Which unscheduled return visits indicate a quality-of-care issue?

BACKGROUND: The rate of unscheduled return visits is often used as a quality-of-care indicator in EDs, although its validity is not yet fully established. Our aim was to identify the characteristics of return visits that may be attributed to problems in quality of care. METHODS: Retrospective paired review of medical charts in a random sample of return visits during the 72 hours following discharge from the ED in three hospitals of Andalusia, Spain in 2013. Charts were reviewed by senior medical physicians to determine which return visits reflected quality-of-care problems. Time frame for return visit, index and return visit acuity, disposition and diagnosis were compared with determine which variables were associated with a quality problem. Sensitivity and specificity for each variable to indicate a quality problem were determined. RESULTS: We studied the causes of 895 return visits, finding that 65 (7.3%) were due to inadequate quality of care in the index visit. Potentially avoidable return visits were more common in more severely ill patients, in those with greater severity in the return than in the index visit and in patients hospitalised after the return. The combination of this three variables presented sensitivity 66% and specificity 68% in identification of quality-related returns. CONCLUSIONS: The overall level of return visits cannot be considered a valid indicator of quality of care. However, certain specific variables, including the level of severity of the patient's condition or the discharge destination following the return visits, could be considered valid in this respect.

[Hospital emergencies due to alcohol consumption in times of COVID-19 on the Costa del Sol (Spain)]. / Urgencias hospitalarias por consumo de alcohol en tiempos de la COVID-19 en la Costa del Sol.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol consumption is a Public Health problem that impacts the health, social and economic spheres. The objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics of alcohol-related emergencies (ARI) in an area of high recreational tourism, and the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on this activity. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study of the period of ARI emergency activity in the Costa del Sol Hospital Area during the years 2019-2021 was carried out. A stratified descriptive analysis was performed according to the COVID-19 pandemic period, including the calculation of the incidence of ARI emergencies attended daily. Descriptive analysis was performed evaluating differences between the three periods using the Chi-Square test for qualitative variables, and the Kruskal-Wallis test for quantitative variables. RESULTS: During the study period, 479,204 hospital emergencies were recorded, of which 0.51% were identified as ARI emergencies, with an average of 2.2 per day. This figure ranged from 2.7 emergencies per day during Normality, 1 during Confinement and 2.1 during new normality. The rate of ARI emergencies for the period evaluated was 16.5 per 10,000 inhabitants/year. CONCLUSIONS: The patients treated for alcohol consumption in our series have a typical profile in terms of age (adult) and sex (male), although with a high relative weight of foreign patients. Restrictions due to confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic have a positive impact on the emergency care of ARI patients, although correlated with a generalised decrease in non-COVID-19 related care activity.

OBJECTIVE: El consumo de alcohol es un problema de Salud Pública que impacta en la esfera de la salud, tanto como a nivel social y económico. Fueron objetivos del presente estudio describir las características de las Urgencias hospitalarias relacionadas con consumo de alcohol (RCA) en una zona de alto turismo lúdico, y las implicaciones de la pandemia de la COVID-19 en dicha actividad. METHODS: Se realizó un estudio transversal descriptivo de periodo de la actividad de Urgencias RCA en el Área Hospitalaria Costa del Sol durante los años 2019 a 2021. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo estratificado según el periodo de la pandemia de la COVID-19, incluyendo el cálculo de la incidencia de Urgencias RCA atendidas diariamente. Se realizó análisis descriptivo evaluando diferencias entre los tres periodos mediante el test de Ji-Cuadrado para variables cualitativas, y el test de Kruskal-Wallis para las cuantitativas. RESULTS: En el periodo de estudio se registraron 479.204 Urgencias hospitalarias, de las cuales el 0,51% se identificaron como urgencia RCA, con un promedio de 2,2 diarias. Dicha cifra osciló entre 2,7 urgencias diarias en periodo de Normalidad, 1 durante el Confinamiento y 2,1 en periodo de nueva normalidad. La tasa de Urgencias RCA del periodo evaluado fue de 16,5 por cada 10.000 habitantes/año. CONCLUSIONS: Las personas atendidas por consumo de alcohol de nuestra serie tienen un perfil habitual en cuanto a edad (adulto) y sexo (varones), aunque con un peso relativamente elevado de pacientes extranjeros. Las restricciones por el confinamiento durante la pandemia por la COVID-19 tienen un impacto positivo en la atención urgente de pacientes RCA, aunque correlacionado con un descenso generalizado de la actividad asistencial no relacionada con la COVID-19.

