Surgical waiting lists and queue management in a Brazilian tertiary public hospital.

BACKGROUND: Centralized management of queues helps to reduce the surgical waiting time in the publicly funded healthcare system, but this is not a reality in the Brazilian Unified Healthcare System (BUHS). We describe the implementation of the "Patients with Surgical Indication" (PSI) in a Brazilian public tertiary hospital, the impact on waiting time, and its use in rationing oncological surgeries during the COVID-19 Pandemic. METHODS: Retrospective observational study of elective surgical requests (2016-2022) in a Brazilian general, public, tertiary university hospital. We recovered information regarding the inflows (indications), outflows and their reasons, the number of patients, and waiting time in queue. RESULTS: We enrolled 82,844 indications in the PSI (2016-2022). The waiting time (median and interquartile range) in days decreased from 98(48;168) in 2016 to 14(3;152) in 2022 (p < 0.01). The same occurred with the backlog that ranged from 6,884 in 2016 to 844 in 2022 (p < 001). During the Pandemic, there was a reduction in the number of non-oncological surgeries per month (95% confidence interval) of -10.9(-18.0;-3.8) during Phase I (January 2019-March 2020), maintenance in Phase II (April 2020-August 2021) 0.1(-10.0;10.4) and increment in Phase III (September 2021-December 2022) of 23.0(15.3;30.8). In the oncological conditions, these numbers were 0.6(-2.1;3.3) for Phase I, an increase of 3.2(0.7;5.6) in Phase II and 3.9(1,4;6,4) in Phase III. CONCLUSION: Implementing a centralized list of surgical indications and developing queue management principles proved feasible, with effective rationing. It unprecedentedly demonstrated the decrease in the median waiting time in Brazil.

Rate and direct medical costs of cesarean sections among supplementary health plan holders living in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: 2015-2021. / Taxa e custos médicos diretos de cesáreas em beneficiárias da saúde suplementar no estado de São Paulo, Brasil: 2015 a 2021.

Brazil has the second largest cesarean section rate in the world. Differences in rates exist between the public and private health sectors. This study used data on admissions of supplementary health plan holders aged between 10 and 49 years living in the state of São Paulo admitted between 2015 and 2021 to determine cesarean section rates and costs in the private health sector. We conducted a partial economic analysis in health from a supplementary health perspective focusing on the direct medical costs of admissions. A total of 757,307 admissions were analyzed with total costs amounting to R$7.701 billion. The cesarean section rate over the period was 80%. Rates were lowest in young women (69%) and highest in the oldest age group (86%), exceeding 67% across all groups. The rate was 71% higher than in public services. The proportion of admissions with use of the intensive care unit was higher among cesarian deliveries. The median cost of a cesarean was 15% higher than that of a normal delivery and twice as high in insurance companies than healthcare cooperatives. There is an opportunity to apply policies that are widely used in public services to the private sector with the aim of reducing cesarean rates in private services, direct costs of admission, and the cost of supplementary health plans.

O Brasil tem a segunda maior taxa de cesárea do mundo. Há diferença dessas taxas nos setores públicos e privados. Foram utilizados dados de internação de beneficiárias residentes no estado de São Paulo, internadas entre 2015 e 2021, com idades entre 10 e 49 anos, para verificar as taxas e custos das cesáreas no setor privado. Foi realizado estudo parcial de avaliação econômica em saúde na perspectiva da saúde suplementar considerando custos médicos diretos de internação. Foram analisadas 757.307 internações, com gasto total de R$ 7,701 bilhões. As taxas de cesáreas foram de 80% no período. São menores nas gestantes mais novas (69%) e maiores nas mais velhas (86%), e sempre superiores a 67%. Essa população tem taxas 71% maiores do que aquelas do SUS. Há maior proporção de internações com uso de unidade de terapia intensiva nas cesáreas. O custo mediano da cesárea é 15% maior do que o parto normal e são duas vezes maiores nas seguradoras do que nas cooperativas médicas. Há oportunidade de aplicação de políticas públicas de saúde amplamente utilizadas no Sistema Único de Saúde visando a redução das taxas, dos custos diretos da internação e dos planos de saúde.

Taxa e custos médicos diretos de cesáreas em beneficiárias da saúde suplementar no estado de São Paulo, Brasil: 2015 a 2021 / Rate and direct medical costs of cesarean sections among supplementary health plan holders living in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: 2015-2021

Resumo O Brasil tem a segunda maior taxa de cesárea do mundo. Há diferença dessas taxas nos setores públicos e privados. Foram utilizados dados de internação de beneficiárias residentes no estado de São Paulo, internadas entre 2015 e 2021, com idades entre 10 e 49 anos, para verificar as taxas e custos das cesáreas no setor privado. Foi realizado estudo parcial de avaliação econômica em saúde na perspectiva da saúde suplementar considerando custos médicos diretos de internação. Foram analisadas 757.307 internações, com gasto total de R$ 7,701 bilhões. As taxas de cesáreas foram de 80% no período. São menores nas gestantes mais novas (69%) e maiores nas mais velhas (86%), e sempre superiores a 67%. Essa população tem taxas 71% maiores do que aquelas do SUS. Há maior proporção de internações com uso de unidade de terapia intensiva nas cesáreas. O custo mediano da cesárea é 15% maior do que o parto normal e são duas vezes maiores nas seguradoras do que nas cooperativas médicas. Há oportunidade de aplicação de políticas públicas de saúde amplamente utilizadas no Sistema Único de Saúde visando a redução das taxas, dos custos diretos da internação e dos planos de saúde.

