Trends in psychotropic drug consumption among French military personnel during the COVID-19 epidemic.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic may have had significant mental health consequences for military personnel, which is a population already exposed to psychological stress. To assess the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed the dispensing of three classes of psychotropic drugs (anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antidepressants) among French military personnel. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the individualized medico-administrative data of persons insured by the National Military Social Security Fund from the National Health Data System. All active French military personnel aged 18-64 who received outpatient care and to whom drugs were dispensed between January 1, 2019, and April 30, 2021, were included from the French national health database. Rate ratios of dispensed anxiolytics, hypnotics and antidepressants (based on drug reimbursement) were estimated from negative binomial regressions before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Three hundred eighty-one thousand seven hundred eleven individuals were included. Overall, 45,148 military personnel were reimbursed for anxiolytics, 10,637 for hypnotics, and 4328 for antidepressants. Drugs were dispensed at a higher rate in 2020 and 2021 than in 2019. There was a notable peak at the beginning of the first lockdown followed by a decrease limited to the duration of the first lockdown. During the first lockdown only, there were temporary phenomena including a brief increase in drug dispensing during the first week followed by a decrease during the rest of lockdown, possibly corresponding to a stocking-up effect. For the study period overall, while there was a significant downward trend in psychotropic drug dispensing before the occurrence of COVID-19 (p < 0.001), the pandemic period was associated with an increase in dispensed anxiolytics (rate ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02-1.04, p < 0.05), hypnotics (rate ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.11-1.16, p < 0.001) and antidepressants (rate ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.10-1.13, p < 0.001) in the military population. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has probably had a significant impact on the mental health of French military personnel, as suggested by the trends in dispensed psychotropic drugs. The implementation of mental health prevention measures should be investigated for this population.

Lessons learned from the investigation of a COVID-19 cluster in Creil, France: effectiveness of targeting symptomatic cases and conducting contact tracing around them.

BACKGROUND: This study presents the methods and results of the investigation into a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a professional community. Due to the limited testing capacity available in France at the time, we elaborated a testing strategy according to pre-test probability. METHODS: The investigation design combined active case finding and contact tracing around each confirmed case with testing of at-risk contact persons who had any evocative symptoms (n = 88). One month later, we performed serology testing to test and screen symptomatic and asymptomatic cases again (n = 79). RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were confirmed (14 with RT-PCR and 10 with serology). The attack rate was 29% (24/83). Median age was 40 (24 to 59), and the sex ratio was 15/12. Only three cases were asymptomatic (= no symptoms at all, 13%, 95% CI, 3-32). Nineteen symptomatic cases (79%, 95% CI, 63-95) presented a respiratory infection, two of which were severe. All the RT-PCR confirmed cases acquired protective antibodies. Median incubation was 4 days (from 1 to 13 days), and the median serial interval was 3 days (0 to 15). We identified pre-symptomatic transmission in 40% of this cluster, but no transmission from asymptomatic to symptomatic cases. CONCLUSION: We report the effective use of targeted testing according to pre-test probability, specifically prioritizing symptomatic COVID-19 diagnosis and contact tracing. The asymptomatic rate raises questions about the real role of asymptomatic infected people in transmission. Conversely, pre-symptomatic contamination occurred frequently in this cluster, highlighting the need to identify, test, and quarantine asymptomatic at-risk contact persons (= contact tracing). The local lockdown imposed helped reduce transmission during the investigation period.

[Internal and external assessment of nursing home residents' satisfaction]. / Évaluation interne et externe de la satisfaction des résidents en Ehpad.

Quality improvement procedures and measuring the satisfaction of nursing home residents is a major priority. A study assessed the differences between the results of a survey conducted by internal staff and of one carried out by an external service provider to evaluate the satisfaction of the residents of a nursing home.

Does the implementation of pay-for-performance indicators improve the quality of healthcare? First results in France.

