As outpatient services decline, telehealth rises for SMI patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (19) ◽  
pp. 3-4
Author(s):  
Valerie A. Canady
Keyword(s):  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajad Vahedi ◽  
Amin Torabipour ◽  
Amirhossein Takian ◽  
Saeed Mohammadpur ◽  
Alireza Olyaeemanesh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Unmet need is a critical indicator of access to healthcare services. Despite concrete evidence about unmet need in Iran’s health system, no recent evidence of this negative outcome is available. This study aimed to measure the subjective unmet need (SUN), the factors associated with it and various reasons behind it in Iran. Methods We used the data of 13,005 respondents over the age of 15 from the Iranian Utilization of Healthcare Services Survey in 2016. SUN was defined as citizens whose needs were not sought through formal healthcare services, while they did not show a history of self-medication. The reasons for SUN were categorized into availability, accessibility, responsibility and acceptability of the health system. The multivariable logistic regression was used to determine significant predictors of SUN and associated major reasons. Results About 17% of the respondents (N = 2217) had unmet need for outpatient services. Nearly 40% of the respondents chose only accessibility, 4% selected only availability, 78% chose only responsibility, and 13% selected only acceptability as the main reasons for their unmet need. Higher outpatient needs was the only factor that significantly increased SUN, responsibility-related SUN and acceptability-related SUN. Low education was associated with higher SUN and responsibility-related SUN, while it could also reduce acceptability-related SUN. While SUN and responsibility-related SUN were prevalent among lower economic quintiles, having a complementary insurance was associated with decreased SUN and responsibility-related SUN. The people with basic insurance had lower chances to face with responsibility-related SUN, while employed individuals were at risk to experience SUN. Although the middle-aged group had higher odds to experience SUN, the responsibility-related SUN were prevalent among elderly, while higher age groups had significant chance to be exposed to acceptability-related SUN. Conclusion It seems that Iran is still suffering from unmet need for outpatient services, most of which emerges from its health system performance. The majority of the unmet health needs could be addressed through improving financial as well as organizational policies. Special attention is needed to address the unmet need among individuals with poor health status.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (S1) ◽  
pp. 184-185
Author(s):  
T. Leon ◽  
L. Castro ◽  
F. Mascayano ◽  
BA. Lawlor ◽  
A. Slachevsky

AbstractThe prevalence of dementia in Chile is 1.06 %, meaning that over 200,000 people are affected. In 2017, the Ministry of Health launched the National Plan of Dementia, which proposed establishing a range of health-care services from primary care to Memory Units (MU).MUs have emerged as a new health care service composed of multidisciplinary teams with the goal of improving diagnosis and management of dementia patients.The creation and implementation of a MU should take into consideration the organization of a particular healthcare system. In this context, the evaluation of a Chilean MU might provide information for the standardization and replication of such a health service on a regional basis.The objective of this paper was to evaluate the implementation processes of a MU using the RE-AIM model, a multi-component model aimed to assist the evaluation of the implementation of ongoing programs.Regarding “R” (Reach): from March 2018 up to June 2019, a total of 510 patients were referred and assessed at the Hospital del Salvador. Most patients came from primary care (51.9 %) and from outpatient services at the Hospital (39.2 %), particularly from the Neurology (63.3%) and Psychiatry (16.0 %) departments. We estimated that the MU assessed 5.39% of dementia patients living in the area of referral.In relationship with “E” (Effectiveness): of patients evaluated by the MU, 60 (11%) were discharged. Of these, 41 (66%) were referred to primary health care, 9 (17%) to other outpatient services, 6 (10%) to a specialized mental health care center, and 4 (7%) to a daycare center.Due to the short lifespan of our MU, no other RE-AIM dimensions could be evaluated yet.This was the first evaluation of the implementation of a MU in Chile as part of the Chilean Dementia Plan. It showed that it is possible to implement a MU in a Latin American country and improve access to dementia diagnosis, management, and treatment. Ongoing challenges include continuing to collect clinical data, creating research projects as part of the MU, and developing a MU protocol that can be adopted elsewhere in Chile and other Latin American countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalia Hegazy Ali ◽  
Doha Mostafa Elserafi ◽  
Marwa Abdel Rahman Soltan ◽  
Mohamed Fikry Eissa ◽  
Hanan Ahmed Zein ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Patients with schizophrenia suffer from diffuse cognitive impairment and high prevalence of cardiovascular metabolic risks, associated with poor clinical outcomes. We aimed in this study to test the presence of cognitive impairment in a sample of patients with schizophrenia, and evaluate its possible relations to patients’ metabolic profile. We recruited forty patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and their matched controls from the inpatient departments and outpatient services from January to December 2016. Schizophrenia diagnosis was confirmed by the ICD10 criteria checklist. Symptoms profile and severity were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Cognitive profile was assessed through (1) Trail Making Test, Parts A and B and (2) Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Visual Reproduction Test. Metabolic profile was assessed by measuring the body mass index, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profile. SPSS (V. 22.0, IBM Corp., USA, 2013) was used for data analysis. Results The patients group had a significantly higher means in the speed of processing, executive function, attention, and working memory scores on TMT-A (p = 0.0), TMT-B (p = 0.00), and WMS-R (p = 0.029) and significantly higher FBG levels (p = 0.00). Correlation studies showed that the increase in patients’ age, illness duration, treatments, number of hospitalizations, number of episodes and of ECT sessions received, symptoms severity, and deficits in cognitive function scores was associated with higher BMI and FBG. Conclusions Patients with schizophrenia have a higher prevalence of cognitive impairment and vascular risk factors than the general population. Close monitoring and early management of these risk factors can promote better cognitive abilities and overall functions.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1958 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-324
Author(s):  
Floyd M. Feldmann