Abstract Brazil has the second largest cesarean section rate in the world. Differences in rates exist between the public and private health sectors. This study used data on admissions of supplementary health plan holders aged between 10 and 49 years living in the state of São Paulo admitted between 2015 and 2021 to determine cesarean section rates and costs in the private health sector. We conducted a partial economic analysis in health from a supplementary health perspective focusing on the direct medical costs of admissions. A total of 757,307 admissions were analyzed with total costs amounting to R$7.701 billion. The cesarean section rate over the period was 80%. Rates were lowest in young women (69%) and highest in the oldest age group (86%), exceeding 67% across all groups. The rate was 71% higher than in public services. The proportion of admissions with use of the intensive care unit was higher among cesarian deliveries. The median cost of a cesarean was 15% higher than that of a normal delivery and twice as high in insurance companies than healthcare cooperatives. There is an opportunity to apply policies that are widely used in public services to the private sector with the aim of reducing cesarean rates in private services, direct costs of admission, and the cost of supplementary health plans.

Unsupervised natural language processing in the identification of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection. / Processamento de linguagem natural não supervisionado na identificação de pacientes suspeitos de infecção por COVID-19.

Patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome benefit from health promotion programs. Their rapid identification is important for the cost-effective use of these programs. Traditional identification techniques perform poorly especially in pandemics. A descriptive observational study was carried out using 105,008 prior authorizations paid by a private health care provider with the application of an unsupervised natural language processing method by topic modeling to identify patients suspected of being infected by COVID-19. A total of 6 models were generated: 3 using the BERTopic algorithm and 3 Word2Vec models. The BERTopic model automatically creates disease groups. In the Word2Vec model, manual analysis of the first 100 cases of each topic was necessary to define the topics related to COVID-19. The BERTopic model with more than 1,000 authorizations per topic without word treatment selected more severe patients - average cost per prior authorizations paid of BRL 10,206 and total expenditure of BRL 20.3 million (5.4%) in 1,987 prior authorizations (1.9%). It had 70% accuracy compared to human analysis and 20% of cases with potential interest, all subject to analysis for inclusion in a health promotion program. It had an important loss of cases when compared to the traditional research model with structured language and identified other groups of diseases - orthopedic, mental and cancer. The BERTopic model served as an exploratory method to be used in case labeling and subsequent application in supervised models. The automatic identification of other diseases raises ethical questions about the treatment of health information by machine learning.

Os pacientes com síndrome pós-COVID-19 se beneficiam de programas de promoção de saúde e sua rápida identificação é importante para a utilização custo efetiva desses programas. Técnicas tradicionais de identificação têm fraco desempenho, especialmente em pandemias. Portanto, foi realizado um estudo observacional descritivo utilizando 105.008 autorizações prévias pagas por operadora privada de saúde com aplicação de método não supervisionado de processamento de linguagem natural por modelagem de tópicos para identificação de pacientes suspeitos de infecção por COVID-19. Foram gerados seis modelos: três utilizando o algoritmo BERTopic e três modelos Word2Vec. O modelo BERTopic cria automaticamente grupos de doenças. Já no modelo Word2Vec, para definição dos tópicos relacionados a COVID-19, foi necessária análise manual dos 100 primeiros casos de cada tópico. O modelo BERTopic com mais de 1.000 autorizações por tópico sem tratamento de palavras selecionou pacientes mais graves - custo médio por autorizações prévias pagas de BRL 10.206 e gasto total de BRL 20,3 milhões (5,4%) em 1.987 autorizações prévias (1,9%). Teve 70% de acerto comparado à análise humana e 20% de casos com potencial interesse, todos passíveis de análise para inclusão em programa de promoção à saúde. Teve perda importante de casos quando comparado ao modelo tradicional de pesquisa com linguagem estruturada e identificou outros grupos de doenças - ortopédicas, mentais e câncer. O modelo BERTopic serviu como método exploratório a ser utilizado na rotulagem de casos e posterior aplicação em modelos supervisionados. A identificação automática de outras doenças levanta questionamentos éticos sobre o tratamento de informações em saúde por aprendizado de máquina.

Los pacientes con síndrome pos-COVID-19 pueden beneficiarse de los programas de promoción de la salud. Su rápida identificación es importante para el uso efectivo de estos programas. Las técnicas de identificación tradicionales no tienen un buen desempeño, especialmente en pandemias. Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo, con el uso de 105.008 autorizaciones previas pagadas por un operador de salud privado mediante la aplicación de un método no supervisado de procesamiento del lenguaje natural mediante modelado temático para identificar a los pacientes sospechosos de estar infectados por COVID-19. Se generaron 6 modelos: 3 con el uso del algoritmo BERTopic y 3 modelos Word2Vec. El modelo BERTopic crea automáticamente grupos de enfermedades. En el modelo Word2Vec para definir temas relacionados con la COVID-19, fue necesario el análisis manual de los primeros 100 casos de cada tema. El modelo BERTopic con más de 1.000 autorizaciones por tema sin tratamiento de palabras seleccionó a pacientes más graves: costo promedio por autorizaciones previas pagada de BRL 10.206 y gasto total de BRL 20,3 millones (5,4%) en 1.987 autorizaciones previas (1,9%). Además, contó con el 70% de aciertos en comparación con el análisis humano y el 20% de los casos con potencial interés, todos los cuales pueden analizarse para su inclusión en un programa de promoción de la salud. Hubo una pérdida significativa de casos en comparación con el modelo tradicional de investigación con lenguaje estructurado y se identificó otros grupos de enfermedades: ortopédicas, mentales y cáncer. El modelo BERTopic sirvió como un método exploratorio para ser utilizado en el etiquetado de casos y su posterior aplicación en modelos supervisados. La identificación automática de otras enfermedades plantea preguntas éticas sobre el tratamiento de la información de salud mediante el aprendizaje de máquina.

Improving the Quality of Residency Programs in Family and Community Medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and present an instrument to evaluate and monitor the quality of medical residency programs in residencies in family and community medicine (FCM) based on preceptors and residents, considering the insertion of the health network program. METHOD: The instrument was developed in three stages: 1) interview with the preceptors of FCM; 2) literature review; and 3) production, adequacy, and approval of the evaluation instrument by renowned professionals of the Brazilian FCM. The third stage included 9 people and used the Delphi technique with 80% agreement. For the qualitative results, Bardin's Content Analysis was used. RESULTS: In all, there were five evaluation cycles to adapt the proposed recommendations, with the elimination of one item and weighting, with a results analysis methodology of 10 resulting items, reaching an expected matrix for organizing residency programs in the health network, divided into 3 domains: Organization of the Unit, Human Resources, and Preceptor-resident relationship. CONCLUSION: An instrument for evaluating and monitoring residency programs in family and community medicine can be a tool to facilitate program managers and allow evaluation and monitoring, continuously qualifying them.

