A mixed method study to assess notification of tuberculosis patients by private practitioners in New Delhi, India.

Background: A staggering one million tuberculosis (TB) cases are missing from notification, most of them being diagnosed and treated in the private sector. To curb this issue, the Government of India declared TB as a notifiable disease and NIKSHAY was launched in 2012. However, even after years of implementation, as per the report published by TB India 2020, the proportion of private case notification of total TB cases is very low. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the current practices related to TB Notification being followed by private practitioners of Delhi and to explore the enablers and barriers to TB notification among private-sector treatment providers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done from January 2019 to January 2020. Six hundred doctors were line listed under the chosen TB unit, 375 gave consent and in depth interview was conducted among them. Data were collected on the reporting status and facilitators and barrier toward NIKSHAY reporting were assessed. For the qualitative component, focused group discussions were done. Results: Out of 375 private practitioners, over two-third (68%) practitioners reported that they were not treating TB patients. Out of 108 doctors treating patients only 50% were reporting the cases. Major reason cited for not reporting was "don't know how to" and major barrier considered was "lack of training." Conclusion: Strategies such as training and retraining, and one-to-one sensitization of private practitioners to address barriers may enhance TB notification.

To investigate the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding tuberculosis case notification among public and private doctors practicing of modern medicine in South Delhi.

In India, tuberculosis (TB) notification has been required since 2012. Notwithstanding, notification rates remain low. Non-reporting of tuberculosis cases not only results in an underestimation of cases, but also impedes the country's TB control strategy. Our research aims to assess practitioners' awareness, perception, and practice of tuberculosis case notification, as these factors can help reduce the TB burden. A cross-sectional study of 142 physicians was conducted between August 2018 and December 2019. Doctors were interviewed and given evaluation forms. Seventy-seven percent of the 142 physicians polled worked in medicine-related specialties, while 33% worked in surgery. Public sector physicians (64.7%) knew more about the Nikshay App than private practitioners (40.8%). The vast majority of public-sector doctors were only notified through their hospital's National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) center. However, the majority of private practitioners (47.8%) notified cases directly through the hospital, the local District Tuberculosis Officer (DTO) or NTEP medical officer (24 percent), or the Nikshay portal (28%), whereas the majority of public sector doctors notified only through the hospital NTEP center (85.9%). The primary reasons for non-notification are the high patient load on doctors, a lack of understanding about Nikshay App and its functionality, technological difficulties in using the Nikshay App, and the stigma associated with tuberculosis. The Nikshay App must be popularized as a notification mechanism through the NTEP program. To increase notification rates, practitioners must overcome the challenges they face. In terms of notification, more seminars and training, particularly hands-on training, should be held on a regular basis.

First evaluation of completeness and sensitivity of the measles surveillance system in the Czech Republic, January 1, 2018 until June 30, 2019.

AIM: The aim of study was to evaluate completeness and estimate sensitivity of the measles surveillance using the new electronic version of the national notification system of infectious diseases (ISIN) in order to assess its performance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The completeness of measles reporting in the ISIN for demographic characteristics (week and region of reporting, age and gender), date of onset, complications, hospitalisations, vaccination status, used laboratory methods and country of import from January 2018 to June 2019 was assessed. The register from National Reference Laboratory (NRL) and the ISIN were compared using the capture-recapture method (CRM). Cases were matched using unique personal identifier. The total number of measles cases in the population was assessed using the Chapmans formula. Sensitivity of reporting was calculated by dividing the number of reported cases by the CRM estimated true number of cases. RESULTS: In the ISIN, 765 measles cases were registered within specified time period. For many variables 100% completeness was found. The data were missing mainly for vaccination status (20%), serology results (55%) and used laboratory methods (8%). The NRL confirmed 653 patient samples in respected period. Within both registries (ISIN and NRL) the total 612 cases were matched. Estimated real number of measles cases using the CRM was 816 (95% CI: 809-823) compared to 806 reported cases. The estimated surveillance system sensitivity was 98.8%. Five percent (n = 41) of cases tested positively in the NRL were not reported to the ISIN. CONCLUSIONS: We found high level of reported measles data completeness in the ISIN for most variables. Estimated real and reported number of cases was in a good correlation and calculated sensitivity of the ISIN was on very high level. Though, the data sources used in the study were not independent on each other, therefore results may not be fully accurate. The technical changes (more mandatory fields and more logical syntax to check data) in the ISIN to improve data completeness are being recommended. Data providers should report all measles cases to the ISIN with maximum precision in entering individual variables and investigating laboratories should send samples for confirmation to the NRL in required cases.

