Teleconsultations in neurology in a universal health system amid COVID-19: a descriptive study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize teleconsultations in neurology executed by Regula+Brasil project in Recife, a capital city in northeastern Brazil. METHODS: A descriptive study carried out by four private hospitals, in a partnership with the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Teleconsultation was performed preferably in the video modality. Conditions eligible for teleconsultation were headache, epilepsy, and cerebrovascular disorders. Period of analysis was May to September 2020. RESULTS: A total of 243 teleconsultations were analyzed, of which 76.95% was a first appointment. In 48.97% of cases, the teleconsultation represented the first opportunity for the patient to be consulted with the specialist. Among cases of first appointment, 20.16% were further referred to a face-to-face consultation and 21.81% could be redirected to primary health care. Headache disorders were the most predominant clinical conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation and development of telemedicine by Regula+Brasil during the COVID-19 pandemic represented an opportunity to assess the value of having teleconsultations added along the line of care from primary care to a medical specialty, promoting the coordination of care across different levels of complexity of care in the health system and improving access to specialized care.

Teleconsultations in neurology in a universal health system amid COVID-19: a descriptive study

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize teleconsultations in neurology executed by Regula+Brasil project in Recife, a capital city in northeastern Brazil. METHODS: A descriptive study carried out by four private hospitals, in a partnership with the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Teleconsultation was performed preferably in the video modality. Conditions eligible for teleconsultation were headache, epilepsy, and cerebrovascular disorders. Period of analysis was May to September 2020. RESULTS: A total of 243 teleconsultations were analyzed, of which 76.95% was a first appointment. In 48.97% of cases, the teleconsultation represented the first opportunity for the patient to be consulted with the specialist. Among cases of first appointment, 20.16% were further referred to a face-to-face consultation and 21.81% could be redirected to primary health care. Headache disorders were the most predominant clinical conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation and development of telemedicine by Regula+Brasil during the COVID-19 pandemic represented an opportunity to assess the value of having teleconsultations added along the line of care from primary care to a medical specialty, promoting the coordination of care across different levels of complexity of care in the health system and improving access to specialized care.

Telehealth for Supporting Referrals to Specialized Care During COVID-19.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the suspension or postponement of care for non-urgent conditions worldwide. Regula Mais Brasil is an initiative of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil to optimize the management of referrals to specialized care by using telehealth. Objectives: To report the expansion of telehealth activities of Regula Mais Brasil in response to COVID-19 and to assess qualification of referrals in primary health care (PHC) units as well as the added value of teleconsultation in qualifying referral cases. Methods: Descriptive study of the teleconsultations carried out as an additional strategy to the remotely operated referral management system, responsible for navigating cases from PHC units to specialized care in Recife, Brazil, between May 6, 2020 and September 30, 2020. Teleconsultation was implemented as a tool for reducing delays in the access to health care due to COVID-19 and ultimately allowed for reclassification of the referral adequacy and priority. Changes in referral priority ratings and referral decisions after teleconsultation were analyzed. Results: A total of 622 referral cases were analyzed. Approved referrals represented 51.9% of cases. The main reason for approved referrals was the need for diagnostic resources. There was a reduction in priority ratings in 449 cases (72.2%) after teleconsultation. There was a statistically significant association between the change of priority ratings and the decision on referral (Pearson's χ2, p-value <0.0001). Results show that telemedicine had an impact on the prioritization and qualification of cases referred to specialized services. Conclusions: A need was detected to rapidly adapt tools available for telemedicine in Brazil. Our results demonstrate that teleconsultation as an additional strategy to the remotely operated referral management system has contributed toward improving equitable access to specialized services.

Telehealth to support referral management in a universal health system: a before-and-after study.

BACKGROUND: Management of patient flow within a healthcare network, allowing equitable and qualified access to healthcare, is a major challenge for universal health systems. Implementation of telehealth strategies to support referral management has been shown to increase primary care resolution and to promote coordination of care. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of telehealth strategies on waiting lists and waiting times for specialized care in Brazil. METHODS: Before-and-after study with measures obtained between January 2019 and February 2020. Baseline measurements of waiting lists were obtained immediately before the implementation of a remotely operated referral management system. Post-interventional measurements were obtained monthly, up to six months after the beginning of operation. Data was extracted from the database of the project. General linear models were applied to assess interaction of locality and time over number of cases on waiting lists and waiting times. RESULTS: At baseline, the median number of cases on waiting lists ranged from 2961 to 12,305 cases. Reductions of the number of cases on waiting lists after six months of operation were observed in all localities. The magnitude of the reduction ranged from 54.67 to 88.97 %. Interaction of time measurements was statistically significant from the second month onward. Median waiting times ranged from 159 to 241 days at baseline. After six months, there was a decrease of 100 and 114 waiting days in two localities, respectively, with reduction of waiting times only for high-risk cases in the third locality. CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of telehealth strategies resulted in the reduction of number of cases on waiting lists. Results were consistent across localities, suggesting that telehealth interventions are viable in diverse settings.