Background: Pay-for-performance (P4P) models are intended to promote quality of care in both hospitals and primary care settings. They are considered as a means of changing medical practices, particularly in primary care. Objectives: The first objective of this study was to assess how performance indicators changed over time, measured through "Remuneration on Public Health Objectives" (ROSP) scores, between 2017 and 2020 in a large French region (Grand Est region), and to compare this evolution in the rural vs. urban areas of the region. The second objective was to focus on the area with the least improvement in ROSP scores and to investigate whether the scores and the available sociodemographic characteristics of the area were associated. Methods: First, we measured the evolution over time of P4P indicators (i.e., ROSP scores) obtained from the regional health insurance system, for GP practices in the Grand Est region between 2017 and 2020. We then compared the scores between the Aube Department and the rest of the region (urban areas). To address the second objective, we focused on the area found to have the least improvement in indicators to investigate whether there was a relationship between ROSP score and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: More than 40,000 scores were collected. We observed an overall improvement in scores over the study period. The urban area (Grand Est region minus the Aube) scored better than the rural area (Aube) for chronic disease management [median 0.91 (0.84-0.95) vs. 0.90(0.79-0.94), p < 0.001] and prevention [median 0.36 (0.22-0.45) vs. 0.33 (0.17-0.43), p < 0.001], but not for efficiency, where the rural area (Aube) performed better [median 0.67(0.56-0.74) vs. 0.69 (0.57-0.75 in the rest of the Grand Est region, p = 0.004]. In the rural area, we found no significant association between ROSP scores and sociodemographic characteristics, except for extreme rurality in some sub-areas. Conclusions: At the regional level, the overall improvement in scores observed between 2017 and 2020 suggests that the implementation of ROSP indicators have improved the quality of care, particularly in urban areas. These results also suggest that efforts should be focused on rural areas, which already had the lowest scores at the start of the P4P program.

COVID-19 Follow-App. Mobile App-Based Monitoring of COVID-19 Patients after Hospital Discharge: A Single-Center, Open-Label, Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: In the midst of a pandemic, apps can be used to provide close follow-up, ensure that patients are monitored at home, avoid excessive pressure on medical facilities, prevent the movement of people (both patients and health professionals), and reduce the risk of infection. OBJECTIVE: To adapt and validate the use of a smartphone application for outpatient follow-up of COVID-19 patients after hospital discharge. METHODS: We conducted an open-label clinical trial at Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona, Spain. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to be followed by the Farmalarm app or by their primary care center. The primary endpoint was the reduction in the need for in-person return visits. RESULTS: From 31 March to 4 May 2020, 150 patients were enrolled in the study at hospital discharge: 74 patients were randomized to the experimental group, and 76 to the control group. All patients in the control group and all except for six in the experimental group completed the study. During hospitalization, before study inclusion, all but 4 (97.3%) had viral pneumonia, 91 (60.7%) required supplemental oxygen, and 16 (10.7%) required intensive care unit (ICU) admission. COVID-19-related return visits to the emergency department were significantly higher in the control group (7.9% vs. 0%; p = 0.028) in the per-protocol analysis. Telephone consultations with the emergency department were performed by 12 (15.8%) patients in the control group and 0 (0%) in the experimental group (p < 0.001). Satisfaction with outpatient monitoring was rated higher by the experimental group (5 vs. 4 points; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Following COVID-19 hospital discharge, home follow-up via a mobile app was effective in reducing in-person return visits without undermining patient satisfaction or perception of health, compared with standard follow-up.

Impact of ICU transfers on the mortality rate of patients with COVID-19: insights from comprehensive national database in France.

BACKGROUND: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic confronted healthcare systems around the world with unprecedented organizational challenges, particularly regarding the availability of intensive care unit (ICU) beds. One strategy implemented in France to alleviate healthcare pressure during the first COVID-19 wave was inter-hospital transfers of selected ICU patients from overwhelmed areas towards less saturated ones. At the time, the impact of this transfer strategy on patient mortality was unknown. We aimed to compare in-hospital mortality rates among ICU patients with COVID-19 who were transferred to another healthcare facility and those who remained in the hospital where they were initially admitted to. METHOD: A prospective observational study was performed from 1 March to 21 June 2020. Data regarding hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were collected from the Ministry of Health-affiliated national SI-VIC registry. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: In total, 93,351 hospital admissions of COVID-19 patients were registered, of which 18,348 (19.6%) were ICU admissions. Transferred patients (n = 2228) had a lower mortality rate than their non-transferred counterparts (n = 15,303), and the risk decreased with increasing transfer distance (odds ratio (OR) 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6-0.9, p = 0.001 for transfers between 10 and 50 km, and OR 0.3, 95% CI: 0.2-0.4, p < 0.0001 for transfer distance > 200 km). Mortality decreased overall over the 3-month study period. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that the mortality rates were lower for patients with severe COVID-19 who were transferred between ICUs across regions, or internationally, during the first pandemic wave in France. However, the global mortality rate declined overall during the study. Transferring selected patients with COVID-19 from overwhelmed regions to areas with greater capacity may have improved patient access to ICU care, without compounding the short-term mortality risk of transferred patients.

