[Encuesta Internacional de Indicadores de Salud Referidos por los Pacientes: el protocolo del Estudio PaRIS en España.] / International Patient-Reported Indicators Surveys: The PaRIS study protocol in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: The PaRIS Survey is an initiative led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in twenty-one countries, including Spain, to promote people-centred health care. The objective of the study aimed to describe PROMS and PREMS (Patient Reported Outcomes and Experience Measures, respectively) from patients who were in contact with Primary Care Centres, in order to establish a set of reliable, valid and internationally comparable indicators. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with two questionnaires will be carried out: one applied online for professionals from Primary Care Centres and another by telephone or online for patients aged forty-five and older of the same Health Care Centres. The domains covered are: characteristics of the Health Centre and of the professionals; sociodemographic characteristics of the patients; lifestyles; health care capacities; PROMs and PREMs. CONCLUSIONS: The study offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the health outcomes and experiences of the care received in Primary Care from patient's perspective. This information is essential to help policymakers better understand the performance of their health system and how it could be improved, particularly in relation to chronic care in Primary Care.

OBJETIVO: La Encuesta de Indicadores Referidos por los Pacientes (PaRIS, por sus siglas en inglés) es una iniciativa liderada por la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos en veintiún países, incluyendo España, para promover una atención sanitaria centrada en las personas. El objetivo del estudio fue describir los resultados en salud y las experiencias referidas por los pacientes (PROMs y PREMs, por sus siglas en inglés Patient Reported Outcomes and Experience Measures, respectivamente) que tuvieron contacto con los Centros de Atención Primaria (CAP), con la finalidad de establecer un conjunto de indicadores confiables, válidos e internacionalmente comparables. METODOS: Se realizará un estudio transversal, con dos cuestionarios: online para profesionales de los Centros de Atención Primaria y telefónico u online para los pacientes de cuarenta y cinco años y más, que acudieron a los CAP. Los dominios abarcados son: características del Centro de Atención Primaria y de los profesionales; características sociodemográficas de los pacientes; estilos de vida; capacidades; PROMs y PREMs. CONCLUSIONES: PaRIS ofrece una oportunidad para medir resultados de salud y las experiencias en Atención Primaria desde la perspectiva del paciente. Esta información es fundamental para ayudar a los gestores a comprender mejor el desempeño del sistema de salud y detectar posibilidades de mejora, particularmente en relación con la atención crónica.

Encuesta Internacional de Indicadores de Salud Referidos por los Pacientes: el protocolo del Estudio PaRIS en España / International Patient-Reported Indicators Surveys: The PaRIS study protocol in Spain

Fundamentos: La Encuesta de Indicadores Referidos por los Pacientes (PaRIS, por sus siglas en inglés) es una iniciativa liderada por la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos en veintiún países, incluyendo España, para promover una atención sanitaria centrada en las personas. El objetivo del estudio fue describir los resultados en salud y las experiencias referidas porlos pacientes (PROMs y PREMs, por sus siglas en inglésPatient Reported Outcomes and Experience Measures, respectivamente) quetuvieron contacto con los Centros de Atención Primaria (CAP), con la finalidad de establecer un conjunto de indicadores confiables,válidos e internacionalmente comparables. Métodos: Se realizará un estudio transversal, con dos cuestionarios: online para profesionales de los Centros de Atención Primaria y telefónico u online para los pacientes de cuarenta y cinco años y más, que acudieron a los CAP. Los dominios abarcados son: características del Centro de Atención Primaria y de los profesionales; características sociodemográficas de los pacientes; estilos devida; capacidades; PROMs y PREMs. Conclusiones: PaRIS ofrece una oportunidad para medir resultados de salud y las experiencias en Atención Primaria desde laperspectiva del paciente. Esta información es fundamental para ayudar a los gestores a comprender mejor el desempeño del sistemade salud y detectar posibilidades de mejora, particularmente en relación con la atención crónica.(AU)

Background: The PaRIS Survey is an initiative led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in twenty-onecountries, including Spain, to promote people-centred health care. The objective of the study aimed to describe PROMS and PREMS(Patient Reported Outcomes and Experience Measures, respectively) from patients who were in contact with Primary Care Centres, inorder to establish a set of reliable, valid and internationally comparable indicators. Methods: A cross-sectional study with two questionnaires will be carried out: one applied online for professionals from Primary CareCentres and another by telephone or online for patients aged forty-five and older of the same Health Care Centres. The domains coveredare: characteristics of the Health Centre and of the professionals; sociodemographic characteristics of the patients; lifestyles; health carecapacities; PROMs and PREMs. Conclusions: The study offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the health outcomes and experiences of the care received inPrimary Care from patient’s perspective. This information is essential to help policymakers better understand the performance oftheir health system and how it could be improved, particularly in relation to chronic care in Primary Care.(AU)

Infrequent opioid overdose risk reduction behaviours among young adult heroin users in cities with wide coverage of HIV prevention programmes.

