Access to emergency surgical treatment for congenital heart diseases in the state of São Paulo.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze access to surgical care for congenital heart diseases in public specialized centers in the state of São Paulo before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and availability of surgical care in specialized hospitals, to identify bottlenecks in the care path for neonatal cardiac surgery. METHODS: This study included 1,437 children, under one year old, with congenital heart disease and formal referral to heart surgery between February 1, 2019, and February 28, 2021. Quantitative data analysis was performed using t-tests or the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: Approximately 30 % of children with urgent congenital heart disease could not access recommended care, mainly those needing complex surgeries (categories RACHS 4 to 6). The main diagnoses of neonates accessing care were patency of the ductus arteriosus (10.5 %) and coarctation of the aorta (10.1 %). Referral time for children in RACHS 1 to 3 was 4 days (median), while for those in categories 4 to 6, it was 7 days (p < 0.001). Longer referral time (20 days) was associated with court orders. During the pandemic, referral time decreased to 3 days, compared to 5 days (median) in the pre-pandemic period (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The emergency surgical treatment supply for congenital heart diseases is insufficient compared to the current demand. Future research should evaluate if access to care in publicly funded hospitals could be improved by better access to prenatal care for pregnant women, increased diagnostic and therapeutic capacity in pediatric cardiology, and financial incentives for complex cardiac surgeries.

Access to emergency surgical treatment for congenital heart diseases in the state of São Paulo

Abstract Objective To analyze access to surgical care for congenital heart diseases in public specialized centers in the state of São Paulo before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and availability of surgical care in specialized hospitals, to identify bottlenecks in the care path for neonatal cardiac surgery. Methods This study included 1,437 children, under one year old, with congenital heart disease and formal referral to heart surgery between February 1, 2019, and February 28, 2021. Quantitative data analysis was performed using t-tests or the Mann-Whitney test. Results Approximately 30 % of children with urgent congenital heart disease could not access recommended care, mainly those needing complex surgeries (categories RACHS 4 to 6). The main diagnoses of neonates accessing care were patency of the ductus arteriosus (10.5 %) and coarctation of the aorta (10.1 %). Referral time for children in RACHS 1 to 3 was 4 days (median), while for those in categories 4 to 6, it was 7 days (p< 0.001). Longer referral time (20 days) was associated with court orders. During the pandemic, referral time decreased to 3 days, compared to 5 days (median) in the pre-pandemic period (p< 0.001). Conclusion The emergency surgical treatment supply for congenital heart diseases is insufficient compared to the current demand. Future research should evaluate if access to care in publicly funded hospitals could be improved by better access to prenatal care for pregnant women, increased diagnostic and therapeutic capacity in pediatric cardiology, and financial incentives for complex cardiac surgeries.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on private hospitals in Brazil.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted hospital performance. To assess its effects on hospital indicators, we studied a sample of over 100 facilities. These facilities are members of a private hospital association, considered quality institutions with higher-tier socioeconomic patients, and are mostly financed by private insurers. We utilized publicly available data for 2020, the year when the pandemic effect was most acute. Sanitary restriction measures had a strong impact on usual performance indicators from a selected group of private hospitals in Brazil. PÛªÛªregnancies and deliveries continued to constitute an important proportion of hospital admissions because they did not depend on external restrictions. HÛªÛªospital costs increased due to increased utilization of more expensive Personal Protection Equipment (due to lack of availability or much higher demand). Article extracted from the master's dissertation presented to the Master´s Program in Management for Competitiveness at Fundação Getulio Vargas , São Paulo, SP, in 2022. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the operational and/or financial impacts of regulatory measures implemented by the National Agency for Supplementary Health and government health departments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on a group of 118 private hospitals affiliated with the National Association of Private Hospitals. METHODS: This study used a quantitative methodological design of descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective studies, utilizing secondary data provided by the National Agency for Supplementary Health. RESULTS: There was a -20.1% reduction in hospital admissions and hospital occupancy rate and a decrease of -4.4 percentage points in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margins. Additionally, the average length of hospital stay increased by +0.5, while total expenses for hospital leaves and total net revenue for hospital leaves increased by +39.4% and +23.6%, respectively. Comparing the participation of the different International Classification of Diseases, according to ICD-10 in 2019 and 2020, revealed the following variations in percentage points of hospitalizations. Hospitalizations for infectious diseases (including COVID-19), treatment of neoplasms, and pregnancy increased by +2.1, +2.4, and +1.2, respectively. However, hospitalizations for respiratory diseases decreased by -4.1. CONCLUSION: The most critical period of the pandemic required the redirection of activities to concentrate efforts on caring for COVID-19 cases. This situation highlighted the non-prioritization of primary care, as many problems presented by patients not affected by COVID-19 had to be referred to emergency services when and if appropriate.

