[Provision of continuous health care by a unit connected to primary care centres coordinated by specialist physicians]. / Aportación al continuo asistencial de una consulta de conexión con atención primaria coordinada con internistas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of a system set up to overcome the current disparity between primary and specialist health care and with the capacity to detect patients with significant diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To describe the activity of the Unit for Connection with Primary Care Centres (UCPCC) in the Alcoy Health Area (Alicante) during its first year. RESULTS: A total of 450 visits were made, with 6.5 (95% CI 5.7-7.3) first visits, and 3.9 (95% CI 3.1-4.8) successive ones per day. There were more than 50 reasons for consultation, and more than 60 final diagnoses (65.6% non-significant, 14% undefined and 12.4% significant). Digestive (31%) and functional (14.4%) diseases were the most frequently defined diagnoses, with neoplasic and autoimmune diseases among those defined as significant ones. The great majority (86.9%) of patients required 1-2 visits, with 40% diagnosed by just reviewing the hospital files. More than 20 different complementary examinations were performed, with 38.8%, 34.4%, 21.6%, and 5.2% of patients requiring 0, 1, 2, or ≥ 3, respectively. Patients with a significant pathology were diagnosed more quickly (12.4 ± 19.4 vs. 45.3 ± 52.8 days; P = .001), with less complementary examinations (0,5 ± 0,7 vs. 0,9 ± 0,9 per patient; P = .032. 58.6% vs. 39.6% patients without complementary examinations; P = .052), and were more frequently referred to specialised medicine (58.6% vs. 18.3%, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The demonstrated differential management of patients with potentially significant pathology using existing resources, make the UCPCC with internists an efficient model for the connection between health care levels.

Aportación al continuo asistencial de una consulta de conexión con atención primaria coordinada con internistas / Provision of continuous health care by a unit connected to primary care centres coordinated by specialist physicians

Objetivo. Evaluar la eficacia y eficiencia de un sistema de conexión entre niveles asistenciales que supere la actual desconexión asegurando el acceso preferencial de pacientes con enfermedad significativa a atención especializada. Material y métodos. Descripción de la actividad de la Consulta de Conexión con Atención Primaria (CCAP) del Departamento de Salud de Alcoy (Alicante) en su primer año de funcionamiento. Resultados. Hubo 450 visitas con 6,5 (IC 95% 5,7-7,3) primeras visitas y 3,9 (IC 95% 3,1-4,8) sucesivas diarias. Fueron más de 50 los motivos de consulta, y más de 60 los diagnósticos finales, la mayoría no relevantes (65,6% definidos no significativos; 14% indefinidos). Globalmente los diagnósticos definidos predominantes fueron los digestivos (31%) y los funcionales (14,4%), y los definidos significativos las neoplasias y las enfermedades autoinmunes. Al 86,9% de los diagnósticos se llegó tras 1 o 2 visitas, y al 40% con la sola revisión de la historia clínica hospitalaria. Hubo 217 peticiones de más de 20 exploraciones complementarias distintas, con un 38,8; 34,4; 21,6; y 5,2% de pacientes que requirieron 0, 1, 2 y >= 3, mayoritariamente (21,6%) analíticas básicas. Los pacientes con diagnóstico significativo fueron diagnosticados más rápidamente (12,4 ± 19,4 vs. 45,3 ± 52,8 días; p = 0,001), con menos exploraciones complementarias (0,5 ± 0,7 vs. 0,9 ± 0,9 exploraciones complementarias por paciente; p = 0,032; 58,6 vs. 39,6% pacientes sin exploraciones complementarias; p = 0,052) y en mayor proporción derivados a especializada (58,6 vs. 18,3%, p < 0,0001). Conclusiones. El demostrado manejo diferencial del paciente con enfermedad potencialmente significativa aprovechando los recursos existentes hacen de la CCAP con internistas un modelo eficiente de conexión entre niveles (AU)

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of a system set up to overcome the current disparity between primary and specialist health care and with the capacity to detect patients with significant diseases. Material and methods: To describe the activity of the Unit for Connection with Primary Care Centres (UCPCC) in the Alcoy Health Area (Alicante) during its first year. Results: A total of 450 visits were made, with 6.5 (95% CI 5.7-7.3) first visits, and 3.9 (95% CI 3.1- 4.8) successive ones per day. There were more than 50 reasons for consultation, and more than 60 final diagnoses (65.6% non-significant, 14% undefined and 12.4% significant). Digestive (31%) and functional (14.4%) diseases were the most frequently defined diagnoses, with neoplasic and autoimmune diseases among those defined as significant ones. The great majority (86.9%) of patients required 1-2 visits, with 40% diagnosed by just reviewing the hospital files. More than 20 different complementary examinations were performed, with 38.8%, 34.4%, 21.6%, and 5.2% of patients requiring 0, 1, 2, or >=3, respectively. Patients with a significant pathology were diagnosed more quickly (12.4 ± 19.4 vs. 45.3 ± 52.8 days; P = .001), with less complementary examinations (0,5 ± 0,7 vs. 0,9 ± 0,9 per patient; P = .032. 58.6% vs. 39.6% patients without complementary examinations; P = .052), and were more frequently referred to specialised medicine (58.6% vs. 18.3%, P < .0001). Conclusions: The demonstrated differential management of patients with potentially significant pathology using existing resources, make the UCPCC with internists an efficient model for the connection between health care levels (AU)