Individual-Level Evaluation of the Exposure Notification Cascade in the SwissCovid Digital Proximity Tracing App: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Digital proximity tracing (DPT) aims to complement manual contact tracing (MCT) in identifying exposed contacts and preventing further transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the population. Although several DPT apps, including SwissCovid, have shown to have promising effects on mitigating the pandemic, several challenges have impeded them from fully achieving the desired results. A key question now relates to how the effectiveness of DPT can be improved, which requires a better understanding of factors influencing its processes. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to provide a detailed examination of the exposure notification (EN) cascade and to evaluate potential contextual influences for successful receipt of an EN and subsequent actions taken by cases and contacts in different exposure settings. METHODS: We used data from 285 pairs of SARS-CoV-2-infected cases and their contacts within an observational cohort study of cases and contacts identified by MCT and enrolled between August 6, 2020, and January 17, 2021, in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. We surveyed participants with electronic questionnaires. Data were summarized descriptively and stratified by exposure setting. RESULTS: We found that only 79 (58.5%) of 135 contacts using the SwissCovid app whose corresponding cases reported to have triggered the EN also received one. Of these, 18 (22.8%) received the EN before MCT. Compared to those receiving an EN after MCT (61/79, 77.2%), we observed that a higher proportion of contacts receiving an EN before MCT were exposed in nonhousehold settings (11/18, 61.1%, vs 34/61, 55.7%) and their corresponding cases had more frequently reported mild-to-moderate symptoms (14/18, 77.8%, vs 42/61, 68.9%). Of the 18 contacts receiving an EN before MCT, 14 (77.8%) took recommended measures: 12 (66.7%) were tested for SARS-CoV-2, and 7 (38.9%) called the SwissCovid Infoline. In nonhousehold settings, the proportion of contacts taking preventive actions after receiving an EN was higher compared to same-household settings (82%, vs 67%). In addition, 1 (9%) of 11 ENs received in the nonhousehold setting before MCT led to the identification of a SARS-CoV-2-infected case by prompting the contact to get tested. This corresponds to 1 in 85 exposures of a contact to a case in a nonhousehold setting, in which both were app users and the case triggered the EN. CONCLUSIONS: Our descriptive evaluation of the DPT notification cascade provides further evidence that DPT is an important complementary tool in pandemic mitigation, especially in nonhousehold exposure settings. However, the effect of DPT apps can only be exerted if code generation processes are efficient and exposed contacts are willing to undertake preventive actions. This highlights the need to focus efforts on keeping barriers to efficient code generation as low as possible and promoting not only app adoption but also compliance with the recommended measures upon an EN. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry 14990068; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14990068.

Effectiveness of wireless emergency alerts for social distancing against COVID-19 in Korea.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) on social distancing policy. The Republic of Korea has been providing information to the public through WEAs using mobile phones. This study used five data sets: WEA messages, news articles including the keyword "COVID-19," the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients, public foot traffic data, and the government's social distancing level. The WEAs were classified into two topics-"warning" and "guidance"-using a random forest model. The results of the correlation analysis and further detailed analysis confirmed that the "warning" WEA topic and number of news articles significantly affected public foot traffic. However, the "guidance" topic was not significantly associated with public foot traffic. In general, the Korean government's WEAs were effective at encouraging the public to follow social distance recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the "warning" WEA topic, by providing information about the relative risk directly concerning the recipients, was significantly more effective than the "guidance" topic.

Informe epidemiológico de sífilis congénita en el Hospital Materno infantil Ramón Sardá de la CABA durante el trienio 2018-2020 / Epidemiological report of congenital syphilis at Ramón Sardá Maternal and Child Hospital of CABA during the 2018-2020 triennium

El hospital Materno Infantil Ramón Sardá, de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, es un centro perinatológico de alta complejidad del subsector público de salud, que asiste más de 5000 nacimientos por año. Es el hospital que reportó la mayor cantidad de casos de sífilis congénita en el período 2018-2019. El objetivo de este informe es caracterizar los casos asistidos durante el trienio 2018-2020.

Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 Infection Risk Within the Google/Apple Exposure Notification Framework to Inform Quarantine Recommendations.

