 years) and 63 years (38-73 years), respectively), with more primary care/community contacts in the previous year (median contacts: 5 (2-10), cf 0 (0-2) and 2 (0-5)) and had a higher burden of comorbidity (median Charlson Score: 4 (3-6), cf 0 (0-0) and 2 (1-4)). Geospatial analyses revealed that 3.3% of rural and semi-rural residents were in the high-risk group compared with 2.91% of urban and inner-city residents (p<0.001). Segmentation uncovered six distinct clusters comprising the high-risk population, with key differentiation based on age and the presence of cancer, respiratory, and mental health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: PHM methods are useful in characterising the needs of individuals requiring shielding. Segmentation of the high-risk population identified groups with distinct characteristics that may benefit from a more tailored response from health and care providers and policy-makers.

[Information and communication technologies in the development of stochastic models applied to the health sector]. / Tecnologías de la información y comunicación en el desarrollo de modelos estocásticos aplicados al sector de la salud.

A stochastic simulation model allows to study and represents in a simplified manner the behavior of complex variables in terms of probability. In this context, the objective of this work is to present, through the use of information and communication technology tools, the applicability of simulation models and methods, in studies of indicators within the health sector. Through the development of a case study, this work demonstrates the potential of the @Risk and Excel technological tools in the construction of stochastic models that allow health professionals to predict, monitor and support decision making in the treatment and monitoring of indicators and indices of a population.

Un modelo estocástico de simulación permite estudiar y represen tar de manera simplificada el comportamiento de variables complejas en términos de probabilidad. En este contexto, el objetivo de este trabajo es presentar, a través del uso de herramientas de tecnologías de la información y comunicación, la aplicabilidad de modelos y métodos de simulación, en estudios de indicadores dentro del sector de la salud. A través del desarrollo de un caso de estudio, este trabajo demuestra el potencial de las herramientas tecnológicas @Risk y Excel en la construcción de modelos estocásticos que permiten a los profesionales de la salud predecir, monitorizar y dar soporte en la toma de decisiones en el tratamiento y seguimiento de indicadores e índices de una población.

Readmission Risk Assessment Technologies and the Anchoring and Adjustment Heuristic.

Approximately 23% of patients discharged from primary healthcare facilities are readmitted within 30 days at an annual cost of roughly $42 billion. To remedy this problem, healthcare providers are attempting to deploy readmission risk estimation tools, but how they might be used in the traditional, human-expert-centered decision process is not well understood. One such tool estimates readmission risk based on 50 patient-specific factors. This paper reports on a study performed in collaboration with Order of St. Francis Healthcare to determine how healthcare workers' own risk estimates are influenced by the tool, specifically testing the hypothesis that they will first anchor towards tool results while making adjustments based on their expertise, and then make further adjustments when additional human expert opinions are presented. Task analysis was performed, fictional patient scenarios were developed, and a survey of 56 subjects in two stratified groups of case managers was conducted. Data from the control and experiment groups were analyzed using ANOVA/GLM and t-tests. Results indicate that the healthcare workers' risk estimates were influenced by the anchor provided by the tool, then adjusted based on their expertise. The workers further adjusted their estimates in response to new expert human inputs. Thus, a reliance on both the predictive model and human expertise was observed.

Tecnologías de la información y comunicación en el desarrollo de modelos estocásticos aplicados al sector de la salud / Information and communication technologies in the development of stochastic models applied to the health sector

Un modelo estocástico de simulación permite estudiar y represen tar de manera simplificada el comportamiento de variables complejas en términos de probabilidad. En este contexto, el objetivo de este trabajo es presentar, a través del uso de herramientas de tecnologías de la información y comunicación, la aplicabilidad de modelos y métodos de simulación, en estudios de indicadores dentro del sector de la salud. A través del desarrollo de un caso de estudio, este trabajo demuestra el potencial de las herramientas tecnológicas @Risk y Excel en la construcción de modelos estocásticos que permiten a los profesionales de la salud predecir, monitorizar y dar soporte en la toma de decisiones en el tratamiento y seguimiento de indicadores e índices de una población.