O Currículo de Competências do Programa de Residência em Medicina de Família e Comunidade da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo / The Competency-based Curriculum of the Residency Program in Family Medicine at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo / El Currículo de Competencias del Programa de Residencia en Medicina de Familia y Comunidad de la Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo

Objetivo: Apresentar os passos adotados para a construção de um currículo de competências dentro do programa de residência em medicina de família da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo; descrever características e diretrizes fundamentais do currículo de competências relacionadas aos seus três atributos centrais: ferramentas de aprendizado, metodologias docentes e processos avaliativos; e, por fim, descrever comparações do uso de instrumentos de avaliação pelo nosso programa de residência e outras experiências na literatura. Métodos: Levantamento e análise das principais experiências internacionais em treinamento de médicos de família; realização de uma série de oficinas e workshops; criação de grupos de trabalho com áreas, temas e responsabilidades específicas para estudo, apresentação e definição coletiva. Resultados: Elaboração de um currículo de competências apoiado em um modelo quintidimensional de competências. Conclusão: O estabelecimento de um currículo baseado em competências é vital para organizar o programa de residência. O uso de referenciais internacionais, nacionais e a contribuição das pessoas envolvidas no programa de residência favorecem a organização das competências ao mesmo tempo em que se respeitam as singularidades do programa de residência. Desafios são encontrados para aplicar o currículo na prática do dia-a-dia.

Objective: To present the steps taken to build a competency curriculum in family medicine residency program of the within the Medical School of the University of São Paulo; to describe fundamental characteristics and guidelines of the competency curriculum related to its three central attributes: learning tools, teaching methodologies and evaluation processes; and finally, to describe comparisons of the use of evaluation instruments by our residency program and other experiences in the literature. Methods: Review and analysis of the main international experiences in training of family physicians; conducting a series of workshops and creation of working groups with specific areas, themes and responsibilities for study, presentation and collective definition. Results: Elaboration of a competency curriculum based on a five-dimensional competence model. Conclusion: Establishing a competency-based curriculum is vital to in the organization of the residency program. The use of international and national references and the contribution of the people involved in the residence program favor the organization of competences while respecting the singularities of the residency program. Challenges are encountered in implementing the curriculum in the practice of the day.

Objetivo: Presentar los pasos adoptados para la construcción de un currículo de competencias dentro del programa de residencia en medicina de familia de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de São Paulo; describir características y directrices fundamentales del currículo de competencias relacionadas a sus 3 atributos centrales: herramientas de aprendizaje, metodologías docentes y procesos de evaluación; y por último, describir comparaciones del uso de instrumentos de evaluación por nuestro programa de residencia y otras experiencias en la literatura. Métodos: Levantamiento y análisis de las principales experiencias internacionales en capacitación de médicos de familia; realización de una serie de talleres; creación de grupos de trabajo con áreas, temas y responsabilidades específicas para estudio, presentación y definición colectiva. Resultados: Elaboración de un currículo de competencias apoyado en un modelo de cinco dimensiones de competencias. Conclusión: El establecimiento de un currículo basado en competencias es vital para organizar el programa de residencia. El uso de referencias internacionales, nacionales y la contribución de las personas implicadas en el programa de residencia favorecen la organización de las competencias mientras se respetan las singularidades del programa de residencia. Los desafíos se encuentran para aplicar el currículo en la práctica del día a día.

Estratégia de Saúde da Família: a melhor aposta para um sistema de saúde orientado para a proteção de pessoas e conquistas civilizatórias / Family Health Strategy: the best alternative for a health system oriented towards the protection of people and civilizatory achievements / Estrategia de Salud de la Familia: la mejor alternativa para un sistema desalud orientado para la protección de personas y conquistas civilizadoras

A Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF) permanece a melhor aposta para oferecer acesso e coordenação ao Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) brasileiro. Contudo, desde a década de 1990, sua estruturação tem sido marcada por contradições relevantes, tanto pela fragilidade de sua política de gestão, avançando pouco na consolidação de seus atributos, como pelos limites de sua política de cuidado, muitas vezes gerando iniquidades na assistência. Analisando o fenômeno da revisão da Política Nacional de Atenção Básica(PNAB), que se presume ser uma agenda desregulamentadora para a porta de entrada do sistema, busca-se indicar possibilidades de enfrentamento para consolidação do modelo da ESF no país e fortalecimento de todo o sistema de saúde.(AU)

The ESF ­ Estratégia de Saúde da Família (Family Health Strategy) remains the best alternative to offer coordination of care and access to the Brazilian SUS ­ Sistema Único de Saúde (known as Unified Health System). However, since the 1990s, its structuring has been marked by significant contradictions, due to the fragility of its administrative policy, with little progress in the consolidation of its attributes, as well as the limits of its clinical governance policy, often generating iniquities in care. Analyzing the phenomenon of the revision of the PNAB ­ Política Nacional de Atenção Básica (National Policy on Primary Health Care), which is assumed to be a deregulatory agenda on the gateway to system, we seek to indicate possibilities of confrontation to consolidate the model of the Family Health Strategy in Brazil and to strengthen the entirehealth system

A ESF ­ Estratégia de Saúde da Família (La Estrategia de Salud de la Familia) permanece la mejor alternativa para ofrecer acceso y coordinación al SUS ­ Sistema Único de Saúde (Sistema Único de Salud) brasileño. Sin embargo, desde los años 1990, su estructuración ha sido señalada por contradicciones relevantes, tanto por la fragilidad de su política de gestión, avanzando poco en la consolidación de sus atributos, como también por los límites de su política de cuidado, muchas veces generando iniquidades en la asistencia. Analizando el fenómeno de la revisión de la PNAB ­ Política Nacional de Atenção Básica (Política Nacional de Atención Primaria de Salud), la cual se presume ser una agenda de des reglamentación de la puerta de entrada del sistema, se busca indicar los posibles enfrentamientos para la consolidación del modelo de la ESF en Brasily el fortalecimiento de todo el sistema de salud.