Most early Bluetooth-based exposure notification apps use three binary classifications to recommend quarantine following SARS-CoV-2 exposure: a window of infectiousness in the transmitter, ≥15 minutes duration, and Bluetooth attenuation below a threshold. However, Bluetooth attenuation is not a reliable measure of distance, and infection risk is not a binary function of distance, nor duration, nor timing. We model uncertainty in the shape and orientation of an exhaled virus-containing plume and in inhalation parameters, and measure uncertainty in distance as a function of Bluetooth attenuation. We calculate expected dose by combining this with estimated infectiousness based on timing relative to symptom onset. We calibrate an exponential dose-response curve based on infection probabilities of household contacts. The probability of current or future infectiousness, conditioned on how long postexposure an exposed individual has been symptom-free, decreases during quarantine, with shape determined by incubation periods, proportion of asymptomatic cases, and asymptomatic shedding durations. It can be adjusted for negative test results using Bayes' theorem. We capture a 10-fold range of risk using six infectiousness values, 11-fold range using three Bluetooth attenuation bins, ∼sixfold range from exposure duration given the 30 minute duration cap imposed by the Google/Apple v1.1, and ∼11-fold between the beginning and end of 14 day quarantine. Public health authorities can either set a threshold on initial infection risk to determine 14-day quarantine onset, or on the conditional probability of current and future infectiousness conditions to determine both quarantine and duration.

Seroprevalence of Rubella among Women of Reproductive Age in Iran: A Prisma-Based Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Rubella is a highly contagious viral disease with a significant teratogenic effect. Various results have been published about the seroprevalence of rubella in Iran. A PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)-systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the immunity against rubella in Iranian women. METHODS: Eleven English and Persian electronic databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, Scientific Information Database, Iran doc, Iran Medex, Magiran, and Medlib were searched using the keywords: Epidemiology, Prevalence, Rubella, Women, Childbearing age, Reproductive age, and Iran. A mathematician (NS) reviewed all steps for accuracy. RESULTS: Out of 1,520 articles, 25 well-conducted studies with a total amount of 10,145 women were reviewed. The pooled prevalence rate of anti-rubella IgG was 84% (95% CI: 83%-86%). The highest prevalence rate of IgG was in Zahedan, Rasht, and Arak (each 100%), while the lowest prevalence was in Jahrom (54%). Subgroup analysis showed that from 1989 through 2012, the IgG prevalence rate increased from 78% (95% CI: 73-83%) to 99% (95% CI: 98 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the vaccination program seems working in Iran, some peripheral regions may be a target to improve health care policies.

Automated Digital Notification of COVID-19 Diagnoses Through Text and Email Messaging - North Carolina, December 2020-January 2021.

During October 3, 2020-January 9, 2021, North Carolina experienced a 400% increase in daily reported COVID-19 cases (1). To handle the increased number of cases and rapidly notify persons receiving a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result (patients), North Carolina state and local health departments moved from telephone call notification only to telephone call plus automated text and email notification (digital notification) beginning on December 24, 2020. Overall, among 200,258 patients, 142,975 (71%) were notified by telephone call or digital notification within the actionable period (10 days from their diagnosis date)* during January 2021, including at least 112,543 (56%) notified within 24 hours of report to North Carolina state and local health departments, a significantly higher proportion than the 25,905 of 175,979 (15%) notified within 24 hours during the preceding month (p<0.001). Differences in text notification by age, race, and ethnicity were observed. Automated digital notification is a feasible, rapid and efficient method to support timely outreach to patients, provide guidance on how to isolate, access resources, inform close contacts, and increase the efficiency of case investigation staff members.

Nota Técnica N. 12/2021 - GVEDT - 03816 - Investigação de surto de Covid-19 / Technical Note N. 12/2021 - GVEDT - 03816 - Investigation of Covid-19 outbreak

O Centro de Informações Estratégicas e Resposta em Vigilância em Saúde (CIEVS) do Estado de Goiás vem orientar os profissionais de saúde em relação à operacionalização e implementação de procedimentos para a realização da investigação de SURTOS de COVID-19. As definições de caso suspeito, confirmado e de contato adotadas seguem os critérios do Ministério da Saúde (2021) constante no Guia de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Emergência de Saúde Pública de Importância Nacional pela Doença pelo Coronavírus 2019 (COVID-19) (https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/coronavirus/publicacoes-tecnicas/guias-e-planos/guia-de-vigilancia-epidemiologica-covid-19/view)