A stochastic simulation model allows to study and represents in a simplified manner the behavior of complex variables in terms of probability. In this context, the objective of this work is to present, through the use of information and communication technology tools, the applicability of simulation models and methods, in studies of indicators within the health sector. Through the development of a case study, this work demonstrates the potential of the @Risk and Excel technological tools in the construction of stochastic models that allow health professionals to predict, monitor and support decision making in the treatment and monitoring of indicators and indices of a population.

Caracterização dos casos confirmados de dengue por meio da técnica de linkage de bancos de dados, para avaliar a circulação viral em Belo Horizonte, 2009-2014 / Características de los casos confirmados de dengue utilizando la técnica de enlace de bases de datos, para evaluar la circulación viral en la ciudad de Belo Horizonte, Brasil, 2009-2014 / Characterization of dengue cases confirmed using the database linkage technique: assessment of virus circulation in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 2009-2014

Objetivo: descrever a circulação viral de dengue em Belo Horizonte, Brasil, de 2009 a 2014. Métodos: trata-se de estudo de série de casos de dengue infectados por diferentes sorotipos do vírus, identificados por isolamento viral ou RT-PCR; foi realizado linkage das bases de dados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan), do Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIH/SUS) e do Gerenciador de Ambiente Laboratorial (GAL). Resultados: foram relacionados 91,1% dos registros (n=775); entre os casos (n=851), 60,4% (n=514) foram confirmados como DENV-1, 22,1% (n=188) como DENV-4, 9,8% (n=83) como DENV-2 e 7,7% (n=66) como DENV-3; DENV-2 apresentou maior percentual de casos graves (4,5%). Conclusão: DENV-1 prevaleceu e circulou em todos os anos avaliados.

Objetivo: describir la circulación viral del dengue en Belo Horizonte, Brasil, de 2009 a 2014. Métodos: se trata de estudio de una serie de casos de dengue infectados por diferentes serotipos del virus, identificados por aislamiento viral o RT-PCR; se realizó una conexión con las bases de datos del Sistema de Información para Enfermedades de Notificación (Sinan), el Sistema del Información Hospitalaria del Sistema Único de Salud (SIH/SUS) y el Gestor de Ambiente de Laboratorio (GAL). Resultados: fueron relacionados 91,1% de los registros (n=775); entre los casos (n=851), el 60,4% (n=514) fue confirmado como DENV-1, 22,1% (n=188) como DENV-4, 9,8% (n=83) como DENV-2 y 7,7% (n=66) como DENV-3; DENV-2 tuvo un mayor porcentaje de casos graves (4,5%). Conclusión: DENV-1 prevaleció y circuló en todos los años evaluados.

Objective: to describe dengue virus circulation in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, from 2009 to 2014. Methods: this is a series study of cases of dengue infected by different virus serotypes, identified by virus isolation or RT-PCR; database linkage was performed between the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System (SINAN), the Brazilian National Health System Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS) and the Laboratory Environment Manager (GAL). Results: 91.1% of the records were linked (n=775); among the cases (n=851), 60.4% (n=514) were confirmed as DENV-1, 22.1% (n=188) DENV-4, 9.8% (n=83) as DENV-2, and 7.7% (n=66) as DENV-3; DENV-2 accounted for a higher percentage of severe cases (4.5%). Conclusion: DENV-1 prevailed and circulated in all evaluated years.