The Well-being of Brazilian Industry Workers on Returning to the Physical Workplace During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the prevalence and predictors of well-being among Brazilian industry workers on returning to the physical workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Two thousand two hundred forty-one participants completed an online survey between October and November 2021. Well-being was assessed with the World Health Organization Well-being Index, and the questionnaire also addressed sociodemographic and occupational characteristics and the health of workers and their contacts. Associations were estimated with logistic regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of adequate well-being was 63.15%. The predictors of poor well-being included being female, younger, working exclusively from home or on a hybrid model, having comorbid disorders, and living with someone with any comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of vulnerable groups with poor well-being may help organizations to direct efforts to the unmet psychological needs of these employees and develop well-being programs during this transition.

User Experience Regarding Digital Primary Health Care in Santarém, Amazon: Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction and Doctor's Feedback.

BACKGROUND: With the arrival of the pandemic, telemedicine has been widely used to provide medical care and can be used to assist patients in regions far from urban centers that are difficult to access, such as riverside communities in the Brazilian Amazon region. A telemedicine project connecting São Paulo, a mega-metropolis, to Paysandú, a riverside district in the Amazon, was built to serve the local population where access to the nearest medical care is 6 hours away by speedboat. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the feedback from patients and doctors regarding the use of telemedicine in outpatient care at Paysandú, a riverside district in the Amazon. METHODS: This is a single-center study following the guidelines "Evaluating digital health products" from Public Health England, with local adaptations for the project and the Brazilian reality, that was conducted between São Paulo and Santarém in Brazil. A survey was carried out with patients who were treated by a doctor in the city of São Paulo, about 2500 km from the local basic health unit, between September 27 to December 15, 2021. At the end of each teleconsultation, the attending physician answered an administrative survey form, and the patient answered a satisfaction survey. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients completed the satisfaction survey from a total of 220 consultations carried out during the period (95% CI margin error 0.22%). According to the survey, more than 95% of patients were satisfied with the service, 87.4% (n=97) had previous experience with videoconferencing, and 76.6% (n=85) reported that their demand was fully solved. Additionally, according to the hired doctor's feedback, the average duration of the consultations was between 15 and 20 minutes. Of the 220 teleconsultations performed, 90.9% (n=200) of the demands were solved with support from the local health team, and 99.1% (n=218) of the appointments had a problem with audio or video. CONCLUSIONS: This teleconsultation project between São Paulo and Paysandú showed that it is possible to offer medical care from more developed locations to communities far from urban centers, as is the case with Paysandú District. Beyond the feasibility of the infrastructure, acceptance and satisfaction among patients were high. This health care supply model has proven to be functional and should be expanded nationally or perhaps internationally to regions lacking medical assistance. Escalation of the project does not seem too difficult once infrastructure issues are solved.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on private hospitals in Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the operational and/or financial impacts of regulatory measures implemented by the National Agency for Supplementary Health and government health departments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on a group of 118 private hospitals affiliated with the National Association of Private Hospitals. Methods This study used a quantitative methodological design of descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective studies, utilizing secondary data provided by the National Agency for Supplementary Health. Results There was a -20.1% reduction in hospital admissions and hospital occupancy rate and a decrease of -4.4 percentage points in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margins. Additionally, the average length of hospital stay increased by +0.5, while total expenses for hospital leaves and total net revenue for hospital leaves increased by +39.4% and +23.6%, respectively. Comparing the participation of the different International Classification of Diseases, according to ICD-10 in 2019 and 2020, revealed the following variations in percentage points of hospitalizations. Hospitalizations for infectious diseases (including COVID-19), treatment of neoplasms, and pregnancy increased by +2.1, +2.4, and +1.2, respectively. However, hospitalizations for respiratory diseases decreased by -4.1. Conclusion The most critical period of the pandemic required the redirection of activities to concentrate efforts on caring for COVID-19 cases. This situation highlighted the non-prioritization of primary care, as many problems presented by patients not affected by COVID-19 had to be referred to emergency services when and if appropriate.