BACKGROUND: Opioid overdose risk reduction behaviours include some preventive behaviours to avoid overdoses (PB) and others to avoid death after overdose, such as never using heroin while alone (NUA). Few studies have examined the prevalence and predictors of these behaviours. AIM: To establish the prevalence and predictors of PBs and NUA among heroin users, both injectors and non-injectors, in three Spanish cities. METHODS: 516 injecting and 475 non-injecting heroin users aged 18-30 were street-recruited in 2001-2003 and interviewed by face-to-face computer-assisted interview. PBs and NUA in the last 12 months were explored using open-ended and precoded questions, respectively. Specific predictors for three PB categories were investigated: control of route of drug administration, control of quantity or type of heroin used, and control of co-use of other drugs. Bivariate and logistic regression methods were used. RESULTS: Overall, the most prevalent PBs were: using a stable and not excessive amount of heroin (12.7%), injecting or using the whole heroin dose slowly or dividing it into smaller doses (12.4%), reducing or stopping heroin injection (8.3%), and not mixing heroin with tranquillisers (5.1%). Most PBs were significantly more prevalent among injectors than non-injectors. No one mentioned reducing the amount of heroin after an abstinence period. Some 36.2% had NUA. In multiple regression analysis, knowledge of risk factors for opioid overdose was a predictor of specific PBs, although this was not always the case. Use of syringe exchange programmes was a predictor of PB among injectors. However, attending methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) or other drug-dependence treatment was not a predictor of any opioid overdose reduction behaviour. Only ever having witnessed or experienced an overdose predicted PB in both injectors and non-injectors. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of heroin users with opioid overdose risk reduction behaviours is very low. Additional specific measures to prevent overdose are needed, as well as increased emphasis on reducing the risk of overdose in programmes to prevent HIV and other blood-borne infections in heroin injectors.

[More than thirty years of illicit drugs in Spain: a bitter story with some messages for the future]. / Más de treinta años de drogas ilegales en España: una amarga historia con algunos consejos para el futuro.

The phenomenon of illicit drug use in Spain during the last thirty years has been marked by the extremely serious consequences of heroin use (mainly injecting). More than 300,000 persons were treated for heroin dependence, 20,000-25,000 died from overdose, 100,000 became infected with HIV through drug injection and quite more with hepatitis virus. Some of these consequences can be attributed to the delay in the implementation of effective interventions, such as methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Currently, the decreasing number of injectors and the positive effects of interventions, mainly MMT, have led to an important decline of the mentioned health problems. However, overdose mortality remains very high (more than 700 deceased per year), prevalence of both HIV and HCV are still high among injectors, and consequences of chronic liver diseases are emerging. In the last years the use of cocaine and associated problems have increased a lot. Nowadays there are more than 100,000 weekly cocaine users, 25.000 persons are annually treated from cocaine abuse or dependence, and cocaine has an important impact on medical emergency services, while its impact on mortality is unknown. Both cannabis use and related problems are increasing too (there are half a million of daily users). We propose to maintain and to strengthen harm reduction programs (MMT, syringe exchange, save-use and injection rooms, hepatitis A and B vaccination, etc.), to urgently develop specific strategies targeted to reduce overdose mortality and cocaine related problems, and to re-evaluate the effectiveness of preventive and supply control strategies.