Perfil sociodemográfico e assistencial da morte materna em Recife, 2006-2017: estudo descritivo / Perfil sociodemográfico y asistencial de la muerte materna en Recife, PE, Brasil, 2006-2017: estudio descriptivo / Sociodemographic and health care profile of maternal death in Recife, PE, Brazil, 2006-2017: a descriptive study*

Objetivo: descrever características sociodemográficas e assistenciais de mulheres que morreram por causa materna em Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Métodos: estudo descritivo utilizando o Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade, fichas de investigação e fichas-síntese de óbitos maternos, precoces e tardios, ocorridos entre 2006 e 2017, com evitabilidade avaliada pelo Comitê Municipal de Mortalidade Materna. Resultados: identificaram-se 171 óbitos, 133 no puerpério; a maior parte dos óbitos ocorreu em negras (68,4%), sem companheiro (60,2%), acompanhadas com atendimento pré-natal (77,2%), de parto em maternidades/hospitais (97,1%), assistidas por obstetras (82,6%); das mulheres com complicações puerperais, 10,4% não tiveram assistência; óbitos evitáveis/provavelmente evitáveis corresponderam a 81,9%, por causas indiretas (n=80) e diretas (n=79). Conclusão: as mortes ocorreram principalmente no puerpério e em negras; falhas assistenciais foram frequentes; é necessária melhor vigilância e acompanhamento dos serviços de saúde no período gravídico-puerperal, em Recife.

Objetivo: describir características sociodemográficas y asistenciales de mujeres que murieron por causa materna en Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Métodos: estudio descriptivo utilizando el Sistema de Informaciones sobre Mortalidad, fichas de investigación y síntesis de muertes maternas, tempranas y tardías, entre 2006 y 2017, con evaluación de la evitabilidad por el Comité Municipal de la Mortalidad Materna. Resultados: se identificaron 171 óbitos maternos, 133 en el puerperio; la mayoría de las muertes ocurrió en negras (68,4%), sin compañero (60,2%), acompañadas con atención prenatal (77,2%), de parto en maternidades/hospitales (97,1%), asistidas por obstetras (82,6%); de las mujeres con complicaciones puerperales, el 10,4% no tuvo asistencia; muertes evitables/probablemente evitables correspondieron al 81,9%, por causas indirectas (n=80) y directas (n=79). Conclusión: las muertes ocurrieron principalmente en el período del puerperio y en mujeres negras, con frecuentes fallas en la atención; se requiere una mayor vigilancia y acompañamiento de los servicios de salud en el período de embarazo-puerperio, en Recife.

Objective: to describe the sociodemographic and health care characteristics of women dying due to maternal causes in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Methods: this was a descriptive study using the Mortality Information System, case investigation sheets and summary sheets of early and late maternal deaths occurring between 2006 and 2017, with avoidability assessed by the Municipal Maternal Mortality Committee. Results: we identified 171 deaths, of which 133 were in the puerperium; most deaths occurred among Black women (68.4%), women without partners (60.2%), women who had prenatal care (77.2%), during maternity hospital/general hospital delivery (97.1%), women attended to by obstetricians (82.6%);10.4% of women with puerperal complications had no health care; avoidable/probably avoidable deaths corresponded to 81.9%, for indirect causes (n=80), and direct causes (n=79). Conclusion: deaths occurred mainly in the postpartum period, among Black women; care failures were frequent; improved health service surveillance and follow-up is needed in the pregnancy-puerperal period, in Recife.

Trends in transcatheter and operative closure of patent ductus arteriosus in neonatal intensive care units: Analysis of data from the Pediatric Health Information Systems Database.