Impact on health and well-being of working at home during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Introduction: After the onset of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, many workers were forced to start working from home, creating a new dynamic that could potentially affect their health in several ways. Objectives: To study the impact of working at home during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on a sample of Brazilian workers. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional methodology with an online survey conducted by a Brazilian human resources website from June 1 to August 15, 2020, with a sample of employees working at home during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Results: The sample of 653 valid responses revealed that 87.7% of the survey respondents reported that the change to home working started because of the situation caused by the pandemic. However, 550 (84.2%) people from this group stated that their employer did not conduct any health and safety evaluation of their workstation in the domestic environment. Regarding physical symptoms, there were high prevalence rates of symptoms related to musculoskeletal conditions, sleeping problems, feelings of fatigue, headaches, and migraines. The study also used the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index instrument and there were statistically significant associations between low scores and physical symptoms of musculoskeletal conditions, feelings of fatigue, headache or migraine, heartburn and indigestion, and leg pain. Conclusions: The findings of this research confirm the importance of developing strategies and programs to preserve the health and well-being of workers who start working at home, with participation of and supervision by companies' occupational physicians. Future investigations should continue to capture data about health, well-being, and productivity and share best practices to plan support for the occupational health of those working from home.

Reactions of physicians in the state of São Paulo to the use of telemedicine during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Telemedicine can be a component of integrated healthcare practices and its use is not a recent phenomenon around the world. In Brazil, its more widespread use began during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, through extraordinary authorization from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. OBJECTIVES: To describe some aspects of use of teleconsultation among a sample of physicians in the state of São Paulo during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study based on a survey conducted by the São Paulo Medical Association (Associação Paulista de Medicina, APM) on medical practice during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic between December 18, 2020, and January 18, 2021. RESULTS: This survey generated responses from 2,052 physicians. Of these, 981 (47.8%) reported not practicing any form of telemedicine. Among those who reported practicing telemedicine, 274 (28.4%) reported not receiving remuneration directly for the attendance provided and 225 (23.3%) reported receiving remuneration equal to what they would have received from face-to-face consultations. Regarding the professional linkage of the physicians who undertook telemedicine attendance, the majority (499; 51.8%) only attended private patients. Regarding the resources used to provide telemedicine attendance, most of the respondents used specialized digital platforms (594; 61.6%), electronic health records (592; 61.4%) and electronic prescriptions (700; 72.6%). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that important issues such as professional remuneration, use of electronic platforms and medical records, ensuring data protection and relationships between physicians and other stakeholders still need to be better defined, in order to achieve the desired scale and reach the outcomes defined.

Reactions of physicians in the state of São Paulo to the use of telemedicine during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine can be a component of integrated healthcare practices and its use is not a recent phenomenon around the world. In Brazil, its more widespread use began during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, through extraordinary authorization from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. OBJECTIVES: To describe some aspects of use of teleconsultation among a sample of physicians in the state of São Paulo during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study based on a survey conducted by the São Paulo Medical Association (Associação Paulista de Medicina, APM) on medical practice during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic between December 18, 2020, and January 18, 2021. RESULTS: This survey generated responses from 2,052 physicians. Of these, 981 (47.8%) reported not practicing any form of telemedicine. Among those who reported practicing telemedicine, 274 (28.4%) reported not receiving remuneration directly for the attendance provided and 225 (23.3%) reported receiving remuneration equal to what they would have received from face-to-face consultations. Regarding the professional linkage of the physicians who undertook telemedicine attendance, the majority (499; 51.8%) only attended private patients. Regarding the resources used to provide telemedicine attendance, most of the respondents used specialized digital platforms (594; 61.6%), electronic health records (592; 61.4%) and electronic prescriptions (700; 72.6%). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that important issues such as professional remuneration, use of electronic platforms and medical records, ensuring data protection and relationships between physicians and other stakeholders still need to be better defined, in order to achieve the desired scale and reach the outcomes defined.

Brazil's health system functionality amidst of the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of resilience.