Implementation of family and community medicine residency in primary care: use of the implementation analysis tool in state of São Paulo / La implementación de la residencia en medicina familiar y comunitaria en la atención primaria: uso de la herramienta de análisis de implementación en el estado de São Paulo. / A implantação da residência de medicina de família e comunidade na atenção primária: uso da ferramenta de análise de implantação no estado de São Paulo

Introduction: Family and community medicine (FCM) is the preferred specialty to be present in the main gateway to health systems, primary health care (PHC). The best way to increase this specialty is the medical residency, in which at least 70% of the internship period is in the PHC. Thus, the quality of implantation of residency in the PHC is essential. Objectives: Evaluate the quality of implementation of medical residency programs in FCM in PHC. Method: Use of a tool developed to analyze the implementation of FCM residency in PHC in small (up to two second-year residents), medium (two to five) and large (from six) programs, evaluating from zero to four points , between not implanted and fully implanted. The grades were obtained from interviews with residents, preceptors, coordinators and municipal managers, considering the fourth generation assessment. Results: Six programs were evaluated, in municipalities with 20,000 to 700,000 inhabitants, ranging from one to 22 second-year residents, ranging from unsatisfactory (one program) to fully implemented (two programs). Municipalities with greater PHC coverage showed greater implementation results. The lowest scores were in the items "permanent education" and "continuing education" and the highest in the presence of FCM specialists as preceptors. There is a difference in perception among respondents considering the same areas. Discussion: The study suggests that municipalities with greater investment in PHC also have better residency programs, regardless of whether the link is with educational centers or health departments. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has also hampered health education. The results were also defining when interviewing different people, demonstrating that this methodology is essential. Conclusion: There is a need to observe the implementation of residency programs in PHC to ensure quality training, and not just quantity to provide.

Introducción: La medicina familiar y comunitaria (MFC) es la especialidad preferida para estar presente en la principal puerta de entrada de los sistemas de salud, la atención primaria de salud (APS). La mejor forma de incrementar esta especialidad es la residencia médica, en la que al menos el 70% del período de prácticas es en la APS. Así, la calidad de implantación de la residencia en la APS es fundamental. Objetivos: Evaluar la calidad de la implementación de los programas de residencia médica en FCM en la APS. Método: Uso de una herramienta desarrollada para analizar la implementación de la residencia de FCM en APS en programas pequeños (hasta dos residentes de segundo año), medianos (de dos a cinco) y grandes (de seis), evaluando de cero a cuatro puntos, entre no implantado y totalmente implantado. Las calificaciones se obtuvieron a partir de entrevistas con vecinos, preceptores, coordinadores y administradores municipales, considerando la evaluación de cuarta generación. Resultados: Se evaluaron seis programas, en municipios de 20.000 a 700.000 habitantes, con rango de uno a 22 residentes de segundo año, desde insatisfactorio (un programa) hasta totalmente implementado (dos programas). Los municipios con mayor cobertura de APS mostraron mayores resultados de implementación. Los puntajes más bajos fueron en los ítems "educación permanente" y "educación continua" y los más altos en presencia de especialistas de la FCM como preceptores. Existe una diferencia de percepción entre los encuestados considerando las mismas áreas. Discusión: El estudio sugiere que los municipios con mayor inversión en APS también tienen mejores programas de residencia, independientemente de que el vínculo sea con centros educativos o departamentos de salud. La pandemia del SARS-CoV-2 también ha dificultado la educación sanitaria. Los resultados también fueron definitorios al entrevistar a diferentes personas, demostrando que esta metodología es fundamental. Conclusión: Existe la necesidad de observar la implementación de programas de residencia en APS para garantizar una formación de calidad, y no solo cantidad a impartir.

Introdução: A medicina de família e comunidade (MFC) é a especialidade preferencial para estar presente na principal porta de entrada dos sistemas de saúde, a atenção primária à saúde (APS). A melhor forma de incremento dessa especialidade é a residência médica, em que ao menos 70% do período de estágio é na APS. Assim, é imprescindível a qualidade de implantação da residência na APS. Objetivos: Avaliar a qualidade de implementação dos programas de residência médica em MFC na APS. Método: Utilização de uma ferramenta desenvolvida para análise de implementação de residência de MFC na APS em programas pequenos (até dois residentes do segundo ano), médios (dois a cinco) e grandes (a partir de seis), avaliando de zero a quatro pontos, entre não implantado e totalmente implantado. As notas foram obtidas a partir de entrevista com residentes, preceptores, coordenadores e gestores municipais, considerando avaliação de quarta geração. Resultados: Seis programas foram avaliados, em municípios de 20 mil a 700 mil habitantes, com variação de um a 22 residentes do segundo ano, variando de insatisfatório (um programa) a totalmente implantado (dois programas). Municípios com maior cobertura de APS apresentaram resultados de implementação maiores. As notas mais baixas foram nos itens "educação permanente" e "educação continuada" e as mais altas na presença de especialistas em MFC como preceptores. Há diferença de percepção entre os entrevistados considerando as mesmas áreas. Discussão: O estudo sugere que municípios com maior investimento na APS também possuem melhores programas de residência, independentemente de o vínculo ser com centros educacionais ou secretarias de saúde. A pandemia de SARS-CoV-2 também dificultou a educação em saúde. Os resultados também foram definidores quando entrevistadas diferentes pessoas, demonstrando ser essencial essa metodologia. Conclusão: Há a necessidade de observar a implementação dos programas de residência na APS para garantir formação de qualidade, e não apenas quantidade para provimento.