BACKGROUND: The risks and benefits of pharmacologic treatment and operative closure of patent ductus arteriosus (O-PDA) in premature infants remain controversial. Recent series have demonstrated the feasibility of transcatheter PDA closure (TC-PDA) in increasingly small infants. The effect of this change on practice has not been evaluated. METHODS: A multicenter observational study of infants treated in neonatal intensive care units in hospitals contributing data to the Pediatric Health Information Systems Database from January 2007 to December 2017 was performed to study trends in the propensities for (1) mechanical closure of PDA and (2) TC-PDA versus O-PDA, as well as interhospital variation in practice. RESULTS: A total of 6,214 subjects at 44 hospitals were studied (5% TC-PDA). Subject median gestational age was 25 weeks (interquartile range: 24-27 weeks). Median age at closure was 24 days (interquartile range: 14-36 days). The proportion of all neonatal intensive care unit patients undergoing either O-PDA or TC-PDA decreased (3.1% in 2007 and 0.7% in 2017, P < .001), whereas the proportion in which TC-PDA was used increased significantly (0.1% in 2007 to 29.0% in 2017). Case-mix-adjusted multivariable models similarly demonstrated increasing propensity to pursue TC-PDA (odds ratio [OR] 1.66 per year, P < .001) with acceleration of the trend after 2014 (OR 2.46 per year, P < .001) as well as significant practice variation (P < .001, median OR 4.6) across the study period. CONCLUSIONS: In the face of decreasing closure of PDA, the use of TC-PDA increased dramatically with significant practice variability. This demonstrates that there is equipoise for potential clinical trials.

Bringing service design to the development of health information systems: The case of the Portuguese national electronic health record.

BACKGROUND: Health Information Systems (HIS), and especially Electronic Health Records (EHR), offer great promise. However, the true benefits of HIS and EHR are more elusive as research shows they have obtained mixed results across countries. To increase the success of these systems while creating value for healthcare professionals, research emphasizes the importance of involving clinical users in the design of HIS. OBJECTIVE: Following calls for interdisciplinary research and increased end-user participation in HIS development, this paper shows how a service design approach can support the successful development and implementation of national EHRs. Service design brings a human-centered, participatory, holistic, creative and visual approach to HIS development, through an iterative process of exploration, ideation, reflection and implementation, fostering stakeholder participation and co-creation of the solution. METHOD: This paper presents an in-depth case study of the Portuguese National EHR development and implementation following a service design approach. The study involved individual and group interviews, as well as participatory design workshops with more than 170 participants along the different stages of exploration, ideation, reflection and implementation. RESULTS: The service design approach, including the visual models and tools used across the different design stages, was instrumental to envision new EHR concepts and design the system to enhance healthcare users experience. A qualitative study performed after implementation showed that the EHR was considered useful and easy to use, and these results are backed by widespread usage of the system. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This paper shows how a service design approach can address key challenges in EHR development. By adopting a holistic perspective, service design broadens the scope of EHR development to understand its broader service system and position it to enable value creation with users. The human-centered, participatory, creative, visual and holistic approach supports the understanding of user needs and context, and their active involvement in the design and co-creation effort. This service design approach fosters user adoption at the implementation stage. Service design can thus contribute to the successful development and implementation of EHRs.

Ancillary referral patterns in infants after initial assessment in a cardiac developmental outcomes clinic.

OBJECTIVE: Neurodevelopmental impairment is common after surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) in infancy. While neurodevelopmental follow-up of high-risk patients has increased, the referral patterns for ancillary services following initial evaluation have not been reported. The aim of this study is to describe the rates and patterns of referral at the initial visit to our outcomes clinic of patients who underwent surgery for CHD during infancy. OUTCOMES MEASURES: The Cardiac Developmental Outcomes Program clinic at Texas Children's Hospital provides routine longitudinal follow-up with developmental pediatricians and child psychologists for children who required surgery for CHD within the first 3 months of life. Demographic, diagnostic, and clinical data, including prior receipt of intervention and referral patterns at initial presentation, were abstracted from our database. RESULTS: Between April 2013 and May 2017, 244 infants under 12 months of age presented for initial evaluation at a mean age of 7 ± 1.3 months. At presentation, 31% (76/244) were referred for either therapeutic intervention (early intervention or private therapies), ancillary medical services, or both. Referral rates for low-risk (STAT 1-3) and high-risk (STAT 4-5) infants were similar (28 vs. 33%, P = .48). Referrals were more common in: Hispanic white infants (P = .012), infants with non-cardiac congenital anomalies (P = .001), history of gastrostomy tube placement (P < .001), and infants with prior therapy (P = .043). Infants of non-English speaking parents were three times more likely to be referred (95% CI = 1.5, 6.4; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: At the time of presentation, nearly 1 in 3 infants required referral. Referral patterns did not vary by traditional risk stratification. Sociodemographic factors and co-morbid medical conditions increased the likelihood of referral. This supports the need for routine follow-up for all post-surgical infants regardless of level of surgical complexity. Further research into the completion of referrals and long-term referral patterns is needed.

