RESUMO
Background: There are a variety of instruments and indicators to assess continuity of care; however there is a lack of those that describe the result of coordination between the health care levels. Objective: To show two indicators that summarizes the result of the complete circuit primary level-secondary level-primary level. Methods: An observational prospective cohort study was conducted, with a one-year follow-up of a random sample of the references to general surgery services in a family medicine unit of the IMSS. Two indicators were analyzed: the outcome of the reference to general surgery, categorized as resolved, withdrawal and not resolved; and the time of solution of the surgical problem, which measures the median in calendar days from the issuance of the reference to the counter-reference for the reason of original sending. The indicators were compared by characteristics of the patient and the first level physician. Results: The 84.8% of cases were resolved in a median time of 72 days (50-112), 14.1% of patients reject surgery and 1% wasn´t resolved. No statistically significant differences were found according the evaluated characteristics. Conclusions: The overall solution time of the surgical problem in the medical unit is within the range built with previous studies, but in specific diagnoses there are significant variations. The frequency of solution of the surgical problem was high for diagnoses of greater risk.
Introducción: entre la gran variedad de instrumentos e indicadores para evaluar continuidad de la atención, escasean los que describen el resultado de la coordinación entre niveles de atención a la salud. Objetivo: mostrar dos indicadores que resumen el resultado del circuito completo primer nivel de atención-segundo nivel de atención-primer nivel de atención. Métodos: estudio observacional de cohorte prospectiva, con seguimiento a un año de una muestra aleatoria de las referencias realizadas por una unidad de primer nivel de atención a los servicios de cirugía general. Se analizaron dos indicadores: el desenlace de la referencia a cirugía general, categorizado como resuelto/abandono/no resuelto; y el tiempo de solución del problema quirúrgico, que mide la mediana en días naturales desde la emisión de la referencia hasta la contrarreferencia por el motivo de envío original. Se compararon los indicadores por características del paciente y del médico de primer nivel. Resultados: 84.8% de los casos se resolvió en un tiempo mediano de 72 días (rango de 50 a 112), 14.1% de los pacientes rechazaron la cirugía y 1% no se resolvió. No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las características analizadas. Conclusiones: el tiempo de solución global del problema quirúrgico en la unidad médica está dentro del rango construido con estudios previos, pero en diagnósticos específicos hay variaciones significativas. La frecuencia de solución del problema quirúrgico fue alta para diagnósticos de mayor riesgo.
Assuntos
Continuidade da Assistência ao Paciente/organização & administração , Cirurgia Geral , Encaminhamento e Consulta/estatística & dados numéricos , Cuidado Transicional/organização & administração , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Perda de Seguimento , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pacientes Desistentes do Tratamento/estatística & dados numéricos , Educação de Pacientes como Assunto , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Estudos Prospectivos , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Operatórios , Fatores de Tempo , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diabetes represents a high epidemiological and economic burden worldwide. The cost of diabetes care increases slowly during early years, but it accelerates once chronic complications set in. There is evidence that adequate control may delay the onset of complications. Management of diabetes falls almost exclusively into primary care services until chronic complications appear. Therefore, primary care is strategic for reducing the expedited growth of costs. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of primary care costs in patients without complications in the years following diabetes diagnosis. METHODS: Direct medical costs for primary care were determined from the perspective of public health services provider. Information was obtained from medical records of 764 patients. Microcosting and average cost techniques were combined. A generalized linear regression model was developed including characteristics of patients and facilities. Primary health care costs for different patient profiles were estimated. RESULTS: The mean annual primary care cost was USD$465.1. Gender was the most important predictor followed by weight status, insulin use, respiratoty infections, glycemic control and dyslipidemia. A gap in costs was observed between genders; women make greater use of resources (42.1% on average). Such differences are reduced with obesity (18.1%), overweight (22.8%), respiratory infection (20.8%) and age >80 years (26.8%). Improving glycemic control shows increasing costs but at decreasing rates. CONCLUSIONS: Modifiable factors (glycemic control, weight status and comorbidities) drive primary care costs the first 10 years. Those factors had a larger effect in costs for males than in for females.