Abordaje contextual en la práctica del médico de familia / Contextual approach in the practice of the family physician

El contexto representa un conjunto de circunstancias que rodean una situación y, sin las cuales, esta no puede comprenderse en forma correcta. La relación médico paciente está enmarcada en un vínculo contextual. En la práctica cotidiana del médico de familia la atención del paciente se realiza de manera integral, sin disociar el cuerpo del contexto. En este artículo los autores desarrollan el abordaje contextual como herramienta diagnóstica y se describen con detalle dos instrumentos útiles para ponerla en práctica: la evaluación contextual y la entrevista de FOCO (Familia, Orientación y Contexto). (AU)

The context represents a set of circumstances that surround a situation without which it can not be properly understood.The patient-physician relationship is framed in a contextual link. In the daily practice of the family physician, patient careis carried out in an integral manner, without dissociating the body from the context. In this article the authors develop the contextual approach as a diagnostic tool and describe in detail two useful instruments to put it into practice: the contextual assessment and the FOCO interview (Family, Orientation and Context). (AU)

Thyroid cancer under the scope of emerging technologies.

The vast majority of thyroid cancers originate from follicular cells. We outline outstanding issues at each step along the path of cancer patient care, from prevention to post-treatment follow-up and highlight how emerging technologies will help address them in the coming years. Three directions will dominate the coming technological landscape. Genomics will reveal tumoral evolutionary history and shed light on how these cancers arise from the normal epithelium and the genomics alteration driving their progression. Transcriptomics will gain cellular and spatial resolution providing a full account of intra-tumor heterogeneity and opening a window on the microenvironment supporting thyroid tumor growth. Artificial intelligence will set morphological analysis on an objective quantitative ground laying the foundations of a systematic thyroid tumor classification system. It will also integrate into unified representations the molecular and morphological perspectives on thyroid cancer.

Trends in HIV Care Outcomes Among Adults and Adolescents-33 Jurisdictions, United States, 2014-2018.

BACKGROUND: With significant improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV, the number of people with HIV in the United States steadily increases. Monitoring trends in HIV-related care outcomes is needed to inform programs aimed at reducing new HIV infections in the United States. SETTING: The setting is 33 United States jurisdictions that had mandatory and complete reporting of all levels of CD4 and viral load test results for each year during 2014-2018. METHODS: Estimated annual percentage change and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess trends in stage of disease at time of diagnosis, linkage to HIV medical care within 1 month of HIV diagnosis, and viral suppression within 6 months after HIV diagnosis. Differences in percentages were analyzed by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and transmission category for persons with HIV diagnosed from 2014 to 2018. RESULTS: Among 133,477 persons with HIV diagnosed during 2014-2018, the percentage of persons who received a diagnosis classified as stage 0 increased 13.7%, stages 1-2 (early infections) increased 2.9%, stage 3 (AIDS) declined 1.5%, linkage to HIV medical care within 1 month of HIV diagnosis increased 2.3%, and viral suppression within 6 months after HIV diagnosis increased 6.5% per year, on average. Subpopulations and areas that showed the least progress were persons aged 45-54 years, American Indian/Alaska Native persons, Asian persons, Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander persons, and rural areas with substantial HIV prevalence, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: New infections will continue to occur unless improvements are made in implementing the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America strategies of diagnosing, treating, and preventing HIV infection.