Simulação in situ de parada cardíaca em fibrilação ventricular para o treinamento de profissionais de enfermagem / In-situ simulation of cardiac arrest in ventricular fibrillation for professional nursing training

Objetivo: Relatar a experiência e a percepção dos profissionais de enfermagem com a utilização de simulação in situnão anunciada de parada cardiorrespiratória (PCR) em ritmo de fibrilação ventricular no ambiente intra-hospitalar. Métodos: Manequim (Laerdal®) de alta fidelidade foi colocado no leito de isolamento de uma Unidade Coronariana que dispõe de central de monitoramento, sem o conhecimento dos profissionais de enfermagem que estavam assumindo o plantão. Um técnico de enfermagem do turno anterior de trabalho passou o caso como um paciente fictício recém-admitido com infarto agudo do miocárdio. Após a passagem do plantão, modificou-se o ritmo cardíaco do manequim de ritmo sinusal para fibrilação ventricular. Registrou-se o tempo (em minutos e segundos) desde a modificação do ritmo até algum profissional da enfermagem desencadear uma ação efetiva relacionada ao fato. Após o profissional perceber que se tratava de um manequim, ele foi orientado a desencadear as intervenções adequadas como se fosse um paciente real. Após o final da simulação, um questionário para avaliação da percepção desses profissionais em relação à atividade foi aplicado. Resultado: Quinze profissionais participaram da simulação in situ. O tempo para reação foi 28 segundos no turno diurno, dois minutos e seis segundos no turno vespertino e quatro minutos e três segundos no período noturno. Todos profissionais (100%) reconheceram a importância do treinamento, todos (100%) acharam que este treinamento aumenta a segurança do profissional e do paciente, a maioria (90%) achou que pode melhorar a comunicação entre a equipe, e todos (100%) acharam que atividades como esta deveriam ser repetidas. Conclusão: A simulação in situ parece ser uma alternativa viável para o treinamento dos profissionais de enfermagem no atendimento inicial da PCR em um hospital de emergência brasileiro. Esta atividade foi avaliada positivamente pelos participantes (AU).

Objective: Report the experience and perception of nursing professionals with an unannounced in-situ simulation of cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) in ventricular fibrillation in an in-hospital environment. Methods: A high-fidelity mannequin (Laerdal®) was placed on the isolation bed of a Coronary Care Unit with a monitoring center without the knowledge of the nursing professionals taking over the shift. A nurse technician from the previous shift was told to report the case as a fictitious newly admitted patient with acute myocardial infarction. After the care transition, the cardiac rhythm was changed from sinus rhythm to ventricular fibrillation. The time was recorded (in minutes and seconds) from the onset of ventricular fibrillation until a nursing professional triggered an effective action. After the professionals realized it was a mannequin, they were instructed to initiate the appropriate interventions as if the mannequin were an actual patient. After the end of the simulation, a questionnaire was used to assess the professionals' perception of the activity. Results: Fifteen professionals participated in this in-situ simulation. The reaction time was 28 seconds on the morning shift, two minutes and six seconds on the afternoon shift, and four minutes and three seconds on the night shift. All professionals (100%) recognized the importance of this training, and all thought it increased professional and patient safety. Most participants (90%) thought it could improve communication among the team. All professionals (100%) felt that such activities should be repeated. Conclusion: In-situ simulation is a feasible alternative to train nursing professionals in the initial CPA management in a Brazilian emergency hospital. Participants positively evaluated this activity (AU).

Improving the Quality of Residency Programs in Family and Community Medicine / Aprimorando a qualidade de Programas de Residência em Medicina de Família e Comunidade

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To develop and present an instrument to evaluate and monitor the quality of medical residency programs in residencies in family and community medicine (FCM) based on preceptors and residents, considering the insertion of the health network program. METHOD The instrument was developed in three stages: 1) interview with the preceptors of FCM; 2) literature review; and 3) production, adequacy, and approval of the evaluation instrument by renowned professionals of the Brazilian FCM. The third stage included 9 people and used the Delphi technique with 80% agreement. For the qualitative results, Bardin's Content Analysis was used. RESULTS In all, there were five evaluation cycles to adapt the proposed recommendations, with the elimination of one item and weighting, with a results analysis methodology of 10 resulting items, reaching an expected matrix for organizing residency programs in the health network, divided into 3 domains: Organization of the Unit, Human Resources, and Preceptor-resident relationship. CONCLUSION An instrument for evaluating and monitoring residency programs in family and community medicine can be a tool to facilitate program managers and allow evaluation and monitoring, continuously qualifying them.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Desenvolver e apresentar um instrumento para avaliar e monitorar a qualidade de programas de residência médica em medicina de família e comunidade (MFC) a partir dos preceptores e residentes, considerando a inserção do programa de rede de saúde. MÉTODO A elaboração do instrumento foi desenvolvida em três etapas: 1) entrevista com preceptores em MFC; 2) revisão da literatura; e 3) produção, adequação e aprovação do instrumento avaliativo por profissionais renomados na MFC brasileira. A terceira etapa contou com nove pessoas e utilizou a técnica Delphi com obtenção de 80% de concordância. Para os resultados qualitativos foi utilizada a análise de conteúdo de Bardin. RESULTADOS Ao todo ocorreram cinco ciclos de avaliação para adequação das recomendações propostas, com eliminação de um item e ponderação, e metodologia de análise de resultado de dez itens resultantes. Atingiu-se uma matriz esperada para a organização de programas de residência na rede de saúde, dividida em três domínios: organização da unidade, recursos humanos e relação preceptor-residente. CONCLUSÃO Um instrumento de avaliação e monitoramento de programas de residência em MFC pode ser uma ferramenta para auxiliar gestores de programas e permite a avaliação e monitoramento, qualificando-os continuamente.

