Telemedicine during coronavirus disease-19 pandemic: a paradigm shift in cardiovascular care / La telemedicina durante la pandemia del COVID-19: un cambio de paradigma en la atención cardiovascular

Abstract Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has overwhelmingly affected the health-care systems globally. Delivering cardiovascular care has become unusually difficult both for caregivers and physicians in these unprecedented times. Methods: We briefly reviewed how cardiac care can be delivered to patients while limiting the exposure of both patients and healthcare workers through telemedicine services. We made a comparison at our institute of outpatient services through routine and telemedicine visits. Results: We found that telemedicine can be an equally effective alternative cardiac care during the times of pandemic with no significant difference in patients profile admitted through telemedicine services. Conclusions: We concluded that telemedicine can prove to be an effective tool in delivering cardiac care by limiting exposure of both patients and physicians with better triage of cardiac patients in the situation of COVID-19 pandemic and may complement to regular cardiac care in routine times.

Resumen Introducción: El síndrome respiratorio agudo grave dado por el COVID-19 ha afectado de manera abrumadora a los sistemas de salud a nivel mundial. La prestación de servicios de atención cardiovascular se ha tornado inusualmente difícil tanto para los cuidadores como para los médicos en estos tiempos inéditos. Métodos: Realizamos una revisión breve de cómo se puede brindar atención cardíaca a los pacientes a la vez que se limita la exposición tanto de pacientes como del personal de la salud a través de los servicios de telemedicina. Comparamos los servicios ambulatorios habituales con las visitas de telemedicina en nuestro instituto. Resultados: Encontramos que la tele medicina puede ser una alternativa igualmente efectiva de atención cardíaca durante tiempos de pandemia, sin ninguna diferencia significativa en el perfil de los pacientes ingresados a través de los servicios de telemedicina. Conclusiones: Concluimos que la telemedicina puede convertirse en una herramienta efectiva para proporcionar atención en salud cardíaca al limitar la exposición tanto de pacientes como de médicos con un mejor triage de pacientes cardíacos en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19, y puede llegar a ser un complemento de la atención cardíaca habitual en tiempos normales.

Electronic health records and outpatient cardiovascular disease care delivery: Insights from the American College of Cardiology’s PINNACLE India Quality Improvement Program (PIQIP)

Background There has been a push toward implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) in federally-funded hospitals under the current policies initiated by the Indian government, with a lack of evidence supporting their adoption. We analyzed data from the American College of Cardiology’s PINNACLE (Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence) India Quality Improvement Program (PIQIP) to evaluate the association between EHR use and quality of cardiovascular disease care in India. Methods and Results Between 2011–2016, we collected data on performance measures for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) among 17 participating practices in PIQIP. There were 19,035 patients with CAD, 9,373 patients with HF, and 1,127 patients with AF. Documentation of co-morbidity burden in patients with CAD was lower among practices with EHR—hypertension (49.8% vs. 52.1%, p = 0.003), diabetes (34.9% vs. 38.3%, p < 0.001), and hyperlipidemia (0.2 vs. 3.9%, p < 0.001). On the contrary, documentation of medication prescription was higher in CAD patients seen at practices with EHR—aspirin (63.2% vs. 17.8%, p < 0.001), clopidogrel (41.7% vs. 27.4%, p < 0.001), beta-blockers (61.4% vs. 9.8%, p < 0.001), and ACE-i or ARBs (53.9% vs. 16.4%, p < 0.001). Similarly, documentation of receipt of beta-blockers (43.8% vs. 10.7%, p < 0.001), ACE-i or ARBs (40.8% vs. 16.1%, p < 0.001), and beta-blockers + ACE-i or ARBs (36.4% vs. 3.6%, p < 0.001) was also significantly higher in patients with HF seen at practices with EHR. Among patients with AF, documentation of oral anticoagulation use was significantly higher among EHR practices—warfarin (42.5% vs. 26.1%, p < 0.001). Conclusions Documentation of receipt of guideline-directed medical therapy in CAD, HF, and AF was significantly higher in practices with EHRs in India compared with sites without EHRs. Our findings shed a spotlight on the value of EHRs in future health care policy-making in India with regard to widespread adoption of EHRs in primary and advanced specialty care settings across public and private sectors.

Comparación de los costos reales anuales asociados al manejo ambulatorio de pacientes hipertensos del programa cardiovascular en el Hospital Comunitario de Bulnes con el pago de prestaciones de Fonasa / Cost of ambulatory care of hypertensive subjects in a community hospital (bulnes): comparison of activity associated costs to the national health fund (fonasa) estimated payments in the setting of a national cardiovascular care program