Inequities in access to primary care among opioid recipients in Ontario, Canada: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Stigma and high-care needs can present barriers to the provision of high-quality primary care for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and those prescribed opioids for chronic pain. We explored the likelihood of securing a new primary care provider (PCP) among people with varying histories of opioid use who had recently lost access to their PCP. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using linked administrative data among residents of Ontario, Canada whose enrolment with a physician practicing in a primary care enrolment model (PEM) was terminated between January 2016 and December 2017. We assigned individuals to 3 groups based upon their opioid use on the date enrolment ended: long-term opioid pain therapy (OPT), opioid agonist therapy (OAT), or no opioid. We fit multivariable models assessing the primary outcome of primary care reattachment within 1 year, adjusting for demographic characteristics, clinical comorbidities, and health services utilization. Secondary outcomes included rates of emergency department (ED) visits and opioid toxicity events. Among 154,970 Ontarians who lost their PCP, 1,727 (1.1%) were OAT recipients, 3,644 (2.4%) were receiving long-term OPT, and 149,599 (96.5%) had no recent prescription opioid exposure. In general, OAT recipients were younger (median age 36) than those receiving long-term OPT (59 years) and those with no recent prescription opioid exposure (44 years). In all exposure groups, the majority of individuals had their enrolment terminated by their physician (range 78.1% to 88.8%). In the primary analysis, as compared to those not receiving opioids, OAT recipients were significantly less likely to find a PCP within 1 year (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50 to 0.61, p < 0.0001). We observed no significant difference between long-term OPT and opioid unexposed individuals (aHR 0.96; 95% CI 0.92 to 1.01, p = 0.12). In our secondary analysis comparing the period of PCP loss to the year prior, we found that rates of ED visits were elevated among people not receiving opioids (adjusted rate ratio (aRR) 1.20, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.22, p < 0.0001) and people receiving long-term OPT (aRR 1.37, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.48, p < 0.0001). We found no such increase among OAT recipients, and no significant increase in opioid toxicity events in the period following provider loss for any exposure group. The main limitation of our findings relates to their generalizability outside of PEMs and in jurisdictions with different financial incentives incorporated into primary care provision. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed gaps in access to primary care among people who receive prescription opioids, particularly among OAT recipients. Ongoing efforts are needed to address the stigma, discrimination, and financial disincentives that may introduce barriers to the healthcare system, and to facilitate access to high-quality, consistent primary care services for chronic pain patients and those with OUD.

Experiences of maternity care among women at increased risk of preterm birth receiving midwifery continuity of care compared to women receiving standard care: Results from the POPPIE pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Midwifery continuity of care models for women at low and mixed risk of complications have been shown to improve women's experiences of care. However, there is limited research on care experiences among women at increased risk of preterm birth. We aimed to explore the experiences of care among women with risk factors for preterm birth participating in a pilot trial (POPPIE) of a midwifery continuity of care model which included a specialist obstetric clinic. METHODS: A total of 334 pregnant women identified at increased risk of preterm birth were randomly allocated to either midwifery continuity of care (POPPIE group) or standard maternity care. Women in both groups were followed up at six-to-eight weeks postpartum and were invited to complete a postnatal survey either online or by post. An equal status exploratory sequential mixed method design was chosen to collect and analyse the quantitative postnatal survey data and qualitative interviews data. The postnatal survey included measures of social support, trust, perceptions of safety, quality of care, control during childbirth, bonding and quality of life. Categorical data were analysed with chi-squared tests and continuous data were analysed with t-tests and/or Mann-Whitney U test to measure differences in measures scores among groups. The qualitative interview data were subjected to a thematic framework analysis. Data triangulation brought quantitative and qualitative data together at the interpretation stage. FINDINGS: A total of 166 women completed the survey and 30 women were interviewed (90 and 16 in POPPIE group; 76 and 14 in standard group). We found survey respondents in the POPPIE group, compared to respondents in the standard group, were significantly more likely to report greater trust in midwives (Mann-Whitney U, p<0.0001), greater perceptions of safety during the antenatal care (t-test, p = 0.0138), have a particular midwife to contact when they needed during their pregnancy (t-test, p<0.0001) and the postnatal period (chi-squared, p<0.0001). They reported increased involvement in decisions regarding antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care (t-test, p = 0.002; p = 0.008; p = 0.006 respectively); and greater postnatal support and advice about: feeding the baby (chi-squared, p<0.0001), handling, settling and looking after the baby (chi-squared, p<0.0001), baby's health and progress (chi-squared, p = 0.039), their own health and recovery (chi-squared, p = 0.006) and who to contact about any emotional changes (chi-squared, p = 0.005). There were no significant differences between groups in the reporting of perceptions of safety during birth and the postnatal period, concerns raised during labour and birth taken seriously, being left alone during childbirth at a time of worries, control during labour, bonding, social support, and physical and mental health related quality of life after birth. Results from qualitative interviews provided insight and depth into many of these findings, with women in the POPPIE group reporting more positive experiences of bonding towards their babies and more positive physical health postnatally. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with standard maternity care, women at increased risk of PTB who received midwifery continuity of care were more likely to report increased perceptions of trust, safety and quality of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN (Number: 37733900); UK CRN (ID: 31951).

Testicular cancer follow-up costs in Germany from 2000 to 2015.