As a pediatric problem, tuberculosis has undergone striking change in the past decades, yet few diseases have the complicated interrelationship of personal and community significance that is peculiar to tuberculosis. Management of the tuberculous patient has become largely a matter for hospital and specialized outpatient services, and the individual practitioner has been chiefly concerned with case finding in his own practice. Since the tuberculin test is such an important tool in this respect, the editors thought such a review as presented by Dr. Feldmann of particular importance. A number of controversial points are touched on. In any public health procedure a routine screening test has value in relation to the proportion of positives likely to result. A test which results in more than 50% positive is not very helpful. On the other hand, a test with one positive in 1,000 is probably too expensive. Dr. Feldmann points out the cogent reasons for routine tuberculin testing and the pediatrician will need to consider these reasons in the light of the conditions in his community and the relevant local and state health program. Some may be disturbed by the criticism made of the patch test, yet it is important to recognize its limitations. Failure of the patch test to detect all positives has been well known and most pediatricians have thought it useful chiefly as a preliminary test to find the more sensitive reactors.


Author(s):  
Vera Lúcia Conceição de Gouveia Santos ◽  
Alcicléa dos Santos Oliveira ◽  
Ana Flávia dos Santos Amaral ◽  
Erika Tihemi Nishi ◽  
Jaqueline Betteloni Junqueira ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE To assess health-related quality of life, its predictors and magnitude of changes in health-related quality of life in patients with chronic wounds receiving specialized outpatient treatment. METHOD Secondary, retrospective, descriptive, quantitative study with patients with chronic wounds from two specialized outpatient services in Brazil assessed through Ferrans & Powers Quality of Life Index-Wound Version, Visual Analog Pain Scale, Global Assessment Scale, Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing, sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires at baseline and after 60 days of treatment. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, Spearman Coefficient, Mann-Whitney test and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients participated in the study. The overall health-related quality of life scale, health and functioning subscale and socioeconomic subscale scores increased after 60 days of treatment compared to baseline. Pain reduction was a predictor of changes in overall health-related quality of life score as well as religious practice in the family subscale. 92.6% patients perceived moderate to extensive changes in health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION there was improvement of health-related quality of life for the sample studied in the period; pain and religious practice have emerged as predictors of changes in health-related quality of life.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 272
Author(s):  
Ghassem Abedi ◽  
Farideh Rostami ◽  
Marzieh Ziaee ◽  
Hasan Siamian ◽  
Aliasghar Nadi

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