Background: As of December 31, 2020, Brazil had the second-highest burden of COVID-19 worldwide. Given the absence of federal government coordination, it was up to the local governments to maintain healthcare provision for non-COVID health issues. In this descriptive study, we aimed to discuss the SUS functionality and resilience, describing the impact of the pandemic on non-COVID health services delivery while considering the regional inequalities of the allocation of financing health system, health infrastructure and health workforce. Methods: We used input-output framework based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Health System Building Blocks to estimate health system functionality and resilience. An ecological assessment was designed to calculated mean relative changes to compare the first year of the pandemic in Brazil with the previous one. All data used in this study were anonymized and made available by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Input indicators were categorized in health system financing (federal funding received as well as expenditure of both state and city governments), health system's infrastructure (hospital beds) and health workforce (healthcare workers positions). Output indicators were categorized into nine different groups of service delivery procedures. To explore the relationship between the variation in procedures with socioeconomic conditions, we used the Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index (SVI). Findings: State governments had a 38·6% increase in federal transfers, while municipal governments had a 33·9% increase. The increase of ICU beds reached its peak in the third quarter of 2020, averaging 72·1% by the end of the year. The country also saw an increase in jobs for registered nurses (13·6%), nurse assistants (8·5%), physiotherapists (7·9%), and medical doctors (4·9%). All procedures underwent expressive reduction: Screenings (-42·6%); Diagnostic procedures (-28·9%); Physician appointments (-42·5%); Low and medium complexity surgeries (-59·7%); High complexity surgeries (-27·9%); Transplants (-44·7%); Treatments and clinical procedures due to injuries of external causes (-19·1%); Irrepressible procedures (-8·5%); and Childbirths (-12·6%). The most significant drop in procedures happened in the first quarter of the pandemic, followed by progressive increase; most regions had not yet recovered by the end of 2020. State-level changes in numbers of procedures point towards a negative trend with SVI. Interpretation: The Brazilian Government did not consider that socioeconomically vulnerable states were at a higher risk of being impacted by the overburden of the health system caused by the COVID-19, which resulted in poorer health system functionality for those vulnerable states. The lack of proper planning to improve health system resilience resulted in the decrease of a quarter of the amount of healthcare procedures increasing the already existing health disparities in the country. Funding: MCTIC/CNPQ/FNDCT/MS/SCTIE/DECIT No 07/2020.

Quality indicators for primary health care in chronic kidney disease in the public service of a city in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be avoided when promptly diagnosed and treated. The objective was to describe quality indicators of CKD detection and health care in the primary care public service of a city in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. This retrospective study analyzed charts of patients who attended primary care in the public service between November 2019 and February 2020. We selected 10 health quality indicators based on their scientific relevance and availability from the medical records that could express how CKD was identified and managed in primary health care. We estimated the adequate percentage of health indicators with data from 1,066 individuals who had ≥ one risk factor for CKD: hypertension, diabetes, or > 60 years old. Among patients, 79.4% had information on serum creatinine, whereas 58.8% were investigated for proteinuria. Blood pressure data were found in 98.9% of the records. The percentage of patients with blood pressure < 140x90mmHg, glycosylated hemoglobin < 6.5% and LDL-cholesterol < 100mg/dL was 79.2%, 49.2%, and 33.3%, respectively. Renin-angiotensin system blockers were prescribed to 82.8% of the patients with hypertension and CKD. Serum potassium was measured in 35.7% for those who were using renin-angiotensin system blockers. Among those people with CKD, 16.7% had CKD assigned in the medical records as a diagnose. Among those participants at higher risk for CKD, the referral rate to a nephrologist was 31.6%. This study confirmed some missed quality indicators of CKD in primary healthcare. Our results may help administrators develop public policies that improve health care for individuals at high risk for CKD. Long-term follow-up of the health indicators we proposed here will be useful to assess the impact of policy intervention.

Census of Brazilian social health organizations: survey and characterization

Objective: To identify and characterize the Brazilians' establishments managed by the Social Health Organizations (OSS). Methods: The identification of these establishments was carried out through primary research on four search procedures on the websites of the health departments of the states and municipalities, and consultation on the websites of the OSS and in the Survey of Basic Municipal Information of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2018. A descriptive analysis of the establishments managed by OSS was carried out comparing with the AD according to hospital indicators. Results: The OSS are concentrated mainly in the Southeast and South of the country, with 69% of these establishments are being managed by 20 social responsibility organizations. The establishments managed by OSS are concentrated mainly in the Southeast and South of the country, with 69% of these establishments managed by 20 OSS. The characterization of the hospitals shows that the OSS has a better performance than DA; however, the difference decreases as the size increases. Larger hospitals performed better than other sizes, and this is where the highest proportion of OSS is concentrated among hospitals. Conclusion: This is the first work that surveys the OSS at the national level. This list of OSS is an important tool for planning, monitoring, and organizing the structure of service provision in public health in Brazil. The results found demonstrate the need to organize an administrative database that allows a temporal monitoring of the establishments.