PURPOSE: Advances in testicular cancer screening and therapy increased 10-year survival to 97% despite a rising incidence; eventually expanding the population of survivors requiring follow-up. We analyzed 10-year follow-up costs after testicular cancer treatment in Germany during 2000, 2008, and 2015. METHODS: Testicular cancer follow-up guidelines were extracted from the European Association of Urology. Per patient costs were estimated with a micro-costing approach considering direct and indirect medical expenses derived from expert interviews, literature research, and official scales of tariffs. Three perspectives covering costs for patients, providers, and insurers were included to estimate societal costs. Cost progression was compared across cancer histology, stage, stakeholders, resource use, and follow-up years. RESULTS: Mean 10-year follow-up costs per patient for stage I seminomatous germ-cell tumors (SGCT) on surveillance declined from EUR 11,995 in 2000 to EUR 4,430 in 2015 (p < 0.001). Advanced SGCT spending shrank from EUR 13,866 to EUR 9,724 (p < 0.001). In contrast, expenditure for stage II SGCT increased from EUR 7,159 to EUR 9,724 (p < 0.001). While insurers covered 32% of costs in 2000, only 13% of costs were reimbursed in 2015 (p < 0.001). 70% of SGCT follow-up resources were consumed by medical imaging (x-ray, CT, ultrasound, FDG-PET). Spending was unevenly distributed across follow-up years (years 1-2: 50%, years 3-5: 39%, years 5-10: 11%). CONCLUSIONS: The increasing prevalence of testicular cancer survivors caused German statutory insurers to cut per patient cost by up to 80% by budgeting services and decreasing reimbursement rates. The economic burden was gradually redistributed to patients and providers.

The key components of a successful model of midwifery-led continuity of carer, without continuity at birth: findings from a qualitative implementation evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Recent UK maternity policy changes recommend that a named midwife supports women throughout their pregnancy, birth and postnatal care. Whilst many studies report high levels of satisfaction amongst women receiving, and midwives providing, this level of continuity of carer, there are concerns some midwives may experience burnout and stress. In this study, we present a qualitative evaluation of the implementation of a midwife-led continuity of carer model that excluded continuity of carer at the birth. METHODS: Underpinned by the Conceptual Model for Implementation Fidelity, our evaluation explored the implementation, fidelity, reach and satisfaction of the continuity of carer model. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with midwives (n = 7) and women (n = 15) from continuity of carer team. To enable comparisons between care approaches, midwives (n = 7) and women (n = 10) from standard approach teams were also interviewed. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: For continuity of carer team midwives, manageable caseloads, extended appointment times, increased team stability, and flexible working patterns facilitated both care provided and midwives' job satisfaction. Both continuity of carer and standard approach midwives reported challenges in providing postnatal continuity given the unpredictable timing of labour and birth. Time constraints, inadequate staffing and lack of administrative support were reported as additional barriers to implementing continuity of carer within standard approach teams. Women reported continuity was integral to building trust with midwives, encouraged them to disclose mental health issues and increased their confidence in making birth choices. CONCLUSIONS: Our evaluation highlighted the successful implementation of a continuity of carer model for ante and postnatal care. Despite exclusion of the birth element in the model, both women and midwives expressed high levels of satisfaction in comparison to women and midwives within the standard approach. Implementation successes were largely due to structural and resource factors, particularly the combination of additional time and smaller caseloads of women. However, these resources are not widely available within the resources of maternity unit budgets. Future research should further explore whether a continuity of carer model focusing on antenatal and postnatal care delivery is a feasible and sustainable model of care for all women.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Lockdown on a Botulinum Toxin Outpatient Clinic in Germany.

Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) injections have to be administered repeatedly to achieve a rather stable, high level of improvement. This study aimed to take a look at changes in the daily routine of a BoNT/A outpatient clinic due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic lockdown, analyze the impact of SARS-CoV-2-induced re-injection delay on outcomes in patients with cervical dystonia (CD) (n = 36) and four other disease entities (n = 58), and study the influence of covariables, including previous injections and doses. For the present observational study, the first 100 patients who were scheduled to have an appointment between April 20 and May 18 during the partial lockdown and also had been treated regularly before the lockdown were recruited. Clinical and demographical characteristics and treatment-related data from the previous visits were extracted from charts. Time delay, symptom severity assessment, and TSUI score (if applicable) were gathered at the first coronavirus pandemic lockdown emergency visit for each patient. Of the 94 patients who could come to the clinic, 48 reported a delay and 44 reported worsening during the delay. Delays ranged from 1 to 63 days, the mean delay was 23 days, and the mean worsening was 26% compared to the previous visit. A significant correlation was found between the duration of the delay and the patient's rating of worsening (PwP). In CD patients, the physician´s rating of CD worsening by the TSUI score (ATUSI-PTSUI) was significantly correlated with general worsening (DwP) and the TSUI at the last visit (PTSUI). A small delay of a few weeks led to a similar worsening of symptoms in CD and all other disease entities and to relapse on a higher level of severity. This relapse can only be compensated by continuous treatment up to at least 1 year until patients reach the same level of treatment efficacy as that before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