Más de treinta años de drogas ilegales en España: una amarga historia con algunos consejos para el futuro / More than thirty years of illicit drugs in Spain: a bitter story with some messages for the future

Las dramáticas consecuencias del consumo de heroína (principalmenteinyectada) han marcado el fenómeno de las drogas ilegalesen España en los últimos treinta años. Más de 300.000 personas hansido tratadas por dependencia de heroína, 20.000-25.000 han muertopor «sobredosis», 100.000 han adquirido el VIH mediante inyecciónde drogas y bastantes más se han infectado con los virus de la hepatitis.Algunas de estas consecuencias pueden atribuirse al retraso enla puesta en marcha de intervenciones efectivas, como los tratamientosde mantenimiento con metadona (TMM). Actualmente han descendidomucho estos problemas por el descenso del número de personasque se inyectan y el efecto de las intervenciones, principalmentelos TMM. Sin embargo, la mortalidad por sobredosis siguesiendo muy alta (más de 700 muertes anuales), y entre los consumidorespor vía intravenosa persiste una elevada prevalencia de VIH yhepatitis C, y están emergiendo las consecuencias de las hepatopatíascrónicas. Paralelamente, ha aumentado espectacularmente el usode la cocaína y con él los problemas que causa: hay más de 100.000consumidores semanales, 25.000 personas tratadas anualmente porabuso o dependencia, y un impacto importante sobre los serviciosmédicos de urgencia. Su efecto sobre la mortalidad es desconocido.Están aumentando también el consumo y los problemas por cannabis(existe medio millón de consumidores diarios). Se propone mantenery reforzar los programas de reducción del daño (TMM, intercambiode jeringas, salas de consumo, vacunación de hepatitis A y B, etc.),desarrollar con urgencia estrategias específicas para reducir lasmuertes por sobredosis y los problemas por cocaína, y reevaluar laefectividad de las estrategias preventivas y de control de la oferta

The phenomenon of illicit drug use in Spain during the lastthirty years has been marked by the extremely serious consequencesof heroin use (mainly injecting). More than 300.000 personswere treated for heroin dependence, 20.000-25.000 died from overdose,100.000 became infected with HIV through drug injectionand quite more with hepatitis virus. Some of these consequencescan be attributed to the delay in the implementation of effectiveinterventions, such as methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).Currently, the decreasing number of injectors and the positiveeffects of interventions, mainly MMT, have led to an importantdecline of the mentioned health problems. However, overdose mortalityremains very high (more than 700 deceased per year), prevalenceof both HIV and HCV are still high among injectors, and consequencesof chronic liver diseases are emerging. In the last yearsthe use of cocaine and associated problems have increased a lot.Nowadays there are more than 100.000 weekly cocaine users,25.000 persons are annually treated from cocaine abuse or dependence,and cocaine has an important impact on medical emergencyservices, while its impact on mortality is unknown. Both cannabisuse and related problems are increasing too (there are half a millionof daily users). We propose to maintain and to strengthen harmreduction programs (MMT, syringe exchange, save-use and injectionrooms, hepatitis A and B vaccination, etc.), to urgently developspecific strategies targeted to reduce overdose mortality and cocainerelated problems, and to re-evaluate the effectiveness of preventiveand supply control strategies

Do young heroin users in Madrid, Barcelona and Seville have sufficient knowledge of the risk factors for unintentional opioid overdose?

To identify the self-perceived reasons for unintentional opioid overdose of young heroin users in three Spanish cities and their agreement with objective risk factors for overdose. Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI) were held with 991 street-recruited current heroin users aged 18-30. The general reasons for overdose and the reasons for the last overdose suffered were explored with open-ended (OEQs) and pre-coded questions (PCQs). Limited knowledge of overdose risk factors was defined as mention of fewer than two objective risk factors for unintentional overdose in the OEQ. Univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression methods were used. 77.8% (Seville), 64.9% (Madrid) and 57.2% (Barcelona) of participants have limited knowledge of overdose risk factors. Residence in Seville and not having attended courses or meetings on overdoses were significantly associated with limited knowledge, after adjusting for other factors. The most frequently identified general reasons in OEQ or PCQ were using heroin in large amounts (66.8%), together with tranquilizers (62.0%), adulterated (60.7%), or purer than usual (57.6%). Most reasons were selected more frequently in PCQ than in OEQ, especially rapid injection of the entire dose and using heroin shortly after using tranquilizers or alcohol, by injection, or after a period of abstinence. The results were similar for overdoses suffered by participants. Most young heroin users do not have sufficient knowledge of overdose risk factors, especially the use of heroin by injection, after a period of abstinence, or together with alcohol or methadone. Specific informational or educational programs adapted to the local context are critically needed.