Censo das organizações sociais de saúde brasileiras: levantamento e caracterização / Census of Brazilian social health organizations: survey and characterization

Objetivo: Identificar e caracterizar os estabelecimentos geridos por Organizações Sociais de Saúde (OSSs) no Brasil. Métodos: A identificação desses estabelecimentos foi realizada mediante quatro procedimentos de busca por meio de pesquisa primária nos sítios das secretarias de saúde dos estados e dos municípios e consulta nos sítios das OSS e na Pesquisa de Informações Básicas Municipais do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), em 2018. Foi realizada uma análise descritiva dos estabelecimentos geridos por OSS comparando com as Administrações Diretas (ADs) segundo indicadores hospitalares. Resultados: Os estabelecimentos geridos por OSSs estão concentrados principalmente no Sudeste e no Sul do país, e 69% desses estabelecimentos são geridos por 20 OSSs. As OSSs estão mais presentes em hospitais-dia, seguidos de prontos atendimentos e de hospitais. A caracterização dos hospitais mostrou que aqueles administrados por OSSs apresentam melhor desempenho; contudo as diferenças diminuem à medida que se aumenta o porte do serviço. Os hospitais de maior porte apresentaram melhor desempenho em relação aos demais e é onde está concentrada a maior proporção de OSSs entre os hospitais. Conclusão: Este é o primeiro trabalho que faz uma identificação das OSSs em nível nacional. Essa listagem das OSSs é um instrumento importante de planejamento, monitoramento e organização da estrutura de oferta de serviços no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Os resultados encontrados demonstram a necessidade de organização de uma base de dados administrativa que permita um acompanhamento do desempenho dos estabelecimentos no tempo.

Objective: To identify and characterize the Brazilians' establishments managed by the Social Health Organizations (OSS). Methods: The identification of these establishments was carried out through primary research on four search procedures on the websites of the health departments of the states and municipalities, and consultation on the websites of the OSS and in the Survey of Basic Municipal Information of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2018. A descriptive analysis of the establishments managed by OSS was carried out comparing with the AD according to hospital indicators. Results: The OSS are concentrated mainly in the Southeast and South of the country, with 69% of these establishments are being managed by 20 social responsibility organizations. The establishments managed by OSS are concentrated mainly in the Southeast and South of the country, with 69% of these establishments managed by 20 OSS. The characterization of the hospitals shows that the OSS has a better performance than DA; however, the difference decreases as the size increases. Larger hospitals performed better than other sizes, and this is where the highest proportion of OSS is concentrated among hospitals. Conclusion: This is the first work that surveys the OSS at the national level. This list of OSS is an important tool for planning, monitoring, and organizing the structure of service provision in public health in Brazil. The results found demonstrate the need to organize an administrative database that allows a temporal monitoring of the establishments.

Quality indicators for primary health care in chronic kidney disease in the public service of a city in the State of São Paulo, Brazil / Qualidade de atenção primária em doença renal crônica em um serviço público de um município do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil / Calidad de los cuidados de salud en la atención primaria relacionados con la enfermedad crónica de riñón en un servicio público en una ciudad del Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Abstract: Complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be avoided when promptly diagnosed and treated. The objective was to describe quality indicators of CKD detection and health care in the primary care public service of a city in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. This retrospective study analyzed charts of patients who attended primary care in the public service between November 2019 and February 2020. We selected 10 health quality indicators based on their scientific relevance and availability from the medical records that could express how CKD was identified and managed in primary health care. We estimated the adequate percentage of health indicators with data from 1,066 individuals who had ≥ one risk factor for CKD: hypertension, diabetes, or > 60 years old. Among patients, 79.4% had information on serum creatinine, whereas 58.8% were investigated for proteinuria. Blood pressure data were found in 98.9% of the records. The percentage of patients with blood pressure < 140x90mmHg, glycosylated hemoglobin < 6.5% and LDL-cholesterol < 100mg/dL was 79.2%, 49.2%, and 33.3%, respectively. Renin-angiotensin system blockers were prescribed to 82.8% of the patients with hypertension and CKD. Serum potassium was measured in 35.7% for those who were using renin-angiotensin system blockers. Among those people with CKD, 16.7% had CKD assigned in the medical records as a diagnose. Among those participants at higher risk for CKD, the referral rate to a nephrologist was 31.6%. This study confirmed some missed quality indicators of CKD in primary healthcare. Our results may help administrators develop public policies that improve health care for individuals at high risk for CKD. Long-term follow-up of the health indicators we proposed here will be useful to assess the impact of policy intervention.