COVID-19 Impact on Vascular Surgery Practice: Experience From an Italian University Regional Hub Center for Vascular Pathology.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on vascular surgery practice in a regional hub center for complex vascular disease. METHODS: This is an observational single-center study in which we collected clinical and surgical data during (P1) and after (P2) the COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown measures implemented in Northern Italy. We compared those data with the two-month period before the pandemic (P0). RESULTS: Compared to P0, ambulatory activities were severely reduced during P1 and limited to hospitalized patients and outpatients with urgent criteria. We performed 61 operations (18 urgent and 43 elective), with a decrease in both aortic (-17.8%), cerebrovascular (-53.3%), and peripheral artery (-42.6%) disease treatments. We also observed a greater drop in open procedures (-53.2%) than in endovascular ones (-22%). All the elective patients were treated for notdeferrable conditions and they were COVID-19 negative at the ward admission screening; despite this one of them developed COVID19 during the hospital stay. Four COVID-19 positive patients were treated in urgent setting for acute limb ischemia. Throughout P2 we gradually rescheduled elective ambulatory (+155.5%) and surgical (+18%) activities, while remaining substantially lower than during P0 (respectively -45.6% and -25.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite COVID-19 pandemic, our experience shows that with careful patient's selection, dedicated prehospitalization protocol and proper use of personal protective equipment it is possible to guarantee continuity of care.

Remote Monitoring in Chronic Heart Failure Patients: Is Non-Invasive Remote Monitoring the Way to Go?

Heart failure (HF) is a major health care issue, and the incidence of HF is only expected to grow further. Due to the frequent hospitalizations, HF places a major burden on the available hospital and healthcare resources. In the future, HF care should not only be organized solely at the clinical ward and outpatient clinics, but remote monitoring strategies are urgently needed to guide, monitor, and treat chronic HF patients remotely from their homes as well. The intuitiveness and relatively low costs of non-invasive remote monitoring tools make them an appealing and emerging concept for developing new medical apps and devices. The recent COVID-19 pandemic and the associated transition of patient care outside the hospital will boost the development of remote monitoring tools, and many strategies will be reinvented with modern tools. However, it is important to look carefully at the inconsistencies that have been reported in non-invasive remote monitoring effectiveness. With this review, we provide an up-to-date overview of the available evidence on non-invasive remote monitoring in chronic HF patients and provide future perspectives that may significantly benefit the broader group of HF patients.

Expanding Telemonitoring in a Virtual World: A Case Study of the Expansion of a Heart Failure Telemonitoring Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: To minimize the spread and risk of a COVID-19 outbreak, societal norms have been challenged with respect to how essential services are delivered. With pressures to reduce the number of in-person ambulatory visits, innovative models of telemonitoring have been used during the pandemic as a necessary alternative to support access to care for patients with chronic conditions. The pandemic has led health care organizations to consider the adoption of telemonitoring interventions for the first time, while others have seen existing programs rapidly expand. OBJECTIVE: At the Toronto General Hospital in Ontario, Canada, the rapid expansion of a telemonitoring program began on March 9, 2020, in response to COVID-19. The objective of this study was to understand the experiences related to the expanded role of a telemonitoring program under the changing conditions of the pandemic. METHODS: A single-case qualitative study was conducted with 3 embedded units of analysis. Semistructured interviews probed the experiences of patients, clinicians, and program staff from the Medly telemonitoring program at a heart function clinic in Toronto, Canada. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis as well as Eakin and Gladstone's value-adding approach to enhance the analytic interpretation of the study findings. RESULTS: A total of 29 participants were interviewed, including patients (n=16), clinicians (n=9), and operational staff (n=4). Four themes were identified: (1) providing care continuity through telemonitoring; (2) adapting telemonitoring operations for a more virtual health care system; (3) confronting virtual workflow challenges; and (4) fostering a meaningful patient-provider relationship. Beyond supporting virtual visits, the program's ability to provide a more comprehensive picture of the patient's health was valued. However, issues relating to the lack of system integration and alert-driven interactions jeopardized the perceived sustainability of the program. CONCLUSIONS: With the reduction of in-person visits during the pandemic, virtual services such as telemonitoring have demonstrated significant value. Based on our study findings, we offer recommendations to proactively adapt and scale telemonitoring programs under the changing conditions of an increasingly virtual health care system. These include revisiting the scope and expectations of telemedicine interventions, streamlining virtual patient onboarding processes, and personalizing the collection of patient information to build a stronger virtual relationship and a more holistic assessment of patient well-being.