Processamento de linguagem natural não supervisionado na identificação de pacientes suspeitos de infecção por COVID-19 / Procesamiento del lenguaje natural no supervisado para identificar a los pacientes sospechosos de infección por COVID-19 / Unsupervised natural language processing in the identification of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection

Os pacientes com síndrome pós-COVID-19 se beneficiam de programas de promoção de saúde e sua rápida identificação é importante para a utilização custo efetiva desses programas. Técnicas tradicionais de identificação têm fraco desempenho, especialmente em pandemias. Portanto, foi realizado um estudo observacional descritivo utilizando 105.008 autorizações prévias pagas por operadora privada de saúde com aplicação de método não supervisionado de processamento de linguagem natural por modelagem de tópicos para identificação de pacientes suspeitos de infecção por COVID-19. Foram gerados seis modelos: três utilizando o algoritmo BERTopic e três modelos Word2Vec. O modelo BERTopic cria automaticamente grupos de doenças. Já no modelo Word2Vec, para definição dos tópicos relacionados a COVID-19, foi necessária análise manual dos 100 primeiros casos de cada tópico. O modelo BERTopic com mais de 1.000 autorizações por tópico sem tratamento de palavras selecionou pacientes mais graves - custo médio por autorizações prévias pagas de BRL 10.206 e gasto total de BRL 20,3 milhões (5,4%) em 1.987 autorizações prévias (1,9%). Teve 70% de acerto comparado à análise humana e 20% de casos com potencial interesse, todos passíveis de análise para inclusão em programa de promoção à saúde. Teve perda importante de casos quando comparado ao modelo tradicional de pesquisa com linguagem estruturada e identificou outros grupos de doenças - ortopédicas, mentais e câncer. O modelo BERTopic serviu como método exploratório a ser utilizado na rotulagem de casos e posterior aplicação em modelos supervisionados. A identificação automática de outras doenças levanta questionamentos éticos sobre o tratamento de informações em saúde por aprendizado de máquina.

Los pacientes con síndrome pos-COVID-19 pueden beneficiarse de los programas de promoción de la salud. Su rápida identificación es importante para el uso efectivo de estos programas. Las técnicas de identificación tradicionales no tienen un buen desempeño, especialmente en pandemias. Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo, con el uso de 105.008 autorizaciones previas pagadas por un operador de salud privado mediante la aplicación de un método no supervisado de procesamiento del lenguaje natural mediante modelado temático para identificar a los pacientes sospechosos de estar infectados por COVID-19. Se generaron 6 modelos: 3 con el uso del algoritmo BERTopic y 3 modelos Word2Vec. El modelo BERTopic crea automáticamente grupos de enfermedades. En el modelo Word2Vec para definir temas relacionados con la COVID-19, fue necesario el análisis manual de los primeros 100 casos de cada tema. El modelo BERTopic con más de 1.000 autorizaciones por tema sin tratamiento de palabras seleccionó a pacientes más graves: costo promedio por autorizaciones previas pagada de BRL 10.206 y gasto total de BRL 20,3 millones (5,4%) en 1.987 autorizaciones previas (1,9%). Además, contó con el 70% de aciertos en comparación con el análisis humano y el 20% de los casos con potencial interés, todos los cuales pueden analizarse para su inclusión en un programa de promoción de la salud. Hubo una pérdida significativa de casos en comparación con el modelo tradicional de investigación con lenguaje estructurado y se identificó otros grupos de enfermedades: ortopédicas, mentales y cáncer. El modelo BERTopic sirvió como un método exploratorio para ser utilizado en el etiquetado de casos y su posterior aplicación en modelos supervisados. La identificación automática de otras enfermedades plantea preguntas éticas sobre el tratamiento de la información de salud mediante el aprendizaje de máquina.

Patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome benefit from health promotion programs. Their rapid identification is important for the cost-effective use of these programs. Traditional identification techniques perform poorly especially in pandemics. A descriptive observational study was carried out using 105,008 prior authorizations paid by a private health care provider with the application of an unsupervised natural language processing method by topic modeling to identify patients suspected of being infected by COVID-19. A total of 6 models were generated: 3 using the BERTopic algorithm and 3 Word2Vec models. The BERTopic model automatically creates disease groups. In the Word2Vec model, manual analysis of the first 100 cases of each topic was necessary to define the topics related to COVID-19. The BERTopic model with more than 1,000 authorizations per topic without word treatment selected more severe patients - average cost per prior authorizations paid of BRL 10,206 and total expenditure of BRL 20.3 million (5.4%) in 1,987 prior authorizations (1.9%). It had 70% accuracy compared to human analysis and 20% of cases with potential interest, all subject to analysis for inclusion in a health promotion program. It had an important loss of cases when compared to the traditional research model with structured language and identified other groups of diseases - orthopedic, mental and cancer. The BERTopic model served as an exploratory method to be used in case labeling and subsequent application in supervised models. The automatic identification of other diseases raises ethical questions about the treatment of health information by machine learning.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Care Indicators at a Public Hospital in Brazil

Abstract Background International publications have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the indicators of care for ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), with a potential increase in morbidity and mortality. Objectives To compare mortality, time from symptom onset to primary angioplasty (total delay [TD]), time from symptom onset to initial medical contact (patient delay [PD]), and time from initial medical contact to guidewire insertion in the hemodynamics laboratory (system delay [SD]) among patients admitted for STEMI at the Hemodynamics Service of Santa Casa de Passos, Minas Gerais, Brazil before and after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization, assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on STEMI care indicators. Methods This is a before-and-after study involving patients hospitalized with STEMI undergoing primary angioplasty. Data were collected retrospectively through medical record review. Clinical and demographic profiles and outcomes between the pre-pandemic and pandemic groups were compared using the chi-square test for categorical variables or Student's t-test for continuous variables. A significance level of p < 0.05 was adopted. Results There were no differences in TD (pre-pandemic: 300 min [± 159 min], 95% CI 277.1 to 322.6; pandemic: 300 min [± 148 min], 95% CI 274.3 to 326.6, p = 0.97). However, there was an increase in SD (pre-pandemic: 145 min [± 97 min], 95% CI 122.7 to 167.9; pandemic: 178 min [± 96 min], 95% CI 157.4 to 197.9, p = 0.037). There was no increase in PD (pre-pandemic: 145 min ± 133 min; pandemic: 130 min ± 117 min, p = 0.44), and no differences in mortality were observed (pre-pandemic: 9.7%; pandemic: 12%, p = 0.49). Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic increased SD in the management of STEMI in the region of Passos, Minas Gerais. There were no differences in PD, TD, and in-hospital mortality.