Students and teachers' satisfaction and perspectives on high-fidelity simulation for learning fundamental nursing procedures: A mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: High-fidelity clinical simulation enables skills to be acquired safely and securely by bridging the gap between theory and clinical practice. This method has traditionally been used to address complex clinical scenarios. Students often report high levels of satisfaction and self-confidence, as this method allows them to put techniques and procedures into practice in a safe environment. Most studies assess simulation solely from the students' perspective, disregarding the opinions of teaching staff. OBJECTIVES: To assess the implementation of high-fidelity simulation as a teaching tool for fundamental nursing procedures from the perspectives of students and teachers. DESIGN: A two-phase mixed-methods study. SETTING: A simulation centre environment at the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain) during the 2018 academic year. PARTICIPANTS: Second-year nursing students and staff teaching practical classes on basic patient assessment and monitoring of vital signs. METHODS: Satisfaction with clinical experience simulation scale, including an open-ended question for students, was used. A focus group session was also held with teachers. RESULTS: A total of 91 students completed the scale, yielding an overall satisfaction score of 9.3 out of 10. The practical dimension attained the highest scores. Motivation to attend class was the lowest-rated aspect of this dimension, although students' expectations and satisfaction increased during the class. In the open-ended question and the debriefing session, students described the simulation as a playful learning method allowing them to put their theoretical knowledge into practice and helping them to manage their fears before coming into contact with real care settings. In the focus group session, teachers analysed their own experiences and described how they perceived students' satisfaction and practical skills. CONCLUSIONS: High-fidelity simulation produces good academic outcomes and is highly satisfying for students and teachers.

Multiple factor analysis of eating patterns to detect groups at risk of malnutrition among home-dwelling older subjects in 2015.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe eating patterns among home-dwelling older subjects to establish typologies of eaters at higher or lower risk of malnutrition. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study between June and September 2015 using a standardised questionnaire. The questionnaire was given to home-help employees (responsible for delivering meals to home-dwelling older persons and helping them to eat). The employees were asked to complete the questionnaire three times during the same week, for the same older adults, in order to identify the totality of their food intake. SETTING: Registered customers of the home meal delivery company 'Azaé' (France). PARTICIPANTS: 605 older home-dwelling persons were randomly selected among customers served by the home meal delivery company. OUTCOMES: Multiple factor analysis was used to understand the different modes of food consumption and to establish eating profiles. Hierarchical classification was performed to construct eating profiles corresponding to the dietary habits of the respondents. RESULTS: Average age of the older adults was 85.3 years; 73.5% were women. Overall, 59% of participants reported that they ate out of habit, while 33.7% said they ate for pleasure. We identified four different groups of eaters, at varying levels of risk for malnutrition. Individuals in group 4 had the highest food intake in terms of quantity; and were less dependent than individuals in group 1 (p=0.05); group 1 was at highest risk of malnutrition. CONCLUSION: Improved understanding of eating habits can help detect risky behaviours and help caregivers to promote better nutrition among home-dwelling older subjects.

Norovirus GII.17 Outbreak Linked to an Infected Post-Symptomatic Food Worker in a French Military Unit Located in France.

In February 2016, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred in a French military unit located in Poitiers, France. Attack rate was of 34% (103/300). A case-control study identified association between illness and cake consumption. Stool samples were tested positive for Norovirus GII.17 for one patient and one post-symptomatic food worker (FW). The FW presented vomiting one day before cake preparation. The NoV strain was probably spread through food worker hand contact. Prevention of Norovirus foodborne outbreaks implies new guidelines for FWs management in France and Europe.