Length of Stay Beyond Medical Readiness in a Neurosurgical Patient Population and Associated Healthcare Costs.

BACKGROUND: Length of stay beyond medical readiness (LOS-BMR) leads to increased expenses and higher morbidity related to hospital-acquired conditions. OBJECTIVE: To determine the proportion of admitted neurosurgical patients who have LOS-BMR and associated risk factors and costs. METHODS: We performed a prospective, cohort analysis of all neurosurgical patients admitted to our institution over 5 mo. LOS-BMR was assessed daily by the attending neurosurgeon and neuro-intensivist with a standardized criterion. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. RESULTS: Of the 884 patients admitted, 229 (25.9%) had a LOS-BMR. The average LOS-BMR was 2.7 ± 3.1 d at an average daily cost of $9 148.28 ± $12 983.10, which resulted in a total cost of $2 076 659.32 over the 5-mo period. Patients with LOS-BMR were significantly more likely to be older and to have hemiplegia, dementia, liver disease, renal disease, and diabetes mellitus. Patients with a LOS-BMR were significantly more likely to be discharged to a subacute rehabilitation/skilled nursing facility (40.2% vs 4.1%) or an acute/inpatient rehabilitation facility (22.7% vs 1.7%, P < .0001). Patients with Medicare insurance were more likely to have a LOS-BMR, whereas patients with private insurance were less likely (P = .048). CONCLUSION: The most common reason for LOS-BMR was inefficient discharge of patients to rehabilitation and nursing facilities secondary to unavailability of beds at discharge locations, insurance clearance delays, and family-related issues.

Longitudinalidade na atenção primária à saúde: revisão integrativa da literatura / Longitudinality in primary health care: an integrative literature review / Longitudinalidad en la atención primaria a la salud: revisión integrativa de la literatura

Objetivo: analisar a produção científica que descreve a longitudinalidade na Atenção Primária à Saúde e verificar como ocorre nos serviços. Método: revisão integrativa da literatura de estudos que tratam sobre a longitudinalidade do cuidado nos serviços. Foram utilizadas as bases de dados Literatura Latino-America e Caribe em Ciências da Saúde, Public MEDLINE, SciVerseScopus e no Portal Regional da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde utilizando os termos: "Primary Health Care", "Longitudinality" e "Public Health". Resultados: 18 artigos, os quais foram categorizados pela sua similaridade nos temas: estudos sobre os atributos da APS, participação dos usuários na efetivação da longitudinalidade e longitudinalidade no cuidado à criança. Conclusão: a confiança mútua entre profissionais e usuários, a continuidade da atenção, a escuta, a credibilidade e a vinculação do usuário com os profissionais configuram a longitudinalidade nos serviços de saúde

Objective:To analyze the scientific production that describes longitudinality in Primary Health Care and to verify how it occurs in the services. Method: integrative review of the literature of studies that deal with the longitudinality of care in services. The Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, Public Medline, SciVerseScopus and the Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library were used using the terms "Primary Health Care", "Longitudinality" and "Public Health". Results: 18 articles, which were categorized by their similarity in the themes: studies on the attributes of APS, participation of users in the effectiveness of longitudinality and longitudinality in child care. Conclusion: mutual trust between professionals and users, continuity of attention, listening, credibility and the link between the user and the professionals configures longitudinality in health services