Association of left ventricular abnormalities with incident cerebrovascular events and sources of thromboembolism in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Although Chagas cardiomyopathy is related to thromboembolic stroke, data on risk factors for cerebrovascular events in Chagas disease is limited. Thus, we assessed the relationship between left ventricular (LV) impairment and cerebrovascular events and sources of thromboembolism in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy. METHODS: This retrospective cohort included patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). CMR was performed with a 1.5 T scanner to provide LV volumes, mass, ejection fraction (LVEF), and myocardial fibrosis. The primary outcome was a composite of incident ischemic cerebrovascular events (stroke or transient ischemic attack-TIA) and potential thromboembolic sources (atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, or intracavitary thrombus) during the follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 113 patients were included. Median age was 56 years (IQR: 45-67), and 58 (51%) were women. The median LVEF was 53% (IQR: 41-62). LV aneurysms and LV fibrosis were present in 38 (34%) and 76 (67%) individuals, respectively. The median follow-up time was 6.9 years, with 29 events: 11 cerebrovascular events, 16 had AF or atrial flutter, and two had LV apical thrombosis. In the multivariable model, only lower LVEF remained significantly associated with the outcomes (HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99). Patients with reduced LVEF lower than 40% had a much higher risk of cerebrovascular events and thromboembolic sources (HR: 3.16 95% CI: 1.38-7.25) than those with normal LVEF. The combined incidence rate of the combined events in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with reduced LVEF was 13.9 new cases per 100 persons-year. CONCLUSIONS: LV systolic dysfunction is an independent predictor of adverse cerebrovascular events and potential sources of thromboembolism in patients with chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.

Impact of children with complex chronic conditions on costs in a tertiary referral hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of complex chronic conditions on the use of healthcare resources and hospitalization costs in a pediatric ward of a public tertiary referral university hospital in Brazil. METHODS: This is a longitudinal study with retrospective data collection. Overall, three one-year periods, separated by five-year intervals (2006, 2011, and 2016), were evaluated. Hospital costs were calculated in three systematic samples of 100 patients each, consisting of patients with and without complex chronic conditions in proportion to their participation in the studied year. RESULTS: Over the studied period, the hospital received 2,372 admissions from 2,172 patients. The proportion of hospitalized patients with complex chronic conditions increased from 13.3% in 2006 to 16.9% in 2016 as a result of a greater proportion of neurologically impaired children, which rose from 6.6% to 11.6% of the total number of patients in the same period. Patients' complexity also progressively increased, which greatly impacted the use of healthcare resources and costs, increasing by 11.6% from 2006 (R$1,300,879.20) to 2011 (R$1,452,359.71) and 9.4% from 2011 to 2016 (R$1,589,457.95). CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalizations of pediatric patients with complex chronic conditions increased from 2006 to 2016 in a Brazilian tertiary referral university hospital, associated with an important impact on hospital costs. Policies to reduce these costs in Brazil are greatly needed.

Palliative care team in a Brazilian tertiary emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the process of implementing a palliative care team (PCT) in a Brazilian public tertiary university hospital and compare this intervention as an active in-hospital search (strategy I) with the Emergency Department (strategy II). METHODS: We described the development of a complex Palliative Care Team (PCT). We evaluated the following primary outcomes: hospital discharge, death (in-hospital and follow-up mortality) or transfer, and performance outcomes-Perception Index (difference in days between hospitalization and the evaluation by the PTC), follow-up index (difference in days between the PTC evaluation and the primary outcome), and the in-hospital stay. RESULTS: We included 1203 patients-strategy I (587; 48.8%) and strategy II (616; 51.2%). In both strategies, male and elderly patients were prevalent. Most came from internal medicine I (39.3%) and II (57.9%), p <  0.01. General clinical conditions (40%) and Oncology I (27.7%) and II (32.4%) represented the majority of the population. Over 70% of all patients had PPS 10 and ECOG 4 above 85%. There was a reduction of patients identified in ICU from I (20.9%) to II (9.2%), p <  0.01, reduction in the ward from I (60.8%) to II (42.5%), p <  0.01 and a significant increase from I (18.2%) to II (48.2%) in the emergency department, p <  0.01. Regarding in-hospital mortality, 50% of patients remained alive within 35 days of hospitalization (strategy I), while for strategy II, 50% were alive within 20 days of hospitalization (p <  0.01). As for post-discharge mortality, in strategy II, 50% of patients died 10 days after hospital discharge, while in strategy I, this number was 40 days (p <  0.01). In the Cox multivariate regression model, adjusting for possible confounding factors, strategy II increased 30% the chance of death. The perception index decreased from 10.9 days to 9.1 days, there was no change in follow-up (12 days), and the duration of in-hospital stay dropped from 24.3 to 20.7 days, p <  0.01. The primary demand was the definition of prognosis (56.7%). CONCLUSION: The present work showed that early intervention by an elaborate and complex PCT in the ED was associated with a faster perception of the need for palliative care and influenced a reduction in the length of hospital stay in a very dependent and compromised old population.

Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Treaths at Family and Community Medicine Residency Program in São Paulo state: a view of preceptors. / Forças, Oportunidades, Fraquezas e Ameaças a Programas de Residência em Medicina de Família e Comunidade no estado de São Paulo: um olhar dos preceptores.