The Center for Strategic Information and Response in Health Surveillance (CIEVS) of the State of Goiás comes to guide health professionals in relation to the operationalization and implementation of procedures for carrying out the investigation of COVID-19 OUTBREAKS. The definitions of suspected, confirmed and contact cases adopted follow the criteria of the Ministry of Health (2021) contained in the Epidemiological Surveillance Guide for the Public Health Emergency of National Importance due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/coronavirus/publicacoes-tecnicas/guias-e-planos/guia-de-vigilancia-epidemiologica-covid-19/view)

Myocarditis and Pericarditis After COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination: Practical Considerations for Care Providers.

The mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 infection have been effective in reducing the number of symptomatic cases worldwide. With widespread uptake, case series of vaccine-related myocarditis/pericarditis have been reported, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Men tend to be affected with greater frequency, and symptom onset is usually within 1 week after vaccination. Clinical course appears to be mild in most cases. On the basis of the available evidence, we highlight a clinical framework to guide providers on how to assess, investigate, diagnose, and report suspected and confirmed cases. In any patient with highly suggestive symptoms temporally related to COVID-19 mRNA vaccination, standardized workup includes serum troponin measurement and polymerase chain reaction testing for COVID-19 infection, routine additional lab work, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram. Echocardiography is recommended as the imaging modality of choice for patients with unexplained troponin elevation and/or pathologic electrocardiogram changes. Cardiovascular specialist consultation and hospitalization should be considered on the basis of the results of standard investigations. Treatment is largely supportive, and myocarditis/pericarditis that is diagnosed according to defined clinical criteria should be reported to public health authorities in every jurisdiction. Finally, we recommend COVID-19 vaccination in all individuals in accordance with the Health Canada and National Advisory Committee on Immunization guidelines. In patients with suspected myocarditis/pericarditis after the first dose of an mRNA vaccine, deferral of a second dose is recommended until additional reports become available.

Notification System for Overdue Radiology Recommendations Improves Rates of Follow-Up and Diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to quantify improved rates of follow-up and additional important diagnoses made after notification for overdue workups recommended by radiologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Standard reports from imaging studies performed at our institution from October through November 2016 were searched for the words "recommend" or "advised," yielding 9784 studies. Of these, 5245 were excluded, yielding 4539 studies; reports for 1599 of these 4539 consecutive studies were reviewed to identify firm or soft recommendations or findings requiring immediate management. If recommended follow-ups were incomplete within 1 month of the advised time, providers were notified. Compliance was calculated before and after notification and was compared using a one-sample test of proportion. RESULTS. Of 1599 patients, 92 were excluded because they had findings requiring immediate management, and 684 were excluded because of soft recommendations, yielding 823 patients. Of these patients, 125 were not yet overdue for follow-up and were excluded, and 18 were excluded because of death or transfer to another institution. Of the remaining 680 patients, follow-up was completed for 503 (74.0%). A total of 177 (26.0%) of the 680 patients were overdue for follow-up, and providers were notified. Of these 177 patients, 36 (20.3%) completed their follow-ups after notification, 34 (19.2%) had follow-up designated by the provider as nonindicated, and 107 (60.5%) were lost to follow-up, yielding four clinically important diagnoses: one biopsy-proven malignancy, one growing mass, and two thyroid nodules requiring biopsy. The rate of incomplete follow-ups after communication decreased from 26.0% (177/680) to 20.7% (141/680) (95% CI, 17.7-23.9%; p = .002), with a 20.4% reduction in relative risk of noncompliance, and 39.5% (70/177) of overdue cases were resolved when nonindicated studies were included. CONCLUSION. Notification of overdue imaging recommendations reduces incomplete follow-ups and yields clinically important diagnoses.

The Impact of COVID-19 Containment Actions on Extra-Analytical Phases of the Clinical Laboratory: A Case Report.

Laboratory information systems need to adapt to new demands created by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has set up new normals like containment measures and social distancing. Some of these have negatively impacted the pre- and postanalytical phases of laboratory testing. Here, we present an intriguing finding related to the generation of the accession number/specimen number on the investigation module of a hospital management information system and its impact on the dissemination of reports resulting in the wrong release of reports on a female patient amidst the background of COVID-19 containment measures. We analyze the situation that led to this false reporting and the importance of the proper customization of information software in laboratories along with a robust postanalytical framework of laboratory work culture to avert such untoward incidents. This introspection has made us realize that COVID-19 has been a scientific, medical, and social challenge. We need to redefine our priorities in the days to come because SARS-CoV-2 is here to stay.