[Breast Reconstruction Post-Mastectomy in the Public Health System of Andalusia, Spain]. / Reconstrucción mamaria post-mastectomía en el sistema sanitario público de Andalucía.

OBJECTIVE: Breast reconstruction (BR) after mastectomy is widely recommended but there are significant variations in its application. The objective was to know the rate of BR in the Andalusian Public Health System (APHS), timing (immediate or delayed), surgical procedure, frequency of postoperative complications and their characteristics. METHODS: We used the Minimum Basic Data Set of the APHS with personal data and identification of hospitals encrypted. We selected discharges for breast cancer and mastectomy in 2010-2013 and related readmissions of the same patients in 2010-2014. BR rates were calculated according to patient age and type of mastectomy. Timing of BR (immediate or delayed) and surgical techniques used were described. Postoperative complications were analyzed in the initial episode and in readmissions occurring within a minimum period of 2 years. BR failures were specifically studied. RESULTS: We analyzed the information of 6,026 women, of which 4,412 met the inclusion criteria (basically, two years follow-up). The BR rate was 29% (22% immediate and 7% delayed) and reached 58% in women younger than 46 years. BR was performed by 27 of the 36 hospitals that practice mastectomies. Global percentage of postoperative complications was 18.6% for immediate BR, 12.1% for delayed BR and 7.9% for patients without BR. Failure occurred in 12.7% of immediate BR and 7.2% of delayed BR. CONCLUSIONS: In the Andalusian Public Health System the Breast reconstruction rate, is at a similar level to that reported nationally and in other countries.

OBJETIVO: La reconstrucción mamaria (RM) post-mastectomía está ampliamente recomendada pero hay importantes variaciones en su aplicación. El objetivo fue conocer la la frecuencia de complicaciones postoperatorias en el Sistema Sanitario Público de Andalucía (SSPA), el momento de su realización (inmediata o diferida), las técnicas aplicadas, la frecuencia de reingresos por complicaciones postoperatorias y sus características. METODOS: Se utilizó el Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos del SSPA con los datos identificativos de pacientes y hospitales encriptados. Se seleccionaron las altas por cáncer de mama y mastectomía de 2010-2013 y los reingresos relacionados de las mismas mujeres de 2010-2014. Se calcularon las tasas de RM según edad y tipo de mastectomía. Se describió el momento de su realización (inmediata o diferida) y las técnicas quirúrgicas empleadas. Las complicaciones postoperatorias se analizaron en el episodio inicial y en los reingresos ocurridos en un plazo mínimo de 2 años. Se hizo un análisis específico de los fallos de RM. RESULTADOS: Se analizó la información de 6.026 mujeres, de las que 4.412 cumplían los criterios de inclusión y tenían un seguimiento superior a 2 años. La tasa de realización de RM se situó en el 29% (22% inmediata y 7% diferida), alcanzando el 58% entre las mujeres menores de 46 años. Realizaron RM 27 de los 36 hospitales que practicaron mastectomías. El porcentaje global de complicaciones postoperatorias fue del 18,6% tras RM inmediata; 12,1% tras la diferida y 7,9% en mujeres sin RM. Se produjo fracaso de la RM en un 12,7% de las inmediatas y en 7,2% de las RM diferidas. CONCLUSIONES: La tasa de reconstrucción mamaria, la de reingresos y complicaciones en el SSPA se sitúa en un nivel similar al comunicado a nivel nacional y en otros países.