Resumo: As complicações da doença renal crônica (DRC) podem ser evitadas quando a doença é diagnosticada e tratada oportunamente. O estudo teve como objetivo descrever a qualidade dos indicadores da detecção e assistência para a DRC no sistema púbico de saúde em um município do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. O estudo retrospectivo analisou prontuários de pacientes que utilizaram serviços de atenção primária no sistema público entre novembro de 2019 e fevereiro de 2020. Selecionamos dez indicadores de qualidade com base na relevância científica e disponibilidade, a partir dos prontuários médicos. Calculamos o percentual de adequação com dados de 1.066 indivíduos que apresentavam ≥ 1 fatores de risco para DRC: hipertensão, diabetes ou idade > 60 anos. No total, 79,4% dos pacientes apresentavam informação sobre creatinina sérica, e 58,8% foram investigados para proteinúria. Dados de pressão arterial foram encontrados em 98,9% dos prontuários. As proporções de pacientes com pressão arterial < 140x90mmHg, hemoglobina glicada < 6,5% e LDL < 100mg/dL foram 79,2%, 49,2% e 33,3%, respectivamente. Os antagonistas do sistema renina-angiotensina foram prescritos em 82,8% dos pacientes com hipertensão e DRC. O potássio sérico foi medido em 35,7% dos pacientes em uso de antagonistas do sistema renina-angiotensina. Entre os indivíduos com DRC, 16,7% tinham esse diagnóstico registrado no prontuário médico. Entre os participantes com risco mais elevado de DRC, 31,6% foram encaminhados para um nefrologista. O estudo confirmou a falta de alguns indicadores de qualidade para DRC na assistência primária. Os resultados podem ajudar gestores a desenvolverem políticas públicas que melhorem a assistência para indivíduos com risco maior de DRC. O seguimento a longo prazo dos indicadores de saúde propostos aqui será útil para avaliar o impacto dessa política de intervenção.

Resumen: Las complicaciones de la enfermedad crónica de riñón (ECR) se pueden evitar cuando esta enfermedad se diagnostica con prontitud y se trata. El objetivo fue describir indicadores de calidad en la detección de ECR, así como la asistencia en el servicio público de una ciudad, en el Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Este estudio retrospectivo analizó fichas de pacientes que acudían a atención primaria en el servicio público, entre noviembre 2019 y febrero 2020. Seleccionamos 10 indicadores de calidad en salud, basados en relevancia científica y disponibilidad de registros médicos. Calculamos el porcentaje de adecuación de ellos con datos de 1.066 personas que tenían ≥ 1 factor de riesgo ECR: hipertensión, diabetes, o > 60 años. Un 79,4% de los pacientes tenían información sobre la creatinina sérica, y se investigó a un 58,8% en el caso de la proteinuria. Los datos de presión sanguínea se encontraron en un 98,9% de los registros. El porcentaje de pacientes con presión sanguínea < 140x90mmHg, hemoglobina glicada < 6,5% y LDL < 100mg/dL fue 79,2%, 49,2%, y 33,3%, respectivamente. Se prescribieron bloqueadores del sistema renina-angiotensina a un 82,8% de los pacientes con hipertensión y ECR. Se midió el potasio sérico en un 35,7% de aquellos quienes estaban usando bloqueadores del sistema renina-angiotensina. Entre aquellas personas con ECR, 16,7% había ECR asignado en los registros médicos como diagnosis. Entre aquellos participantes en riesgo mayor por ECR, la tasa de derivación a un nefrólogo fue 31,6%. Este estudio confirmó algunos indicadores de calidad olvidados de ECR en los cuidados de salud en la atención primaria. Nuestros resultados quizás podrían ayudar a los gestores a desarrollar políticas públicas que mejoraran el cuidado de salud para las personas con alto riesgo de ECR. El seguimiento a largo plazo de los indicadores de salud que propusimos aquí será útil para evaluar el impacto de la política de intervención.

