Impacto de una acción formativa en la prevalencia de automedicación del alumnado de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación de la Universidad de Málaga / Impact of a training action on the prevalence of self-medication among students from the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Malaga

OBJETIVOS: Primario: analizar la prevalencia y perfil de automedicación de los alumnos de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad de Málaga. Secundarios: reconocer posibles factores de riesgo relacionados con la automedicación, evaluar el grado de conocimiento sobre automedicación y uso racional de los medicamentos y valorar a 6 meses el efecto de una intervención educativa sobre los objetivos previamente referidos. MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo y transversal de prevalencia de automedicación y factores de riesgo relacionados con la misma, mediante realización de encuesta anónima diseñada para tal fin, así como estudio analítico cuasi-experimental, del tipo antes-después, para detectar diferencias en la prevalencia y perfil de automedicación tras la realización de la intervención educativa. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia de automedicación reconocida por los alumnos fue del 72,7%, siendo mayor entre aquellos que aconsejaban o prestaban medicamentos, opinaban que la automedicación es una práctica eficaz y cuyos progenitores no poseían estudios universitarios. Tras la intervención educativa no disminuyó la prevalencia de automedicación, pero sí el hábito de recomendar y prestar medicamentos, el consumo de anticonceptivos y la creencia en la eficacia de la automedicación. Se observó una mejora en la clasificación correcta de los grupos farmacológicos, pasando del 45,4% al 58,2%, fundamentalmente en relación con un reconocimiento más adecuado de la antibioterapia y discriminación correcta de analgésicos y antiinflamatorios. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados demuestran una alta prevalencia de automedicación en población universitaria, y sugieren la necesidad de implementar intervenciones educativas específicas en salud y uso racional de los medicamentos

OBJECTIVES: Primary: analyze the prevalence and profile of self-medication habits among the students of the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Malaga. Secondary: identify posibles factores de riesgo relacionados con la automedicación, possible risk factors related to self-medication, evaluate the degree of knowledge about self-medication and rational use of medicines, this was re-assessed 6 months after an educational intervention. METHODS: Descriptive, cross-sectional study on the prevalence of self-medication habits and the risk factors derived from said habits. It was based on a specially designed anonymous survey and a quasi-experimental before-and-after analytical study in order to detect differences in the prevalence of self-medication and the profile of those with a tendency to self-medicate after completing the educational intervention. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-medication, as acknowledged by the students, was 72.7%. Self-medication was much more common among those students who recommended or lent medication to others, who considered that self-medication is an effective practice and whose parents do not have university studies. After the educational intervention, self-medication prevalence did not decrease regardless of the variable under analysis. What did decrease, however, was the habit of recommending and lending medication, the use of contraceptives and the belief that self-medication is an effective practice. We should highlight a higher accuracy in the classification of pharmacological groups (from 45.4% to 58.2%), particularly as regards a better understanding of antibiotic treatments and a correct distinction between painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The results show a high prevalence of self-medication in university population, and suggest the need to implement specific educational interventions in health and rational use of medicines

Impact of the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound by rheumatologists in patients with shoulder and hand complaints compared with traditional clinical care.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the routine use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) with traditional clinical care in daily practice at shoulder and hand level. METHODS: An observational study was performed in four rheumatology departments. Within each department, 2 rheumatologists were selected; one rheumatologist used MSUS, and the other followed traditional rheumatology care. Consecutive patients with nontraumatic pain, hand numbness or disability, or pain and/or limitations in the shoulder were selected. We collected information regarding the clinical and MSUS diagnoses, changes in diagnosis and treatment following MSUS, local injections, the rheumatologist's satisfaction and the use of health care resources. A descriptive analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 168 patients were analysed, with 104 and 64 patients in the MSUS and traditional care groups, respectively. MSUS led to a diagnosis and therapeutic change in 53 (52%) and 55 patients (54%), respectively. The rate of local injection was 47% in the MSUS group (73% unexpected, 61% performed using US) compared with 21% in the traditional group (p=0.001). According to the rheumatologists, MSUS was useful in 72 cases (71%) and extremely useful in 20 cases (20%), and the rheumatologists reported a higher satisfaction with their patient evaluations (p<0.001). The MSUS group required fewer additional tests (38% vs. 81%, respectively, p<0.001), fewer medical visits (46% vs. 84%, p<0.001), and lower direct costs (11 vs. 30 euros, p<0.001) than the traditional care group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with traditional care, the routine use of MSUS in rheumatology practice at hand and shoulder level can lead to important improvements in care, thereby reducing the number of additional tests and medical visits.