Introduction: In the last decade, there has been an increase in vacancies in Residency Programs in Family and Community Medicine (RPFCM) in Brazil, without evaluation of their quality. Objective: To analyze aspects of the development of RPFCM in the state of São Paulo and its insertion in Primary Health Care from the perception of preceptors. Methodology: Descriptive study with the application of a quali-quantitative questionnaire with preceptors with the elaboration of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) matrix superimposing the Donabedian Triad (DT) from the Content Analysis. Descriptive statistics for preceptors' profile. Results: 67 people in 27 programs responded with a median age of 37 years and 52% were women. On average, there are 2 residents per preceptor and 67% work with graduation. 56.7% of the preceptors performed medical residency and 13.4% have degrees, 82% have preceptorship courses. The result of the qualitative analysis generated three major areas of interest: preceptor-resident relationship, preceptor-unit and preceptor-management, linked to DT. Discussion: The population studied is qualified for the position, with more than 70% specialists in the area and more than 80% trained to work in adult education. The perceptions of the preceptors built in the SWOT define the points of structure, process, and results of the programs, being essential in this moment of increase of vacancies in Brazil.

Introdução: Na última década houve aumento de vagas de Programas Residência em Medicina de Família e Comunidade (PRMFC) no Brasil, sem avaliação da qualidade deles. Objetivo: Analisar aspectos do desenvolvimento dos PRMFC no estado de São Paulo e sua inserção na Atenção Primária à Saúde a partir da percepção de preceptores. Metodologia: Estudo descritivo com aplicação de questionário quali-quantitativo com preceptores com a elaboração da matriz Forças, Oportunidades, Fraquezas e Ameaças (FOFA) sobrepondo a Tríade de Donabedian (TD) a partir da Análise de Conteúdo. Estatística descritiva para perfil dos preceptores. Resultados: 67 pessoas em 27 programas responderam com mediana de idade de 37 anos e 52% de mulheres. Em média, são 2 residentes por preceptor e 67% atuam com a graduação. 56,7% dos preceptores realizaram residência médica e 13,4% são titulados, 82% têm cursos de preceptoria. O resultado da análise qualitativa gerou três grandes áreas de interesse: relação preceptor-residente, preceptor-unidade e preceptor-gestão, vinculados a TD. Discussão: A população estudada é qualificada para o cargo, com mais de 70% especialistas na área e mais de 80% formada para atuar na educação de adultos. As percepções dos preceptores construídas na FOFA definem os pontos de estrutura, processo e resultados dos programas, sendo que essenciais nesse momento de aumento de vagas no Brasil.

Participación de enfermería en la vigilancia y prevención de la resistencia antimicrobiana / Nursing involvement in surveillance and prevention of antimicrobial resistance / A participação da enfermagem na vigilância e prevenção da resistência antimicrobiana

La infección nosocomial tiene sus orígenes en el propio nacimiento de los hospitales. Sin embargo, antes del desarrollo de los antibióticos, los hospitales eran instituciones para los pobres necesitados de cuidado, con una elevada tasa de mortalidad, causada no solamente por las enfermedades de base para las cuales no había tratamiento, sino incluso por las condiciones que propiciaban la infección nosocomial

Nosocomial infections originated when hospitals were born. However, before the development of antibiotics, hospitals were institutions for the poor in need of care. They had a high mortality rate not only because of the underlying diseases, for which there was no treatment, but even because of circumstances conducive to nosocomial infections

A infecção nosocomial tem origem no próprio nascimento dos hospitais. No entanto, antes do desenvolvimento dos antibióticos, os hospitais eram instituições para os pobres necessitados de cuidados, com alto índice de mortalidade, causada não só pelas doenças subjacentes para as quais não havia tratamento, mas também devido às condições que favoreceram a infecção nosocomial

Decreasing boarders in the emergency department by reducing clerical work in the discharge process of in-hospital patients in Brazil - an interrupted time-series analysis.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Department (ED) boarding is related to in-hospital patients' discharge since no beds will be available for receiving ED patients if there is a delay for patients in the yard leaving the hospital. New techniques implemented in hospital institutions, such as digital signatures to facilitate clerical work improve these processes. We evaluated the impact of expediting patients' discharge after medical orders with the number of patients with an unplanned hospital admission from the Hospital Out Clinic directed to ED for waiting for an available bed in a public tertiary hospital in Brazil. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental study before and after an intervention. It consisted of an encrypted digital signature to reduce clerical work and expedite the patient's release from the institution after medical discharge. We used an interrupted time-series analysis based on administrative data (number of hospital discharges, bed turnover, the time between medical discharge, and the time the patient effectively left the hospital) from 2011 to 2020. RESULTS: We enrolled 210,496 patients admitted to the hospital from January 2011 to December 2020. Of those, 69,897(33%) composed the group after the intervention. There was no difference between the groups' gender, age distribution, the proportion of surgical patients, or in-hospital stay (≤ 7 or > 7 days). The interrupted time series analysis for the time from medical order to effectively hospital discharge showed an immediate change in level (Coefficient ß2 -3.6 h-95% confidence interval -3.9;-3.4), but no a difference in the slope of the behavior of the post-intervention curve (ß3 0.0005 coefficient-95% confidence interval -0.0040;0.0050). For the number of patients directed to ED, we observed no immediate change in level (Coefficient ß2 -0.84 patients-95% confidence interval -0.33;0.16), but a difference in the slope of the behavior of the post-intervention curve (ß3 0.0005 coefficient-95% confidence interval -0.0040;0.0050). CONCLUSION: Reducing clerical work and expediting patient discharge was associated with decreased potential boarders to ED.