Objetivo: Analizar la producción científica que describe la longitudinalidad en la Atención Primaria a la Salud y verificar cómo ocurre en los servicios. Método: revisión integrativa de la literatura de estudios que tratan sobre la longitudinalidad del cuidado en los servicios. Se utilizaron las bases de datos Literatura Latinoamérica y Caribe en Ciencias de la Salud, Public Medline, SciVerseScopus y en el Portal Regional de la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud utilizando los términos: "Primary Health Care", "Longitudinality" y "Public Health". Resultados: 18 artículos, los cuales fueron categorizados por su similitud en los temas: estudios sobre los atributos de la APS, par-ticipación de los usuarios en la efectividad de la longitudinalidad y longitudinalidad en el cuidado al niño. Conclusión: la confianza mutua entre profesionales y usuarios, la continuidad de la atención, la escucha, la credibilidad y la vinculación del usuario con los profesionales configuran la longitudinalidad en los servicios de salud

Cuidado à pessoa com insuficiência cardíaca após alta hospitalar: revisão integrativa / Care for people with heart failure after hospital discharge: integrative review / Cuidado de personas con insuficiencia cardiaca después del alta del paciente: revisión integrativa

Objetivo: Identificar as evidências acerca das orientações que devem ser oferecidas à pessoa com Insuficiência Cardíaca para a continuidade do tratamento. Método: Revisão integrativa, com busca nas bases de dados Lilacs, Pubmed, Cinahl, Web of Science e Scopus. Resultados: Dos 5422 títulos identificados, 31 artigos foram incluídos para análise. Apreendeu-se que os estudos abordaram, dentre outros aspectos, a importância da orientação da doença, dos sinais e sintomas e da detecção da agudização; no entanto, constatou-se a dificuldade na utilização de linguagem adequada para facilitar a compreensão pela pessoa e/ou pelos familiares. Conclusão: Sugere-se que mais estudos sejam realizados a respeito desse tema, a fim de possibilitar aos profissionais de saúde a formulação de um plano de cuidados coerente, com fundamentação nas melhores evidências científicas

Objective: to identify the evidence on the guidance that should be offered to people with heart failure to continue treatment. Method:integrative review, searching the databases Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), National Library of Medicine (PUBMED/MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science e Scopus. Results: of the 5422 titles identified, 32 articles were included for analysis. It was understood that the studies addressed, among other aspects, the importance of disease orientation, signs and symptoms, and acute detection; however, it was found that it was difficult to use adequate language to facilitate understanding by the person and/or family members. Conclusion: it is suggested that more studies be conducted on this topic, in order to enable health professionals to formulate a coherent care plan, based on the best scientific evidence

Objetivo: identificar la evidencia sobre las pautas que deberían ofrecerse a las personas con insuficiencia cardíaca para continuar el tratamiento. Método: revisión integrativa, búsqueda en las bases de datos Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), National Library of Medicine (PUBMED/MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science e Scopus.Resultados: de los 5422 títulos identificados, se incluyeron 32 artículos para su análisis. Se entendió que los estudios abordaron, entre otros aspectos, la importancia de la orientación de la enfermedad, los signos y síntomas, y la detección aguda; sin embargo, se descubrió que era difícil usar un lenguaje adecuada para facilitar la comprensión por parte de la persona y/o miembros de la familia. Conclusión: Se sugiere que se realicen más estudios sobre este tema, a fin de permitir a los profesionales de la salud formular un plan de atención coherente, basado en la mejor evidencia científica

Continuidad del cuidado / Continuity of care

El concepto de continuidad del cuidado (CoC) suele utilizarse para describir en qué medida los pacientes ven al mismo profesional a lo largo del tiempo, aunque más específicamente es un atributo o característica del proceso de atención de salud de un individuo en el que la calidad de la conexión y retroalimentación de los eventos que se suceden influyen en la experiencia final de sentirse cuidado. La CoC abarca diferentes dominios conceptuales: la continuidad de la información, de la relación y del manejo. Se han utilizado diferentes instrumentos de medición que pueden agruparse en herramientas elaboradas a partir de reportes de pacientes (como por ej., encuestas) o a partir de datos administrativos (como los indicadores de prestador usual de cuidados o el indicador de Bice y Boxerman). Existen también investigaciones que evaluaron el impacto sanitario de la CoC. Si bien muchas de ellas muestran gran heterogeneidad en cuanto a los indicadores y los desenlaces utilizados, se observa una tendencia clara que parece indicar que a mayor nivel de continuidad del cuidado, mejores resultados en salud. (AU)

