Analysis of the costs of teleconsultation for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in the SUS.

OBJECTIVE: To present the results of a cost analysis of remote consultations (teleconsultations) compared to in-person consultations for patients with type 2 diabetes, in the Brazilian public healthcare system (SUS) in the city of Joinville, Santa Catarina (SC). In addition to the costs from the local manager's perspective, the article also presents estimates from the patient's perspective, based on the transportation costs associated with each type of consultation. METHOD: Data were collected from 246 consultations, both remote and in-person, between 2021 and 2023, in the context of a randomized clinical trial on the impact of teleconsultation carried out in the city of Joinville, SC. Teleconsultations were carried out at Primary Health Units (PHU) and in-person consultations at the Specialized Health Center. The consultation costs were calculate by the method time and activity-based costing (TDABC), and for the estimate of transportation costs data was collected directly from the research participants . The mean costs and time required to carry out each type of consultation in different scenarios and perspectives were analyzed and compared descriptively. RESULTS: Considering only the local SUS manager's perspective, the costs for carrying out a teleconsultation were 4.5% higher than for an in-person consultation. However, when considering the transportation costs associated with each patient, the estimated value of the in-person consultation becomes 7.7% higher and, in the case of consultations in other municipalities, 15% higher than the teleconsultation. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that the incorporation of teleconsultation within the SUS can bring economic advantages depending on the perspective and scenario considered, in addition to being a strategy with the potential to increase access to specialized care in the public network.

Characterization of interprofessional education experiences in health education at the University of São Paulo.

OBJECTIVE: To map the experiences of Interprofessional Education (IPE) in Health at the São Paulo campus of the University of São Paulo. METHOD: This is a descriptive, exploratory study with a quantitative approach and data collection through an online questionnaire addressed to teachers from eight teaching units and 14 health courses. The data was analyzed using absolute and percentage frequencies. RESULTS: The majority of teachers do not take part in IPE experiences (70.4%). Most of the experiences are between six and ten years old, involving up to four teachers and small groups of students, mostly extracurricular or extension activities. The teaching and assessment strategies are diverse and open to students of all years. CONCLUSION: IPE experiences involve a small number of students and teachers and, although consolidated in terms of the time they have been offered, are limited to extracurricular spaces. Factors such as improvements in institutional support and teacher development are pointed out as important for making progress in strengthening IPE in the analyzed context.

Telehealth use in primary healthcare collaborative interprofessional practice: protocol for a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Telehealth is a growing topic, with potential to improve access to primary healthcare. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how telehealth could facilitate interprofessional collaboration that is recommended to strengthen the comprehensive approach of primary healthcare. The objective is to identify the characteristics and applications of telehealth services related to the interprofessional collaborative practice of primary healthcare professionals. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This review will cover studies including as target population those health professionals who work in telehealth services; as concept, telehealth in relation to collaborative interprofessional practice; and as context, primary healthcare. A scoping review will be carried out according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Databases to be searched include MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Eric, Scopus, LILACS and Web of Science. All identified records will be grouped, duplicates will be removed, titles and abstracts will be selected by two independent reviewers, and the full text of selected articles will be evaluated in detail. A data extraction tool developed by the reviewers will be used for data extraction. The results will be presented in data map format in a logical way, in a diagram or in a tabular format, accompanied by a descriptive summary. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approval is required for this study. A manuscript based on this scoping review will be submitted to a journal and we hope it will contribute to scientific knowledge on the interprofessional field and key research findings will be sent to key events on interprofessional practice and education. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: This scoping review was registered in the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/2BV8D).

Characterization of interprofessional education experiences in health education at the University of São Paulo / Caracterización de las experiencias de educación interprofesional en formación en salud en la Universidad de São Paulo / Caracterização das experiências de educação interprofissional na formação em saúde na Universidade de São Paulo

ABSTRACT Objective: To map the experiences of Interprofessional Education (IPE) in Health at the São Paulo campus of the University of São Paulo. Method: This is a descriptive, exploratory study with a quantitative approach and data collection through an online questionnaire addressed to teachers from eight teaching units and 14 health courses. The data was analyzed using absolute and percentage frequencies. Results: The majority of teachers do not take part in IPE experiences (70.4%). Most of the experiences are between six and ten years old, involving up to four teachers and small groups of students, mostly extracurricular or extension activities. The teaching and assessment strategies are diverse and open to students of all years. Conclusion: IPE experiences involve a small number of students and teachers and, although consolidated in terms of the time they have been offered, are limited to extracurricular spaces. Factors such as improvements in institutional support and teacher development are pointed out as important for making progress in strengthening IPE in the analyzed context.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Mapear las experiencias de Educación Interprofesional (EIP) en Salud en el campus de São Paulo de la Universidad de São Paulo. Método: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, exploratorio, con abordaje cuantitativo y recolección de datos por medio de cuestionario online dirigido a profesores de ocho unidades de enseñanza y 14 cursos de salud. Los datos se analizaron mediante frecuencias absolutas y porcentuales. Resultados: La mayoría de los profesores no participa en experiencias de EIP (70,4%). La mayoría de las experiencias tienen entre seis y diez años de antigüedad, involucran hasta cuatro profesores y pequeños grupos de estudiantes, en su mayoría actividades extracurriculares o de extensión. Las estrategias de enseñanza y evaluación son diversas y están abiertas a estudiantes de todos los cursos. Conclusión: Las experiencias de EIP involucran a un número reducido de estudiantes y profesores y, aunque consolidadas en términos de oferta de tiempo, se limitan a espacios extracurriculares. Factores como la mejora del apoyo institucional y el desarrollo de las docentes se señalan como importantes para avanzar en el fortalecimiento de la EIP en el contexto analizado.