Atenção primária na saúde suplementar brasileira: estudo qualitativo em planos de saúde / Primary health care in brazilian supplementary health: a qualitative study with selected healthplans

Objetivo -A atenção primária à saúde (APS) tem sido considerada como o pilar da organização do sistema de saúde. Apesar das iniciativas indutoras da Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS), os programas ainda evidenciam baixo alcance,tanto para os beneficiários quanto para a rede assistencial, com impacto limitado nos resultados clínicos, operacionais e financeiros. O presente estudo visa analisar os fatores que podem ser potenciais barreiras para uma maior escala da APS na saúde suplementar brasileira. Métodos -Trata-se de estudo qualitativo envolvendo amostra de gestores de operadoras de saúde selecionadas pelo Laboratório de Inovação de Atenção Primária na Saúde Suplementar. Resultados -No total, 12 profissionais foram entrevistados, de diferentes tipos de operadoras de saúde. A análise qualitativa permitiu o agrupamento em grandes áreas, envolvendo as condições e os desafios de implantação, de ampliação da escala, de integração com os outros níveis de assistência e o engajamento dos usuários. Finalmente, foram identificados caminhos para que a APS tenha mais escala e atinja os resultados desejados. Conclusão -Apesar de se reconhecer a APS como o elemento central na organização do sistema, integrado à rede assistencial, ela ainda não é amplamente adotada na saúde suplementar brasileira. Os gestores dos programas de APS que participaram desta pesquisa destacaram pontos fundamentais a serem abordados, nos diferentes níveis das organizações.

Objective -Primary health care (PHC) has been considered the pillar of the organization of the health system. Despite the ANS-inducing initiatives, they still show low scale, both for beneficiaries and the assistance network, with limited impact on clinical, operational, and financial results. The present study aims to analyze the factors that may be potential barriers to a larger scale of PHC in Brazilian supplementary health. Methods -This is a qualitative study involving a sample of managers of health plans selected by the Innovation Laboratory on Experiences of Primary Care in Brazilian Supplementary Health. Results -In total, 12 professionals were interviewed, from different types of health operators. The qualitative analysis allowed grouping in large areas, involving the conditions and deployment challenges, the scale of expansion, integration with other levels of care and user engagement. Finally, pathways have been identified for the PHC to have more scale and achieve the desired results. Conclusions -Although PHC is recognized as the central element in the organization of the system, integrated into the care network,it is not yet widely adopted in Brazilian supplementary health. The PHC program managers who participated in this research highlighted fundamental points to be addressed, at different levels of organizations.

The effect of municipalization in the Brazilian hospital system: the small-sized hospitals. / O efeito da municipalização no sistema hospitalar brasileiro: os hospitais de pequeno porte.

Hospital care accounts for part of increased health care costs. Countries have adapted their public policies to the hospital sector, focusing on larger centers, after studies of the 1990s have shown that hospitals with less than 200 beds have reduced efficiency. A total of 6,787 hospitals in Brazil were recorded in 2017, 62.3% of which had less than 50 beds. This study evaluated the National Policy for Small-sized Hospitals (PNHPP) published in 2004, and its impact on the Brazilian hospital sector. Twelve of the 27 states adhered to the PNHPP. In the absence of policies to induce the establishment of a networked hospital system, favoring comprehensive actions, the municipalization pulverized hospital care. Municipal managers believed that this was the best path to meet health needs. The number of municipal hospital units increased and their size was reduced, reaching a mean capacity of 50 beds per hospital. The reversal of this scenario involves policies that induce the qualification of hospital care until the understanding that the almost 5,000 small-sized hospital units in the country are a broad set to be studied, subdividing it into smaller groups, with different specialties.

A atenção hospitalar tem sido responsável por parte do aumento de custos em saúde. Países adequaram suas políticas para o setor hospitalar, concentrando a atenção em centros de maior porte, após estudos dos anos 1990 demonstrarem que hospitais menores de 200 leitos apresentam redução da eficiência. Em 2017 existiam no Brasil 6.787 hospitais, sendo 62,3% deles com menos de 50 leitos. O presente estudo avaliou a Política Nacional para os Hospitais de Pequeno Porte (PNHPP), publicada em 2004, e seu impacto no setor hospitalar brasileiro. A adesão à PNHPP ocorreu em 12 dos 27 estados brasileiros. Na ausência de diretrizes que privilegiassem a integralidade das ações, com hospitais inseridos em uma rede, a municipalização gerou a pulverização da atenção hospitalar. Este foi o modo encontrado pelos gestores municipais para o atendimento às necessidades de saúde. Houve aumento dos hospitais municipais, com redução de porte, chegando à média de 50 leitos/hospital. A reversão desse cenário envolve ações que passam por políticas indutoras de qualificação da atenção hospitalar até o entendimento de que as quase 5.000 unidades hospitalares de pequeno porte existentes no país configuram um amplo conjunto a ser estudado em profundidade, subdividindo-o em grupos menores, com vocações distintas.