Assessment of preauthorization and 24-hour expert consultation as a restrictive antimicrobial stewardship bundle in a Brazilian tertiary-care hospital: an interrupted time series analysis.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, healthcare facilities face high and often inappropriate consumption of antimicrobials. However, there are limited antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) studies from low- and middle-income countries that include restrictive measures and their impacts on antimicrobial consumption. AIM: This study aims to assess the impact of a restrictive bundle (preauthorization requirements and offering consultation with an infectious diseases physician 24 hours a day) on antimicrobial consumption, in a tertiary hospital in Brazil. METHODS: We conducted an interrupted time series analysis (ITS) with pharmacy-based data from January 2010 to December 2018 to evaluate changes of level and slope in antimicrobial consumption (expressed in DDD/1,000 patient-days) after the implementation of the restrictive bundle in September 2014. Fourteen restricted antimicrobials (amphotericin B deoxycholate, liposomal amphotericin B, micafungin, voriconazole, ganciclovir, amikacin, ampicillin/sulbactam, daptomycin, ertapenem, levofloxacin, linezolid, piperacillin/tazobactam, polymyxin B, and tigecycline) and eight unrestricted were analysed. FINDINGS: Among the 14 restricted antimicrobials, four presented a significant negative level change: micafungin (-2,14, p=.027), voriconazole (-14.72, p<.001), ertapenem (-1.89, p=.007) and amikacin (-13.98, p<.001). The only negative slope change was observed for the liposomal amphotericin B, -0.532 (p=.009). The restricted antibiotics group presented an increased consumption trend (1.068, p=.002) compared to the pre-intervention period, a similar change was observed for the unrestricted antibiotics group (1.360, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Preauthorization and 24 hour expert consultation were partially effective as a restrictive antimicrobial stewardship bundle in a Brazilian tertiary-care hospital. Increased consumption of unrestricted antimicrobials was observed as a side effect of the intervention.

Towards implementing an antibiotic stewardship programme (ASP) in Ecuador: evaluating antibiotic consumption and the impact of an ASP in a tertiary hospital according to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: Ecuador is a lower-to-middle-income country not yet adherent to World Health Organization (WHO) antibiotic stewardship strategies, and data regarding basic metrics are still lacking. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of an antibiotic stewardship programme (ASP) consisting of restrictive measures on carbapenem dispensing pending required pre-authorisation and expert audit. We evaluated antibiotic consumption and its relationship to carbapenem resistance at a 610-bed, tertiary-level hospital in Quito, Ecuador. We used prescription data from 2010-2017 and converted them into defined daily doses (DDD). We then correlated these findings with the nature of service provided and antibiotic resistance data from the microbiology laboratory. We used descriptive statistics and interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. RESULTS: Throughout the study period, we analysed 16 984 355 prescriptions of 8 191 418.57 g of antibiotics (5 760 479.37 DDD). The in-hospital mean antibiotic prescription rate was 148.8 ± 14.8 DDD/100 occupied bed-days and 293.5 ± 65.3 DDD/100 occupied bed-days in the ICU. First-, second- and third-line antibiotic consumption was 38%, 52% and 10%, respectively. Our hospital data showed a high rate of antibiotic prescription in all hospital areas, mainly broad-spectrum antibiotics. Regarding the ASP introduced in 2016, ITS analysis showed a change in the outcome level immediately following the introduction for imipenem [-3.97; 95% confidence interval (CI) -5.31 to -2.61] but not for meropenem (0.66; 95% CI -0.37 to 1.71). CONCLUSION: Although our institution's ASP was successful in reducing imipenem consumption, a more embracing plan is required for further interventions to avoid unexpected effects.

Impact of children with complex chronic conditions on costs in a tertiary referral hospital

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES To investigate the impact of complex chronic conditions on the use of healthcare resources and hospitalization costs in a pediatric ward of a public tertiary referral university hospital in Brazil. METHODS This is a longitudinal study with retrospective data collection. Overall, three one-year periods, separated by five-year intervals (2006, 2011, and 2016), were evaluated. Hospital costs were calculated in three systematic samples of 100 patients each, consisting of patients with and without complex chronic conditions in proportion to their participation in the studied year. RESULTS Over the studied period, the hospital received 2,372 admissions from 2,172 patients. The proportion of hospitalized patients with complex chronic conditions increased from 13.3% in 2006 to 16.9% in 2016 as a result of a greater proportion of neurologically impaired children, which rose from 6.6% to 11.6% of the total number of patients in the same period. Patients' complexity also progressively increased, which greatly impacted the use of healthcare resources and costs, increasing by 11.6% from 2006 (R$1,300,879.20) to 2011 (R$1,452,359.71) and 9.4% from 2011 to 2016 (R$1,589,457.95). CONCLUSIONS Hospitalizations of pediatric patients with complex chronic conditions increased from 2006 to 2016 in a Brazilian tertiary referral university hospital, associated with an important impact on hospital costs. Policies to reduce these costs in Brazil are greatly needed.

Mitral valve thickening in acute rheumatic fever as a predictor of late valvar dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) complicating acute rheumatic fever (ARF) remains an important health problem in developing countries. No definitive diagnostic test for ARF exists and the role of Doppler echocardiography (DEC) for long-term prognostic evaluation following ARF is not well established. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prognostic value of DEC in patients with ARF as a predictor of chronic valve dysfunction. METHODS: Prospectively enrolled patients with clinical ARF had a DEC performed soon after diagnosis and repeated at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months and thereafter at every 1-2 years. We defined chronic valve dysfunction by ≥ 3 of the following: increased valve thickening, commissure fusion, subvalvular thickening, reduced leaflet mobility, non-trivial mitral and/or aortic regurgitation. We performed univariate analysis and developed multivariate logistic regression models to identify variables that may influence evolution to RHD. p <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: We evaluated 70(57% men) patients, 10.8±5.6 years-old during the ARF episode and followed for 95±26 months. Chronic valve dysfunction was identified in 36(51.4%) which fulfilled criteria for RHD and 10(27.8%) of them died or underwent valve surgery. Univariate analysis showed that mitral valve thickening and presence of mitral regurgitation at baseline DEC, were associated with RHD(p<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression showed that only mitral valve thickness either as a continuous (Odds-Ratio:5.8;95%CI:1.7-19.7) or as a categorical variable (Odds-Ratio:4.04;95%CI:1.06-15.3) was an independent predictor of chronic valve dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Mitral leaflets thickening documented at the time of diagnosis of ARF is a consistent prognostic marker for the subsequent evolution to RHD.