RESUMO Objetivo: Mapear as experiências de Educação Interprofissional (EIP) em Saúde no campus São Paulo da Universidade de São Paulo. Método: Pesquisa descritiva, exploratória, com abordagem quantitativa e coleta de dados por meio de um questionário online, direcionado aos docentes de oito unidades de ensino e 14 cursos da área de saúde. Os dados foram analisados por meio de frequências absolutas e percentuais. Resultados: A maior parte dos docentes não participa de experiências de EIP (70,4%). Em sua maioria, as experiências têm de seis a dez anos de existência, com envolvimento de até quatro docentes e em pequenos grupos de estudantes, majoritariamente extracurriculares ou atividades de extensão. As estratégias de ensino e avaliação são diversificadas e abertas aos estudantes de todos os anos. Conclusão: As experiências de EIP envolvem um número pequeno de estudantes e professores e, embora consolidadas em relação ao tempo de oferta, são limitadas aos espaços extracurriculares. Fatores como melhorias no apoio institucional e desenvolvimento docente são apontados como importantes para avançar no fortalecimento da EIP no contexto analisado.

Description of e-Health Initiatives to Reduce Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Burden on Brazilian Health System.

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD) account for 72% of the causes of death in Brazil. In 2013, 54 million Brazilians reported having at least one NCD. The implementation of e-Health in the Unified Health System (SUS) could fill gaps in access to health in primary health care (PHC). OBJECTIVE: to demonstrate telehealth strategies carried out within the scope of the Institutional Development Support Program of the Unified Health System (PROADI-SUS) and developed by Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, between 2018 and 2021, on evaluation, supply, and problem-solving capacity for patients with NCDs. METHODOLOGY: a prospective and descriptive study of three projects in the telehealth areas, using document analysis. The Brasil Redes project used availability, implementation, and cost-effectiveness analysis, TELEconsulta Diabetes is a randomized clinical trial, and Regula Mais Brasil is focused on the waiting list for regulation of specialties. All those strategies were developed within the scope of the SUS. RESULTS: 161 patients were attended by endocrinology teleconsultation in one project and another two research projects, one evaluating Brazil's Telehealth Network Program, and another evaluating effectiveness and safety of teleconsultation in patients with diabetes mellitus referred from primary care to specialized care in SUS. Despite the discrepancy in the provision of telehealth services in the country, there was an increase in access to specialized care on the three projects and especially on the Regula Mais Brasil Collaborative project; we observed a reduction on waiting time and favored distance education processes. CONCLUSION: the three projects offered subsidies for decision-making by the Ministry of Health in e-Health and two developed technologies that could be incorporated into SUS.

Impact of Teleconsultation on Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in the Brazilian Public Health System: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (TELEconsulta Diabetes Trial).

BACKGROUND: Although the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) offers universal health coverage, access to quality care is often limited by social inequality and location. Although telemedicine has been shown to be an important tool in the efforts to overcome this problem, because it can provide access to specialist care and break the geographical barriers to health care, there are no national studies demonstrating its use in public health. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to test the hypothesis that remote consultation can be as effective as standard face-to-face consultation for type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Brazilian public health system and to assess the associated costs related to teleconsultation in public health scenarios, for patients referred from Primary Health Care units of the SUS for specialist care. METHODS: This is a pragmatic, phase 2, unicentric, open-label, noninferiority, blinded allocation, data-blinded, centrally randomized clinical trial. The inclusion criteria will be adults, both sexes, ≥18 years old, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥8%. Outcomes will be evaluated by assessing symptoms, laboratory exams, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, adverse events, and satisfaction level for 6 months. The costs of the teleconsultation will be assessed using the time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) method to compare the costs with the face-to-face consultations. The noninferiority margin was set at 0.5%. Assuming an SD of 1.3% for both groups, true difference between the means of zero, and a type I error level of 5% (one-sided), it was estimated that 117 individuals per group would be necessary to achieve 90% power. Statistical analysis of the efficacy will be done using intention-to-treat and per-protocol approaches. RESULTS: The results from this trial will be reported according to the CONSORT guidelines. The trial was approved by the institutional review board on October 5, 2019. Data collection started in January 2019 and is expected to finish in 2022. At the time of manuscript submission, 18 participants were recruited. CONCLUSIONS: Our expectations are that providing remote access to health care will result in improvements in the health and quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes and reduce costs and that both patients and clinicians will benefit from and be satisfied with this technology. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos RBR-8gpgyd; https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-8gpgyd. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/23679.