Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Everyday Neurosurgical Practice in Alsace, France: Lessons Learned, Current Perspectives, and Future Challenges-Preliminary Results of a Longitudinal Multicentric Study Registry.

Background and Objectives: The global outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic disrupted healthcare worldwide, impacting the organization of intensive care units and surgical care units. This study aimed to document the daily neurosurgical activity in Alsace, France, one of the European epicenters of the pandemic, and provide evidence of the adaptive strategies deployed during such a critical time for healthcare services. Materials and Methods: The multicentric longitudinal study was based on a prospective cohort of patients requiring neurosurgical care in the Neurosurgical Departments of Alsace, France, between March 2020 and March 2022. Surgical activity was compared with pre-pandemic performances through data obtained from electronic patient records. Results: A total of 3842 patients benefited from care in a neurosurgical unit during the period of interest; 2352 of them underwent surgeries with a wide range of pathologies treated. Surgeries were initially limited to neurosurgical emergencies only, then urgent cases were slowly reinstated; however, a significant drop in surgical volume and case mix was noticed during lockdown (March-May 2020). The crisis continued to impact surgical activity until March 2022; functional procedures were postponed, though some spine surgeries could progressively be performed starting in October 2021. Various social factors, such as increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, influenced the severity of traumatic pathologies. The progressive return to the usual profile of surgical activity was characterized by a rebound of oncological interventions. Deferrable procedures for elective spinal and functional pathologies were the most affected, with unexpected medical and social impacts. Conclusions: The task shifting and task sharing approaches implemented during the first wave of the pandemic supported the reorganization of neurosurgical care in its aftermath and enabled the safe and timely execution of a broad spectrum of surgeries. Despite the substantial disruption to routine practices, marked by a significant reduction in elective surgical volumes, comprehensive records demonstrate the successful management of the full range of neurosurgical pathologies. This underscores the efficacy of adaptive strategies in navigating the challenges imposed by the largest healthcare crisis in recent history. Those lessons will continue to provide valuable insights and guidance for health and care managers to prepare for future unpredictable scenarios.

Patient-Reported Quality of Care for Osteoarthritis in General Practice in South Tyrol, Italy: Protocol for Translation, Validation and Assessment of the OsteoArthritis Quality Indicator Questionnaire (OA-QI).

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis are similar internationally. Nevertheless, clinical practice varies across countries. Instruments for measuring quality have been developed to improve health care through targeted interventions. Studies on health service quality must consider the structural and cultural characteristics of countries, because each of their strengths and weaknesses differ. However, such instruments for health-related patient-reported outcomes for osteoarthritis have not yet been validated in German and Italian languages. OBJECTIVES: In order to be able to set targeted measures for the improvement of prevention and non-surgical treatment of osteoarthritis in South Tyrol, Italy, the quality of care must be recorded. Therefore, the aim of the project is to update, translate, and validate the OsteoArthritis Quality Indicator (OA-QI) questionnaire version 2, an established and validated questionnaire in Norwegian and English, for Germany and Italy. The second aim is to determine the quality of care for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee in a sample of patients who consult general practice in South Tyrol, and for comparison with patients who are admitted to rehabilitative spa-treatments for osteoarthritis in the state of Salzburg, Austria. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will enable the identification and closure of gaps in osteoarthritis care. Although it is expected that body weight and exercise will play special roles, other areas of nonsurgical care might also be involved.

[European evolution of the copayment in health costs: possible developments and reorganization proposals for Italian health care system. The role of additional kind of assistance]. / L'evoluzione della compartecipazione alla spesa sanitaria in Europa: possibili scenari evolutivi e proposte di riorganizzazione in Italia. Il ruolo delle forme integrative di assistenza.

The ticket, once considered just dissuasive or control instrument, has become citizens sharing of the costs of activities, services and performance of NHS. The difficult economic situation, that applies the main European countries, is leading in Italy to an increase measures of copayment. The use of over-sharing may drive, however, to important consequences in terms of equity, efficiency and cost containment of health. Copayment does not reduce the overall burden of spending, because often counterbalanced by a concomitant increase in private spending. In fact, Italian private expenditure on health "out of pocket" is the highest in Europe and more Italians discover the "low cost health care." The Authors propose to limite the introduction of new ticket or exacerbate the existing, focusing on the adherence of citizens to health and social integrative funds, that are now present on the national scene with about 5 million of members.

[Elderly People and their lack of self-sufficiency: a socio-economic health challenge]. / Gli anziani e la non autosufficienza: una sfida sanitaria, sociale e finanziaria.

Due to the current population ageing in developed countries, the number of seriously disabled elderly people is on the rise, with a remarkable impact on health and socio-health public expenditure. In order to face such situation, governments should take two parallel roads: 1. adopting new models of health care offers through organizational schemes aimed at achieving not only effectiveness but also efficiency and compliance; 2. adopting new funding patterns, capable of fostering private resources through fiscal incentives.