The recording of fatal work-related injuries in information systems in Brazil. / Registro de dados sobre acidentes de trabalho fatais em sistemas de informação no Brasil.

This study aims to identify information systems having fatal work-related (ATF) data in Brazil, describing their characteristics, flows and barriers to information quality. Using a documental research approach, we found: the Mortality Information System (SIM), the Hospital Admission Register from the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS), the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) and the Violence and Injuries Surveillance Program (VIVA) from the Health Ministry; the Work-related Injuries Reporting System (SISCAT) of the Ministry of Social Insurance; and the Annual Report of Social Information (RAIS), Ministry of Labour and Employment. A lack of key common variables limits the construction of a single database composed by all ATF recorded cases. From several barriers identified, the most relevant for data quality was the lack of work-relatedness recognition and recording, a task performed by the health team.

O objetivo deste estudo é identificar sistemas de informação que dispõem de dados sobre acidentes de trabalho fatais (ATF) no Brasil, descrever suas características, fluxos e barreiras para a qualidade da informação. Empregando-se o método da pesquisa documental, foram encontrados: o Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM), o Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do SUS (SIH/SUS), o Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan) e o Sistema do Programa Vigilância de Violência e Acidentes (VIVA) do Ministério da Saúde; o Sistema de Informação de Comunicação de Acidentes do Trabalho (Siscat) da Previdência Social; e do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego, a Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (RAIS). A falta de variáveis chave comuns limita a construção de uma base de dados única com todos os casos de ATF registrados. Dentre os vários filtros e barreiras identificados destaca-se o não reconhecimento da relação do acidente com o trabalho pelos profissionais registrantes.

Registro de dados sobre acidentes de trabalho fatais em sistemas de informação no Brasil / The recording of fatal work-related injuries in information systems in Brazil

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo é identificar sistemas de informação que dispõem de dados sobre acidentes de trabalho fatais (ATF) no Brasil, descrever suas características, fluxos e barreiras para a qualidade da informação. Empregando-se o método da pesquisa documental, foram encontrados: o Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM), o Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do SUS (SIH/SUS), o Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan) e o Sistema do Programa Vigilância de Violência e Acidentes (VIVA) do Ministério da Saúde; o Sistema de Informação de Comunicação de Acidentes do Trabalho (Siscat) da Previdência Social; e do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego, a Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (RAIS). A falta de variáveis chave comuns limita a construção de uma base de dados única com todos os casos de ATF registrados. Dentre os vários filtros e barreiras identificados destaca-se o não reconhecimento da relação do acidente com o trabalho pelos profissionais registrantes.

Abstract This study aims to identify information systems having fatal work-related (ATF) data in Brazil, describing their characteristics, flows and barriers to information quality. Using a documental research approach, we found: the Mortality Information System (SIM), the Hospital Admission Register from the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS), the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) and the Violence and Injuries Surveillance Program (VIVA) from the Health Ministry; the Work-related Injuries Reporting System (SISCAT) of the Ministry of Social Insurance; and the Annual Report of Social Information (RAIS), Ministry of Labour and Employment. A lack of key common variables limits the construction of a single database composed by all ATF recorded cases. From several barriers identified, the most relevant for data quality was the lack of work-relatedness recognition and recording, a task performed by the health team.