Estimating the COVID-19 Prevalence in Spain With Indirect Reporting via Open Surveys.

During the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, accurate tracking has proven unfeasible. Initial estimation methods pointed toward case numbers that were much higher than officially reported. In the CoronaSurveys project, we have been addressing this issue using open online surveys with indirect reporting. We compare our estimates with the results of a serology study for Spain, obtaining high correlations (R squared 0.89). In our view, these results strongly support the idea of using open surveys with indirect reporting as a method to broadly sense the progress of a pandemic.

A Data-Driven Simulation of the Exposure Notification Cascade for Digital Contact Tracing of SARS-CoV-2 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Importance: Digital contact tracing (DCT) apps have been released in several countries to help interrupt SARS-CoV-2 transmission chains. However, the effect of DCT on pandemic mitigation remains to be demonstrated. Objective: To estimate key populations and performance indicators along the exposure notification cascade of the SwissCovid DCT app in a clearly defined regional and temporal context. Design, Setting, and Participants: This comparative effectiveness study was based on a simulation informed by measured data from issued quarantine recommendations and positive SARS-CoV-2 test results after DCT exposure notifications in the canton of Zurich. A stochastic model was developed to re-create the DCT notification cascade for Zurich. Population sizes at each cascade step were estimated using triangulation based on publicly available administrative and observational research data for the study duration from September 1 to October 31, 2020. The resultant estimates were checked for internal consistency and consistency with upstream or downstream estimates in the cascade. Stochastic sampling from data-informed parameter distributions was performed to explore the robustness of results. Subsequently, key performance indicators were evaluated to assess the potential contribution of DCT compared with manual contact tracing. Main Outcomes and Measures: Receiving a voluntary quarantine recommendation and/or a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result after exposure notification. Results: In September 2020, 537 app users received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result in Zurich, 324 of whom received and entered an upload authorization code. This code triggered an app notification for an estimated 1374 (95% simulation interval [SI], 932-2586) proximity contacts and led to 722 information hotline calls, with an estimated 170 callers (95% SI, 154-186) receiving a quarantine recommendation. An estimated 939 (95% SI, 720-1127) notified app users underwent testing for SARS-CoV-2, of whom 30 (95% SI, 23-36) had positive results after an app notification. Key indicator evaluations revealed that the DCT app triggered quarantine recommendations for the equivalent of 5% of all exposed contacts placed in quarantine by manual contact tracing. For every 10.9 (95% SI, 7.6-15.6) upload authorization codes entered in the app, 1 contact had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 after app notification. Longitudinal indicator analyses demonstrated bottlenecks in the notification cascade, because capacity limits were reached owing to an increased incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in October 2020. Conclusions and Relevance: In this simulation study of the notification cascade of the SwissCovid DCT app, receipt of exposure notifications was associated with quarantine recommendations and identification of SARS-CoV-2-positive cases. These findings in notified proximity contacts reflect important intermediary steps toward transmission prevention.

Estudo da qualidade dos Dados do Painel COVID-19 para crianças, adolescente e jovens, Espírito Santo ­ Brasil, 2020 / A study assessing the quality of the COVID-19 Panel Data for children, adolescents and young individuals, Espírito Santo ­ Brazil, 2020 / Estudio de calidad de datos del Panel COVID-19 para niños, adolescentes y jóvenes, Espírito Santo ­ Brasil, 2020

Objetivo: descrever a completude dos dados e avaliar a qualidade do Banco de dados do Painel COVID-19 no Espírito Santo em 2020, quanto à completude de suas variáveis, bem como analisar a confirmação da doença e sua evolução por crianças, adolescentes e jovens. Métodos: estudo descritivo exploratório. A completude no preenchimento da ficha no Painel COVID-19 foi classificada como excelente (menos de 5% de preenchimento incompleto), bom (5% a 10%), regular (10% a 20%), ruim (20% a 50%) ou muito ruim (50% ou mais). Resultados: observou-se qualidade regular para o critério de confirmação (16%), ruim para a classificação da doença (44%) e status de notificação (30%) e muito ruim para a evolução (79%). Quanto às variáveis epidemiológicas, destaca-se a variável raça/cor da pele com completude regular (17%). Conclusão e implicações para a prática: é necessário educação permanente dos profissionais para o preenchimento dos dados de forma correta. Tratando-se de uma pandemia por um vírus novo, esses dados devem estar disponíveis imediatamente, e com qualidade para que medidas de controle possam ser adotadas