[Causes of 72-hour return visits to hospital emergency departments]. / Causas de los retornos durante las 72 horas siguientes al alta de urgencias.

OBJECTIVES: The return-visit rate has been suggested as a measure of emergency department quality of care. We aimed to identify the reasons for emergency revisits and the percentage of returns related to problems with quality of care in the previous visit. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study of clinical records for a random sample of unscheduled returns within 72 hours of discharge from the emergency departments of 3 hospitals attending a population of nearly 3 million in the Spanish province of Malaga. The records were reviewed by 2 data collectors, who assigned a reason for revisits according to a standardized classification. RESULTS: A sample of 1075 emergency revisits were reviewed; 895 met the inclusion criteria. The most common reasons for revisits were the persistence or progression of disease (48.8%), an unrelated new problem (9.3%), and referral from a hospital that did not have the required specialized service (8.6%). Reasons attributable to the patient accounted for 14.5% of the revisits; 15.2% were attributable to health care staff errors, 9.2% to system organization, and 61.1% to the disease process. CONCLUSION: Most emergency department revisits are related to the progression of the disease that led to the first visit. Only a small percentage can be linked to diagnostic or treatment errors in the previous visit.

OBJETIVO: La tasa de retornos a urgencias (RU) se ha propuesto como indicador de calidad asistencial en servicios de urgencias hospitalarios (SUH). Nuestro objetivo fue conocer las causas de los RU y la proporción de RU relacionados con problemas de calidad asistencial en la urgencia previa. METODO: Estudio observacional transversal con auditoría de historias clínicas sobre una muestra aleatoria de RU durante las 72 horas siguientes al alta de un SUH de tres hospitales que prestan atención a casi un millón de habitantes de la provincia de Málaga. Revisión independiente por pares y asignación de la causa del RU según una clasificación estandarizada. RESULTADOS: Se analizó una muestra de 1.075 RU, de los que 895 cumplían los criterios de inclusión. Las causas de RU más frecuentes fueron la persistencia o progresión de la enfermedad (48,8%), la aparición de un nuevo problema no relacionado (9,3%) y la derivación a otro hospital por no disponer del especialista necesario (8,6%). Las causas se agruparon en 14,5% atribuibles al paciente, 15,2% a los profesionales sanitarios, 9,2% a la organización del sistema y 61,1% a la enfermedad. CONCLUSIONES: La mayor parte de los RU se debe a la evolución de la enfermedad que motivó la urgencia inicial y solo una pequeña proporción se relaciona con errores en el diagnóstico o tratamiento de la urgencia previa.

[Variability in hospital care. Nasosinus surgery in Spain]. / Variabilidad en la asistencia hospitalaria. El caso de la cirugía nasosinusal en España.

OBJECTIVES: To describe variations in the management of nasosinus disorders among the Autonomous Communities and hospitals of Spain. METHODS: We analyzed the Minimum Basic Data Set of the public health system from 1998-2000 for the diagnoses of nasosinus polyps and chronic sinusitis. We studied the distribution by regions of the rate of hospitalizations and of 4 indicators of quality of care and efficiency: mean length of stay, percentage of discharges without surgery, percentage of functional endoscopic sinus surgery and surgical complications. A cluster analysis was performed to classify hospitals according to the values of these indicators. RESULTS: We analyzed 13061 discharges from 263 hospitals. Marked differences were found in age-adjusted hospitalization rates by regions. Cluster analysis classified the centers with more than 10 annual discharges in 3 categories: a) 32 hospitals in which the 4 quality indicators were above average; b) 35 hospitals in which 3 of the indicators were below average, and c) 74 hospitals in which 2 indicators were above average and 2 indicators were below average. CONCLUSIONS: Marked interregional variations were found in hospitalization rates, as well as in the characteristics of management of nasosinus disorders in Spanish hospitals. The centers examined could be grouped into three clearly defined patterns according to indicators of quality of care and efficiency.