Rastreamento do câncer do colo do útero: uma análise da continuidade do cuidado com base em sistemas de informações do SUS / Cervical cancer screening: a follow-up analysis based on health systems information

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a oferta de procedimentos da linha de cuidado do câncer do colo do útero no Brasil e o percurso assistencial de mulheres que apresentaram alterações no rastreamento do câncer do colo do útero no estado de São Paulo, com ênfase nos tempos até a investigação diagnóstica e o primeiro tratamento. O estudo foi realizado em duas etapas: na primeira avaliou-se dados agregados disponíveis publicamente nos sistemas de informações do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e, com base nas diretrizes nacionais vigentes, estimou-se a necessidade de procedimentos para rastrear e seguir mulheres na faixa etária alvo do rastreamento. Calculou-se o déficit ou excesso de procedimentos realizados no SUS em 2015 nas grandes regiões do país. Na segunda etapa realizou-se um estudo de seguimento, com dados secundários registrados nos sistemas de informações do SUS do estado de São Paulo, no período de 2010 a 2013. A coorte foi composta por mulheres a partir de 25 anos, residentes em São Paulo, que tiveram lesão de alto grau ou mais grave em exame de rastreamento registrado no Sistema de Informações do Câncer do Colo do Útero (SISCOLO) em 2010. O seguimento foi verificado pelo relacionamento probabilístico entre bases de dados dos sistemas que registram procedimentos de investigação diagnóstica (SISCOLO e Sistema de Informações Ambulatoriais do SUS ­ SIA), tratamento de lesões precursoras ou câncer (SIA e Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do SUS ­ SIH) e óbitos (Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade). Os tempos medianos entre o rastreamento e a investigação diagnóstica e entre o diagnóstico e o tratamento de lesões precursoras ou câncer do colo do útero foram calculados pelo método Kaplan-Meier. O modelo de riscos proporcionais de Cox foi utilizado para analisar fatores associados aos menores intervalos de tempo. Pela indisponibilidade de informações sociodemográficas individuais consideradas relevantes, foram incluídas na análise variáveis contextuais, referentes aos municípios de residência das mulheres. Considerando que a organização da rede de atenção à saúde tem papel importante no acesso das mulheres ao sistema de saúde, foi incluído nos modelos o efeito aleatório do Departamento Regional de Saúde de residência das mulheres. Os resultados apontaram déficit de procedimentos da linha de cuidado do câncer do colo do útero em todas as regiões do país, especialmente na confirmação diagnóstica, que foi próximo a 50%. Em São Paulo, o tempo mediano entre o rastreamento e a investigação diagnóstica foi de 200 dias (IC95% 180-230), acima dos padrões recomendados internacionalmente por programas de rastreamento organizado. Já o tempo até o tratamento (66 dias, IC95% 59-73) foi próximo ao recomendado pelo Ministério da Saúde. A perda de seguimento foi expressiva, com variações regionais importantes. Concluiu-se que o país apresenta déficit importante na oferta de procedimentos da linha de cuidado do câncer do colo do útero e que o acesso à investigação diagnóstica é um dos principais entraves da linha de cuidado. A qualificação da assistência para garantir a continuidade do cuidado às mulheres que apresentam alterações no rastreamento é fundamental para assegurar mudanças esperadas no cenário epidemiológico atual