Objective: to describe the completeness of the data and evaluate the quality of the COVID-19 Panel Database in Espírito Santo in 2020, as to the completeness of its variables, as well as to analyze the confirmation of the disease and its evolution by children, adolescents and young people. Methods: exploratory descriptive study. Completeness of filling in the form on the COVID-19 Panel was classified as excellent (less than 5% incomplete), good (5% to 10%), fair (10% to 20%), poor (20% to 50%) or very bad (50% or more). Results: regular quality was observed for the confirmation criterion (16%), poor for the classification of the disease (44%) and notification status (30%) and very poor for the evolution (79%). Regarding the epidemiological variables, the race-skin color variable with regular completeness (17%) stands out. Conclusion and implications for the practice: permanent education of professionals is necessary to fill in the data correctly. in the case of a pandemic due to a new virus, these data must be available immediately, and with quality so that control measures can be adopted

Objetivo: describir la exhaustividad de los datos y evaluar la calidad de la Base de Datos Panel COVID-19 en Espírito Santo en 2020, en cuanto a la exhaustividad de sus variables, así como analizar la confirmación de la enfermedad y su evolución en niños, adolescentes y jóvenes. Métodos: estudio descriptivo exploratorio. La exhaustividad al completar el formulario en el Panel COVID-19 se clasificó como excelente (menos del 5% incompleto), buena (5% a 10%), regular (10% a 20%), deficiente (20% a 50%) o muy mala (50% o más). Resultados: se observó calidad regular para el criterio de confirmación (16%), mala para la clasificación de la enfermedad (44%) y estado de notificación (30%) y muy mala para la evolución (79%). En cuanto a las variables epidemiológicas, se destaca la variable raza-color de piel con exhaustividad regular (17%). Conclusión e implicaciones para la práctica: es necesaria la formación permanente de los profesionales para completar correctamente los datos. En el caso de una pandemia por un nuevo virus, estos datos deben estar disponibles de manera inmediata y con calidad para que se puedan adoptar medidas de control

Construção de ferramenta computacional para auxiliar a coordenação do cuidado pelos serviços de atenção básica / Construcción de herramienta computacional para ayudar a la coordinación del cuidado por parte de los servicios de cuidado básico / Design of a computer tool to assist in care coordination by the primary care services

RESUMO Objetivo: construir um prontuário eletrônico no formato de aplicativo para os serviços de atenção básica. Método: estudo metodológico que apresenta o processo de construção de uma ferramenta tecnológica no formato de aplicativo. A construção do aplicativo deu-se em três etapas: a) construção de uma revisão integrativa sobre o tema; b) desenvolvimento das variáveis e estabelecimento do padrão de respostas utilizando os achados da revisão integrativa, a Resolução do Conselho Federal de Medicina nº 1.638 de 2002 e o Manual de uso do sistema com prontuário eletrônico do cidadão (PEC); e c) construção propriamente dita do prontuário eletrônico no formato de aplicativo. Para a construção do aplicativo, foi usado o programa NetBeans e a linguagem Java. Resultados: o prontuário eletrônico construído conta com princípios básicos: cadastro do país, estado, cidade, distrito sanitário, unidade básica de saúde, bairro, rua/avenida, residência uni ou multifamiliar e identificação do morador/família, além de possibilitar a notificação de doenças e vacinas dos usuários. Conclusões: o modelo de prontuário eletrônico aqui apresentado, no formato de aplicativo, pode ser modificado de acordo com a necessidade de cada comunidade, bem como facilitar e tornar mais efetivo o trabalho do profissional de saúde, à medida que pode gerar relatórios de atendimentos nos diferentes pontos de atenção, agilizando o atendimento e a prestação de um cuidado longitudinal e individualizado.