Antecedentes: El financiamiento de las prestaciones entregadas a los usuarios de atención primaria portadores de Hipertensión Arterial, esta determinado por un arancel definido por el Fondo Nacional de Salud (FONASA), el cual ha estimado montos a pagar a la institución prestadora, basados en estudios realizados a nivel nacional, los cuales difieren de las estimaciones de gasto real de cada prestación, para lo cual se hace necesario objetivar dicha diferencia de estimación a nivel local. Objetivo: Determinar los costos directos e indirectos reales de las prestaciones entregadas a los usuarios hipertensos de control ambulatorio en atención primaria de salud mediante la metodología de costos asociados a actividades (ABC), para compararlos con los valores asignados por FONASA. Diseño: Estudio Analítico no experimental de enfoque cuantitativo de corte transversal, en que se revisaron 290 tarjetas de control de usuarios hipertensos bajo control en el Hospital Comunitario de Salud Familiar de Bul-nes. Se analizaron específicamente los valores del control Médico, control Enfermera, control Nutricionista, y valores de exámenes: hematocrito, perfil lipídico, glicemia, creatinina plasmática, orina completa, potasio plasmático, electrocardiograma, atención farmacéutica. Resultados: Los costos reales de las prestaciones incluidas en la Guía Clínica GES para el manejo ambulatorio de la Hipertensión Arterial, obtenidos mediante el uso de la metodología ABC fueron significativamente mayores a los establecidos por el FONASA (promedio miles de pesos: Fonasa 21.370; Costo real 39.991,7 +/- 11.999,4; p <0,001). Conclusión: Estos resultados sugieren que existe una diferencia entre lo que FONASA cancela por estas prestaciones y el gasto real en que se incurre por su atención. Si estos valores se acercan, podría obtenerse un mejor financiamiento del programa.

Background: Payments for ambulatory care of hypertensive patients in the national cardiovascular program is defined by FONASA based on national studies. Considerable differences are observed upon confrontation with the real costs involved in a given place. Aim: to determine direct and indirect costs of health care actions in the ambulatory care of hypertensive patients through an activity based cost (ABC) methodology and to compare these with the corresponding payments defined by FONASA Method: In a cross sectional design, 290 records of hypertensive subjects under control at the Community Hospital in Bulnes were analyzed. Costs of doctor, nurse and nutritionist controls were determined along with those related to laboratory tests including hematocrit, lipid profile, glycemia, plasma creatinine, urine analysis, plasma K level and electrocardiogram. Cost of pharmacy was also included. Results: a monthly mean of $ 39 992 +/- 12 000 per hypertensive patient cared was determined through ABC based costs. This is considerable greater than de $ 21 370 determined by FONASA (p<0.001). Conclusion: Payments considered by FONASA are insufficient to cover real costs involved in ambulatory care of hypertensive patients. A better financing of the cardiovascular care program requires these costs and payments to converge.

Rumo ao Consenso Internacional de Ressuscitação Cardiopulmonar e Cuidados Cardiovasculares de Emergência 2010 da Aliança Internacional dos Comitês de Ressuscitação / The 2010 Consensus on Cardiopulmary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science with Treatment Recommendations ? International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) foi formada em 1992 para fornecer um fórum de articulação entre as organizações de ressuscitação principal no mundo inteiro. As organizações criam de diretrizes de ressuscitação. Atualmente, é composto por representantes do ILCOR: American Heart Association (AHA); Conselho Europeu de Ressuscitação (ERC); Heart Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC); Conselho de Ressuscitação da Austrália e Nova Zelândia (ANZCOR); Conselhos e Ressuscitação da África do Sul (RCSA); Inter American Heart Foundation (IAHF); Resuscitation Council of Asia (RCA). Os objetivos do ILCOR são proporcionar um fórum de discussão e de coordenação de todos os aspectos da ressuscitação cardiopulmonar no mundo inteiro; promover a investigação científica em áreas de reanimação, onde há falta de dados ou, quando há controvérsia; divulgar informações sobre a formação e a educação em ressuscitação; criar um mecanismo para recolher, analisar e compartilhamento de dados científicos internacionais de ressuscitação; produzir declarações sobre temas específicos relacionados à ressuscitação que reflitam um consenso internacional. CONTEÚDO: O ILCOR se reúne duas vezes por ano geralmente alternando entre um local nos Estados Unidos e um espaço no resto do mundo. Em colaboração com a AHA, o ILCOR produziu as primeiras Diretrizes Internacionais de RCP em 2000, um consenso internacional sobre RCP e ECC Ciência com Recomendações de Tratamento em 2005. Mais uma vez, em colaboração com a AHA, o ILCOR está coordenando uma revisão baseada em evidências da ciência de reanimação, que culminará com um consenso 2010. CONCLUSÃO: Os trabalhos da reunião, a ser publicado em outubro de 2010, irá fornecer o material para as organizações regionais de reanimação, como a ERC, a escrever suas diretrizes de ressuscitação.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) was formed in 1992 to provide a forum for Liaison between principal resuscitation organizations worldwide. Although the criteria for participation were not closely defined, member organizations were expected to have an accepted remit for creating resuscitation guidelines, preferably for more than one country, and to be multidisciplinary in membership. At present, ILCOR comprises representatives of American Heart Association (AHA); European Resuscitation Council (ERC); Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC); Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR); Resuscitation Councils of Southern Africa (RCSA); Inter American Heart Foundation (IAHF); Resuscitation Council of Asia (RCA: current members Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan). The objectives of the ILCOR are to: Provide a forum for discussion and for coordination of all aspects of cardiopulmonary and cerebral resuscitation worldwide. Foster scientific research in areas of resuscitation where there is a lack of data or where there is controversy. Disseminate information on training and education in resuscitation. Provide a mechanism for collecting, reviewing and sharing international scientific data on resuscitation. Produce statements on specific issues related to resuscitation that reflect international consensus. CONTENTS: ILCOR meets twice each year usually alternating between a venue in the United States and a venue elsewhere in the world. In collaboration with the AHA, ILCOR produced the first International CPR Guidelines in 2000 and an International Consensus on CPR and ECC Science with Treatment Recommendations in 2005. In collaboration with the AHA, ILCOR is now coordinating an evidence-based review of resuscitation science, which will culminate in a Consensus 2010, to be published in October 2010(...)