The aim of this study was to assess the procedures production of cervical cancer care procedures in Brazil and analyze health care history of women who presented cervical cancer screening abnormalities in São Paulo state, emphasizing the times intervals until the diagnostic investigation and the first treatment. The study was conducted in two stages: the first one evaluated the aggregated data publicly available in the information systems of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), estimating the need for procedures to screen and follow women on target age, based on the current national guidelines, and from then on, calculated the deficit or excess of procedures performed in the year 2015. In the second stage a follow-up study was carried out, based on secondary data recorded in the information systems of the SUS from the state of São Paulo, in the period from 2010 to 2013. The cohort was composed of women aged 25 years and older, living in São Paulo, and who had a high-grade intraepithelial lesion or more severe result in a screening exam recorded in the Information System of Cervical Cancer (SISCOLO) in 2010. The follow-up was carried out by probabilistic record linkage between databases of the systems that register diagnosis procedures (SISCOLO and SUS Outpatient Information System - SIA), treatment procedures (SIS and Hospital Information System of SUS - SIH) and deaths (Mortality Information System). The median times between screening and diagnostic investigation and between diagnosis and treatment were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the factors associated with shortest time intervals. Due to the unavailability of individual sociodemographic information considered relevant, contextual variables were included in the analysis, referring to the municipalities of women's residence. In addition, considering that the organization of the health care system plays an important role in the women's acess to the health system, the random effect of women's residence region was included in the model. The results indicated a shortage of procedures for the cervical cancer screening and treatment in all brazilian regions, especially diagnostis procedures, which had a defficit close to 50%. In São Paulo, the median time between the screening and the diagnostic investigation was 200 days (IC95% 180-230), above the internationally recommended standards, by organized scrrening programs. The median time to treatment (66 days, IC95% 59-73) was below that recommended by Brazilian Ministry of Health. The loss of follow-up was significant, with important regional variations. It was concluded that the country has a significant deficit in the provision of procedures for the cervical cancer care and that access to diagnostic investigation is one of the main obstacles of the cervical cancer care in Brazil. The qualification of care to ensure continuity of care for women with screening abnormalities is critical to ensure expected changes in the current epidemiological scenario

Avaliação da implantação do Sistema de Controle, Acompanhamento e Avaliação de Resultados (Sistema e-Car) na Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil, no período de 2012 - 2015 / Evaluación de la implantación del Sistema de Control, Monitoreo y Evaluación de Resultados (Sistema e-Car) en la Secretaría de Vigilancia en Salud del Ministerio de Salud de Brasil, en el período de 2012 - 2015 / Evaluation of the Results Control, Monitoring and Evaluation System (e-Car system) Implementation at the Health Surveillance Secretariat, Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2012-2015

Objetivo: avaliar a implantação do Sistema de Controle, Acompanhamento e Avaliação de Resultados (e-Car) na Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde (SVS) do Ministério da Saúde, no período de 2012 a 2015. Métodos: estudo de avaliação utilizando métodos mistos para a coleta de dados primários e secundários, seguido da definição do grau de implantação do sistema e da análise da influência do contexto político-organizacional. Resultados: o sistema e-Car foi considerado implantado na SVS, alcançando o percentual de 75,4%; as piores performances da dimensão de estrutura foram relacionadas ao serviço de manutenção dos computadores e do sistema operacional, bem como ao baixo conhecimento sobre o manual do sistema; na dimensão de processo, a existência de instâncias colegiadas foi considerada benéfica para o monitoramento. Conclusão: o sistema e-Car foi implantado na SVS; entretanto, sua sustentabilidade mostrou-se frágil, sendo recomendados a institucionalização e o fortalecimento das práticas de monitoramento e avaliação pela SVS.

Objetivo: evaluar la implantación del Sistema de Control, Monitoreo y Evaluación de Resultados (e-Car) en la Secretaría de Vigilancia en Salud (SVS) del Ministerio de Salud de Brasil, en el período de 2012 a 2015. Métodos: estudio de evaluación de métodos mixtos para la recolección de datos primarios y secundarios, seguido de la definición del grado de implantación del sistema y análisis de la influencia del contexto político-organizacional. Resultados: el sistema e-Car fue considerado implantado en la SVS, alcanzando un 75,4%; las peores actuaciones de la dimensión de estructura fueron el servicio de mantenimiento de las computadoras y del sistema operacional, así como el bajo conocimiento del manual del sistema; en la dimensión de proceso, la existencia de instancias colegiadas fue considerada benéfica para el monitoreo. Conclusión: el sistema e-Car fue implantado en la SVS; todavía, su sostenibilidad se mostró frágil, recomendándose la institucionalización y el fortalecimiento de las prácticas de monitoreo y evaluación por la SVS.