O efeito da municipalização no sistema hospitalar brasileiro: os hospitais de pequeno porte / The effect of municipalization in the Brazilian hospital system: the small-sized hospitals

Resumo A atenção hospitalar tem sido responsável por parte do aumento de custos em saúde. Países adequaram suas políticas para o setor hospitalar, concentrando a atenção em centros de maior porte, após estudos dos anos 1990 demonstrarem que hospitais menores de 200 leitos apresentam redução da eficiência. Em 2017 existiam no Brasil 6.787 hospitais, sendo 62,3% deles com menos de 50 leitos. O presente estudo avaliou a Política Nacional para os Hospitais de Pequeno Porte (PNHPP), publicada em 2004, e seu impacto no setor hospitalar brasileiro. A adesão à PNHPP ocorreu em 12 dos 27 estados brasileiros. Na ausência de diretrizes que privilegiassem a integralidade das ações, com hospitais inseridos em uma rede, a municipalização gerou a pulverização da atenção hospitalar. Este foi o modo encontrado pelos gestores municipais para o atendimento às necessidades de saúde. Houve aumento dos hospitais municipais, com redução de porte, chegando à média de 50 leitos/hospital. A reversão desse cenário envolve ações que passam por políticas indutoras de qualificação da atenção hospitalar até o entendimento de que as quase 5.000 unidades hospitalares de pequeno porte existentes no país configuram um amplo conjunto a ser estudado em profundidade, subdividindo-o em grupos menores, com vocações distintas.

Abstract Hospital care accounts for part of increased health care costs. Countries have adapted their public policies to the hospital sector, focusing on larger centers, after studies of the 1990s have shown that hospitals with less than 200 beds have reduced efficiency. A total of 6,787 hospitals in Brazil were recorded in 2017, 62.3% of which had less than 50 beds. This study evaluated the National Policy for Small-sized Hospitals (PNHPP) published in 2004, and its impact on the Brazilian hospital sector. Twelve of the 27 states adhered to the PNHPP. In the absence of policies to induce the establishment of a networked hospital system, favoring comprehensive actions, the municipalization pulverized hospital care. Municipal managers believed that this was the best path to meet health needs. The number of municipal hospital units increased and their size was reduced, reaching a mean capacity of 50 beds per hospital. The reversal of this scenario involves policies that induce the qualification of hospital care until the understanding that the almost 5,000 small-sized hospital units in the country are a broad set to be studied, subdividing it into smaller groups, with different specialties.

The COVID-19 pandemic: A call to action for health systems in Latin America to strengthen quality of care.

The Covid-19 and other recent pandemics has highlighted existing weakness in health systems across the Latin-America and the Caribbean (LAC) region to effectively prepare for and respond to Public Health Emergencies. It has been stated that quality of care will be among the most influential factors on Covid 19 mortality rates and low systems performance is the common case in these countries. More comprehensive and system level strategies are required to address the challenges. These must focus on redesigning and strengthening health systems to make them more resilient to the changing needs of populations and based on quality improvement methods that have shown rigorously evaluated positive effects in previous local and regional experiences. A call to action is being made by the Latin American Consortium for Quality, Patient Safety and Innovation (CLICSS) and they provide specific recommendations for decision makers.

Use of private hospital beds by public health systems in response to COVID-19 / Uso de leitos hospitalares privados por sistemas públicos de saúde na resposta à COVID-19

In this study we examined strategies adopted by countries with public health systems that expanded the supply of beds through the use of private hospitals in response to COVID-19. We used selected case studies to explore the institutional context in which measures were implemented, the management instruments used and how to characterize government action in eight countries: Australia, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Chile, Mexico and Peru, in addition to Brazil. This analysis can help to identify mechanisms of health system management that can control actions to respond to ESP situations, as well as improve the governance of health systems in the relationship between public and private sectors.

Nesse estudo examinamos estratégias adotadas por países com sistemas públicos de saúde que expandiram a oferta de leitos por meio da utilização de hospitais privados na resposta à COVID-19. Utilizamos estudo de casos selecionados para explorar o contexto institucional em que as medidas foram implementadas, os instrumentos de gestão utilizados e como se caracterizou a ação governamental em oito países: Austrália, Espanha, Irlanda, Itália, Chile, México e Peru, além do Brasil. Essa análise pode auxiliar a identificar mecanismos de gestão de sistema de saúde necessários para a coordenação de ações governamentais para resposta a situações de ESP, bem como para aperfeiçoar a governança dos sistemas de saúde na relação entre setores público e privado.