RESUMEN Objetivo: construir una historia clínica electrónica en formato de aplicación para los servicios de atención primaria. Método: estudio metodológico que presenta el proceso de construcción de una herramienta tecnológica en el formato de aplicación. La construcción de la aplicación se realizó en tres etapas: a) construcción de una revisión integradora sobre el tema; b) desarrollo de las variables y establecimiento del estándar de respuestas utilizando los hallazgos de la revisión integradora, la Resolución del Consejo Federal de Medicina No. 1.638 de 2002 y el Manual de uso del sistema con la historia clínica electrónica del ciudadano; y c) la construcción real de la historia clínica electrónica en el formato de aplicación. Para la construcción de la aplicación se utilizó el programa NetBeans y el lenguaje Java. Resultados: la historia clínica electrónica construida tiene principios básicos: registro del país, estado, ciudad, distrito de salud, unidad básica de salud, barrio, calle / avenida, residencia unifamiliar o multifamiliar e identificación del residente / familia, además de permitir la notificación de las enfermedades y vacunas de los usuarios. Conclusiones: el modelo de historia clínica electrónica que aquí se presenta, en forma de aplicación, puede ser modificado según las necesidades de cada comunidad, además de facilitar y hacer más efectivo el trabajo del profesional de la salud, ya que puede generar informes en los diferentes puntos de atención, agilizando el servicio y brindando atención longitudinal e individualizada.

ABSTRACT Objective: to design an electronic medical chart in the app format for the primary care services. Method: a methodological study that presented the process of designing a technological tool in the app format. The design of the app occurred in the three stages: a) elaboration of an integrative review on the theme; b) development of the variables and establishment of the response pattern using the findings of the integrative review, Resolution No. 1,638, of 2002, of the Federal Medical Council, and the Manual for using the system with the Citizen's electronic medical chart (Prontuário Eletrônico do Cidadão, PEC); and c) design of the electronic medical chart in the app format. The NetBeans program and Java language were used to design the app. Results: the electronic medical chart designed has the following basic principles: registration of the country, state, city, health district, primary health unit, neighborhood, street/avenue, uni- or multi-family residence and identification of the resident/family, in addition to enabling the notification of users' diseases and vaccines. Conclusions: the electronic medical chart model herein presented, in the app format, can be modified according to the needs of each community, as well as facilitate and make the health professional's work more effective, as it can generate appointment reports in different care points, speeding up assistance and the provision of longitudinal and individualized care.

Early evidence of effectiveness of digital contact tracing for SARS-CoV-2 in Switzerland.

In the wake of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), contact tracing has become a key element of strategies to control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Given the rapid and intense spread of SARS-CoV-2, digital contact tracing has emerged as a potential complementary tool to support containment and mitigation efforts. Early modelling studies highlighted the potential of digital contact tracing to break transmission chains, and Google and Apple subsequently developed the Exposure Notification (EN) framework, making it available to the vast majority of smartphones. A growing number of governments have launched or announced EN-based contact tracing apps, but their effectiveness remains unknown. Here, we report early findings of the digital contact tracing app deployment in Switzerland. We demonstrate proof-of-principle that digital contact tracing reaches exposed contacts, who then test positive for SARS-CoV-2. This indicates that digital contact tracing is an effective complementary tool for controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Continued technical improvement and international compatibility can further increase the efficacy, particularly also across country borders.

Strategies for notifying sexual partners of people with sexually transmitted infections: a randomized clinical trial. / Estratégias de notificação de parceiros sexuais de pessoas com infecções sexualmente transmissíveis: ensaio clínico randomizado.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of verbal communication and communication by card in getting sexual partners of people with sexually transmitted infections to attend a health service and the factors associated with the success of these types of communication. METHOD: Clinical, controlled, and randomized study, whose intervention was offering a reporting card for index patients to hand to their sexual partners. RESULTS: The sample was 189 index patients, 94 of whom were in the control group, and verbally invited their sexual partners to receive care, and 95 were allocated to the intervention group, and took their partner's reporting card to their partners as a way to invite them to receive care. The percentage of partners invited by card who came to the service was 52.6%, in contrast with 43.6% among partners who were invited verbally, but no significant statistical difference was found (p=0.215). The factors associated with failure to convince partners to come to the service were: not living with the partner (p=0.0001); not having a steady partner (p=0.0001); having casual partners (p=0.028); and using condoms with a steady partner (p=0.045). The infection type did not influence the studied partners' visits to the service. CONCLUSION: Given the failure to achieve effectiveness when applying the reporting by card, the authors recommend another card model containing information for partners to be used in combination with other methods. Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry: RBR-7jp5mr.