Programa de comunicación a distancia. Elaboración de indicadores cuali-cuantitativos para su evaluación / Outreach education program. Development of qualitative and quantitative assessment markers.

La Oficina de Comunicación a distancia (OCD) es una estructura creada en 1997 en el Hospital de Pediatría Juan P. Garrahan, con el objetivo de responder consultas a distancia y facilitar el seguimiento de pacientes, con la intención de evitar los traslados innecesarios. Ha dado respuesta a más de 25000 consultas. Actualmente, en el marco del Programa de Comunicación a Distancia (PCD), funcionan 88 OCD distribuidas en 12 de las 23 provincias argentinas. Se presentan resultados sobre una muestra de 148 consultas realizadas al Hospital Garrahan desde 6 provincias, que participaron de un estudio de tipo descriptivo, retrospectivo, cuali-cuantitativo. Éste permitió formular nuevas formas de registro de la tarea y elaborar indicadores cualicuantitativos para evaluar el PCD: consultas, motivo de consulta, tipo de paciente consultado, necesidad de la consulta, duración de la enfermedad al momento de la consulta, derivación sugerida, tiempo de respuesta. Se analizó el número de consultas y las sugerencias de derivación, mostrando las primeras un progresivo y significativo incremento desde la implementación del PCD. Con relación a los motivos de consulta, 84% correspondió a definición de diagnóstico y tratamiento, 16% a motivos de seguimiento e intercurrencias. 62% presentaba patologías crónicas. 95% de los pacientes fueron definidos como complejos. 79% correspondió a consultas definidas como imprescindibles. La derivación fue sugerida en el 54% de las consultas. La mediana del tiempo de respuesta fue de 48 horas. El bajo porcentaje atribuido a "motivos de seguimiento" evidencia la necesidad de profundizar estrategias para promoverlo. El PCD oficializó una modalidad de comunicación que canaliza prácticas anteriormente realizadas a través de vías informales, resignificando la gestión como acto asistencial. Contribuyó a la implementación de metodologías de evaluación conjunta de los indicadores considerados, que contemplan el contexto de la población con la que se trabaja (AU)

In 1997, the Outreach Communication Office (OCO) was created at the Pediatric Hospital Juan P. Garrahan with the aim of responding to consultations from remote places and facilitating follow-up of patients while avoiding unnecessary patient transportations. More than 25,000 consultations have been responded. Currently, within the framework of the Program of Outreach Communication (POC), 88 OCO's are operating distributed over 12 of the 23 Argentine provinces. Here we present the results of a sample of 148 consultations made at the Garrahan Hospital from six provinces that participated in a descriptive, retrospective, qualitative and quantitative study. The study allowed formulation of new methods of task registration and the development of qualitative and quantitative indicators to evaluate the POC: consultations, reason for consultation, type of patient, urgency of the consultation, disease duration until the moment of consultation, suggested referral, and time to response. The number of consultations and suggestions for referral were analyzed showing a progressive and significant increase of the former since the implementation of the POC. Of the reasons for consultation, 84% was related to definition of diagnosis and treatment, 16% to follow-up and intercurrencies. Of all patients, 62% had chronic diseases and 95% were considered complex patients. Of the consultations, 79% were defined as essential and 54% of the patients were referred to specialists. Mean time to response was 48 hours. The low percentage of consultations for "reasons of follow-up" reveals the need to develop strategies to encourage this modality. The POC has officialized a means of communication channeling practices that previously were informal giving a new meaning to the concept management in health care. The POC has contributed to the implementation of methodologies for the assessment of global markers taking into account the context of the population in question (AU)

Postirradiation multiple minute digitate porokeratosis.

BACKGROUND: Development of multiple minute digitate hyperkeratoses (MMDH) after irradiation has been reported previously. The keratotic lesions in these cases were confined within the irradiation field, and histopathological examination disclosed a focal column of parakeratosis (cornoid lamella) arising from an epidermis devoid of granular layer. OBJECTIVE: We describe a 78-year-old woman who developed multiple, discrete, tiny, filiform, keratotic papules on the anterior aspect of the right chest wall, 13 months after postmastectomy cobalt irradiation therapy for mammary infiltrating ductal carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Postirradiation MMDH represents a peculiar radiation-induced disorder that we believe should be distinguished from other cases of MMDH and included within the spectrum of porokeratosis.

Hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita preceding extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma.

A 62-year-old woman with acquired hypertrichosis lanuginosa as a paraneoplastic presenting sign of an extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma is described. Despite initial comprehensive screening to rule out an associated malignancy, a definitive diagnosis of sarcoma was established only 1 year after the onset of the cutaneous symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita associated with a soft tissue sarcoma. Our observation expands the spectrum of malignancies associated with this uncommon paraneoplastic disorder.