Objective: to evaluate the implementation of the Results Control, Monitoring and Evaluation System (e-Car) at the Health Surveillance Secretariat (SVS), Brazilian Ministry of Health, in the period 2012-2015. Methods: this was an evaluation study using mixed methods for collection of primary and secondary data, followed by definition of the system's degree of implementation and analysis of the influence of the political-organizational context. Results: the e-Car System was considered to have been implemented (75.4%) at SVS; the worst scores for its structure dimension related to the computer and operating system maintenance service, as well as little knowledge of the system manual; as for the system's process dimension, the existence of collegiate bodies was considered beneficial for monitoring. Conclusion: the e-Car System had been implemented at SVS; however, its sustainability was fragile, and SVS was recommended to institutionalize and strengthen its monitoring and evaluation practices.

Healthcare burden of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection in Japan: A retrospective database study.

This retrospective database study aimed to assess the healthcare burden of hospitalization cost and duration associated with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) by comparison with C. difficile infection (CDI) in Japan, using a health claims database of 270 acute care hospitals. Overall, 5423 hospitalized patients, with a record of one hospital-onset, healthcare facility-associated primary CDI episode within the 180-day period, from its onset between January 2012 and September 2016, were included. Of these, 353 had at least one rCDI and 5070 had no rCDI. Compared with those with no rCDI, the median total cost of hospitalization for patients with rCDI was JPY 1,184,371 (USD 11,691) higher (JPY 2,489,424 [interquartile range {IQR}: 1,597,424-4,008,751] compared with JPY 1,305,053 [624,033-2,549,569]). In addition, rCDI resulted in twice longer hospitalization duration in median compared with CDI (79 days [IQR: 53-117] compared with 40 days [20-74]). Based on a generalized linear regression model with a Gamma distribution and a logarithmic link function, the estimated mean of cost and duration of hospitalization for patients with rCDI were JPY 1,284,519 (95% confidence limit: -95,532-2,664,569) (USD 12,679) higher and 20.3 days (-9.5‒50.0) longer, compared with patients with no rCDI. The estimated mean difference in cost was higher in older patients and patients with diseases resulting in an immunosuppressive state. Higher costs and longer hospitalization for rCDI impose a great burden on healthcare system as well as patients, highlighting the importance of preventing recurrence of CDI.

Using Health IT to Coordinate Care and Improve Quality in Safety-Net Clinics.

BACKGROUND: Health centers provide care to vulnerable and high-need populations. Recent investments have promoted use of health information technology (HIT) capabilities for improving care coordination and quality of care in health centers. This study examined factors associated with use of these HIT capabilities and the association between these capabilities and quality of care in a census of health centers in the United States. METHODS: Cross-sectional secondary data from the 2015 Health Resources and Services Administration's Uniform Data System was used to examine 6 measures of HIT capability related to care coordination and clinical decision support and 16 measures of quality (12 process measures, 3 outcome measures, 1 composite measure) for health centers in the United States. Adjusted logistic regressions were used to examine health center characteristics associated with use of HIT capabilities, and adjusted linear regressions were used to examine associations between HIT capabilities and quality of care. RESULTS: Many health centers reported using HIT for care coordination activities, including coordinating enabling services (67.3%) or engaging patients (81.0%). Health center size and medical home recognition were associated with significantly greater odds of using HIT for enabling services and engaging patients. These HIT capabilities were associated with higher overall quality and higher rates of six process measures (adult screening and maternal and child health) and hemoglobin A1c control. CONCLUSION: Use of HIT for such activities as arranging enabling services and engaging patients are underleveraged tools for care coordination. There may be opportunities to further improve quality of care for vulnerable patients by promoting health centers' use of these HIT capabilities.