The concept of continuity of care (CoC) is often used to describe the extent to which patients see the same professional over time, but more specifically it is an attribute or characteristic of an individual's health care process in which the quality of the connection and feedback of the events that follow influences the final experience of feeling cared for. CoC encompasses different conceptual domains: continuity of information, relationship, and management. Different measurement instruments have been used, which can be grouped into tools developed from patient reports (e.g. surveys) or from administrative data (e.g. usual caregiver indicators or the Bice & Boxerman indicator). There is also research that has assessed the health impact of CoC. While many of them show great heterogeneity in terms of the indicators and outcomes used, there is a clear trend that seems to indicate that the higher the level of continuity ofcare, the better the health outcomes. (AU)

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with chronic rheumatic diseases: A study in 15 Arab countries.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19) on the access to rheumatology care for patients with chronic rheumatic diseases (CRD) in the Arab countries. METHOD: A web-based cross-sectional survey was designed by the Arab Adult Arthritis Awareness group (AAAA) consisting of 16 rheumatologists representing countries from the Arab League of Associations for Rheumatology (ArLAR) and was validated by the ArLAR scientific committee. The survey was disseminated online through social media and patients' association channels between May 8 and May 22, 2020. The steering committee developed recommendations to improve the care of patients with CRD during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 2163 patients were included in the analysis; 72% were female; mean age was 40 years (SD 11.9). The Levant, the Gulf, and North Africa contributed almost equally to the sample. The pandemic had a significant negative impact on rheumatology visits in 82% of cases, access to hydroxychloroquine (47%), and chronic medication persistency (28%). The negative impact on rheumatology visits was associated with female gender, country, medication non-persistency, isolation due to COVID-19, and impact on mental health. Sixty-one patients (2.8%) stated that they had COVID-19, 5% said that a close contact was infected, and 47% were in isolation because of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The current study highlights the deleterious consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continuity of rheumatology care. Therefore, an action plan, including establishing a telemedicine platform, securing drug availability, and promoting medication persistence through the appropriate communication channels, is strongly recommended.

Worldwide Effects of Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Tuberculosis Services, January-April 2020.

Coronavirus disease has disrupted tuberculosis services globally. Data from 33 centers in 16 countries on 5 continents showed that attendance at tuberculosis centers was lower during the first 4 months of the pandemic in 2020 than for the same period in 2019. Resources are needed to ensure tuberculosis care continuity during the pandemic.

Changes in the HIV continuum of care following expanded access to HIV testing and treatment in Indonesia: A retrospective population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In 2013, the Indonesian government launched the strategic use of antiretroviral therapy (SUFA) initiative with an aim to move closer to achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target. This study assessed the impact of SUFA on the cascade of HIV care. METHODS: We performed a two-year retrospective population-based cohort study of all HIV positive individuals aged ≥ 18 years residing in two cities where SUFA was operational using data from HIV clinics. We analysed data for one-year pre- and one-year post-SUFA implementation. We assessed the rates of enrolment in care, assessment for eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART), treatment initiation, loss to follow-up (LTFU) and mortality. Multivariate Cox regression was used to determine the pre-to-post-SUFA hazard ratio. RESULTS: A total of 2,292 HIV positive individuals (1,085 and 1,207 pre and post-SUFA respectively) were followed through their cascade of care. In the pre-SUFA period, 811 (74.6%) were enrolled in care, 702 (86.6%) were found eligible for ART, 485 (69.1%) initiated treatment, 102 (21%) were LTFU and 117 (10.8%) died. In the post-SUFA period, 930 (77%) were enrolled in care, 896 (96.3%) were found eligible for ART, 627 (70%) initiated treatment, 100 (16%) were LTFU and 148 (12.3%) dead. There was an 11% increase in the rate of HIV linkage to care (HR = 1.11; 95% CI 1.001, 1.22 p<0.05), a 13% increase in the rate of eligibility for ART (HR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.02,1.25, p<0.01) and a 27% reduction in LTFU (HR = 0.73, 95%CI 0.55, 0.97, p<0.05). Rates of ART initiation and mortality did not change. CONCLUSION: SUFA was effective in improving HIV care in relation to linkage to care, eligibility and ART retention. Therefore, the scale up across the whole of Indonesia of the SUFA currently in the form of a test and treat policy, with improvement in testing and treatment strategies is justified.