Implementation of a Telecardiology Service in a Health Unit in the City of Porto Alegre, Brazil: A Pilot Study

Abstract Background: The implementation of Telecardiology in primary care in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, is a viable and promising strategy. It would decrease the distance between patient and specialized professional services by reducing unnecessary referrals and improving the quality of primary care and satisfaction of patients and health professionals. Objective: To implement a Telecardiology service and assess user satisfaction using the CARDIOSATIS scale. Methods: This was a pilot study developed by a partnership between the Institute of Cardiology and the Telehealth Center of Rio Grande do Sul. The study was carried out at Eri Flores-Vila Vargas health center in the city of Porto Alegre, from May to October 2019, and included 21 patients attending the health center. The descriptive analysis of data was performed using the SPSS program (Statistical Package for the Sciences) version 23. Data normality was checked using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Statistical significance was set at 10%. Results: Mean age of participants was 43.8 ± 16.1 years. The most common risk factors in the sample were physical inactivity (81%) and smoking (43%). Most patients had normal electrocardiogram (ECG) readings. The time elapsed from the performance of the ECG test, transmission of the ECG traces to Telehealth, and return of the final ECG report to the health center was 0-7 days. The CARDIOSATIS scale revealed a high prevalence of "very satisfied" users for the general satisfaction domain, and only 14.3% of patients were dissatisfied with their health. Conclusions: Telecardiology reduced the distance between patient and the specialized professional, with a high level of patient and health professional satisfaction. Our study can serve as a basis for the implementation of a telecardiology network in the city of Porto Alegre in the future.

Uso crônico de anticoagulante oral: implicações para o controle de níveis adequados / Constant use of oral anticoagulants: implications in the control of their adequate levels / Uso crónico de anticoagulante oral implicaciones para el control de niveles adecuados

FUNDAMENTO: Dosagens inapropriadas e subterapêuticas anticoagulantes podem resultar em sérias complicações tromboembólicas. O uso dessa terapêutica requer especial atenção e precisa de um acompanhamento clínico e laboratorial rigoroso. OBJETIVO: Identificar fatores associados ao controle adequado dos níveis de anticoagulação oral, verificando o conhecimento e a percepção dos pacientes relacionados à terapêutica empregada. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal que incluiu 140 pacientes acompanhados no ambulatório de anticoagulação oral, de novembro de 2005 a junho de 2006. Um questionário estruturado foi elaborado e aplicado para obtenção de características clínicas, conhecimento sobre a terapêutica, adesão ao tratamento (teste de Morisky) e percepção do paciente. RESULTADOS: As principais indicações para uso do anticoagulação oral foram fibrilação atrial (61,4 por cento) e prótese metálica (55 por cento). O tempo de uso variou entre 24 e 72 meses, e o femprocumona (58 por cento) foi o mais empregado. Em relaçãoà percepção da terapêutica, 95 por cento dos pacientes mencionaram preocupação com o uso diário dessa medicação. A realização periódica de exames de sangue (21,4 por cento) e a tomada rigorosa de anticoagulação oral (12,8 por cento) foram compreendidas como limitantes. Observou-se conhecimento adequado entre os pacientes com international normalized ratio (INR) fora da faixa (64 por cento) e na aderência entre os pacientes com INR dentro da faixa terapêutica (54 por cento), porém sem significância estatística. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados deste estudo demonstraram uma prevalência de pacientes em uso de anticoagulação oral com o INR dentro dos valores ideais, embora tenha sido grande a porcentagem de pacientes não-aderentes à terapêutica. O conhecimento insatisfatório quanto à terapêutica empregada e ao autocuidado torna-se evidente nessa população.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate and subtherapeutic anticoagulants dosages may result in severe thromboembolic and bleeding complications. The use of this treatment requires special attention and strict clinical and laboratory follow-up. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with appropriate control of the oral anticoagulant use, assessing the patients' knowledge and perception of the treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional study which included 140 patients followed in the oral anticoagulation outpatient clinic from November 2005 to June 2006. A structured questionnaire was drafted and applied to obtain the clinical characteristics of the patients and their knowledge about the treatment, their compliance with the treatment (Morisky´s test) and their perception of the treatment. RESULTS: The main indications for the use of oral anticoagulation therapy were atrial fibrillation (61.4 percent) and a prosthetic heart valve (55 percent). The duration of anticoagulation ranged from 24 to 72 months, and phenprocoumon (58 percent) was the most commonly used anticoagulant. As to the perception of the treatment, 95 percent of the patients mentioned concern about daily use of this medication. Periodic blood tests (21.4 percent) and the strict intake of oral anticoagulant (12.8 percent) were considered limiting factors. Adequate knowledge was outstanding in patients with an international normalized ratio (INR) outside the therapeutic range (64 percent), compared to patients with an INR within the therapeutic range (62 percent), as well as compliance with treatment in patients with an INR within the therapeutic range (54 percent), but with no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show a prevalence of patients using oral anticoagulant with an INR within optimal values, although a high percentage of patients do not comply with the treatment. In this population it is clearly seen that they do not fully understand the treatment.

FUNDAMENTO: Dosis inapropiadas y subterapéuticas anticoagulantes pueden resultar en serias complicaciones tromboembólicas. El uso de esta terapéutica requiere especial atención y precisa un seguimiento clínico y analítico riguroso. OBJETIVO: Identificar factores asociados al control adecuado de los niveles de anticoagulación oral, verificando el conocimiento y la percepción de los pacientes relacionados a la terapéutica empleada. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal que incluyó a 140 pacientes seguidos en el ambulatorio de anticoagulación oral, desde noviembre de 2005 a junio de 2006. Se elaboró y se aplicó un cuestionario estructurado para la obtención de características clínicas, conocimiento sobre la terapéutica, adhesión al tratamiento (test de Morisky) y percepción del paciente. RESULTADOS: Las principales indicaciones para uso de anticoagulación oral fueron fibrilación atrial (61,4 por ciento) y prótesis metálica (55 por ciento). El tiempo de uso varió entre 24 y 72 meses, y el fenprocumona (58 por ciento) fue el más empleado. Con relación a la percepción de la terapéutica, el 95 por ciento de los pacientes mencionaron preocupación con el uso diario de esta medicación. La realización periódica de análisis de sangre (21,4 por ciento) y el tomar anticoagulación oral rigurosamente (12,8 por ciento) fueron comprendidos como limitantes. Se observó conocimiento adecuado entre los pacientes con international normalized ratio (INR) fuera del intervalo (64 por ciento) y en la adhesión entre los pacientes con INR dentro del intervalo terapéutico (54 por ciento), aunque sin significancia estadística. CONCLUSIÓN: Los resultados de este estudio mostraron una prevalencia de pacientes en uso de anticoagulación oral con el INR dentro de los valores ideales, aunque haya sido grande el porcentaje de pacientes no adheridos a la terapéutica. El conocimiento insatisfactorio con relación a la terapéutica empleada y al autocuidado se vuelve evidente en esa población.