Analyzing Discussions Around Rural Health on Twitter During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Network Analysis of Twitter Data.

Background: Individuals from rural areas are increasingly using social media as a means of communication, receiving information, or actively complaining of inequalities and injustices. Objective: The aim of our study is to analyze conversations about rural health taking place on Twitter during a particular phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study captured 57 days' worth of Twitter data related to rural health from June to August 2021, using English-language keywords. The study used social network analysis and natural language processing to analyze the data. Results: It was found that Twitter served as a fruitful platform to raise awareness of problems faced by users living in rural areas. Overall, Twitter was used in rural areas to express complaints, debate, and share information. Conclusions: Twitter could be leveraged as a powerful social listening tool for individuals and organizations that want to gain insight into popular narratives around rural health.

Long-Term Effects on Preventing Frailty and Health Care Costs Associated with a Multifactorial Intervention in the Elderly: Three-Year Follow-Up Data from the Pre-Frail 80 Study.

INTRODUCTION: Preventing or delaying frailty has important benefits. Studies show the effectiveness of multifactorial interventions in the frail and pre-frail elderly, but few have evaluated their long-term effectiveness. Frailty and its consequences have been shown to increase the use of health resources. The main aim was to evaluate the long-term effect of a multifactorial primary healthcare intervention in pre-frail elderly people at 36 months and determine the health resources used and their cost. METHODS: A follow-up of a cohort study of patients who participated in a randomized clinical trial in an urban primary care centre in Barcelona was carried out. We included 200 non-institutionalized people aged ≥80 years who met the Fried pre-frailty criteria. The intervention group (IG) received a 6-month interdisciplinary intervention based on physical exercise, Mediterranean diet advice, assessment of inadequate prescribing in polypharmacy patients, and social assessment, while the control group (CG) received standard of care primary healthcare treatment. Sociodemographic variables were collected at baseline. The Fried criteria, comorbidities, and geriatric syndromes were collected at baseline and 12 and 36 months. For the analysis of health costs, data were collected on visits, complementary tests, hospital admissions, and surgical interventions in the last 36 months. Complexity, the rate of expected emergency admission, and the rate of expected mortality were collected at 36 months. Between-group characteristics were compared at baseline and 36 months using the χ2 test and the t test for independent samples. The post-intervention (12-month follow-up) versus longitudinal follow-up (36-month follow-up) comparison used McNemar's test for each group. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney test was used to compare health costs. RESULTS: Of the 200 patients initially included, we evaluated 135 (67.5%) patients who completed the 36-month follow-up. The mean age was 88.5 years and 64.4% were female. At 36 months, the transition to frailty was much lower in the IG than in the CG (22.1% vs. 32.8%, p = 0.013). The total mean health cost at 36 months was 3,110 EUR in the CG and 2,679 EUR in the IG. No significant between-group differences were observed according to Clinical Risk Groups. CONCLUSIONS: A multifactorial, interdisciplinary intervention carried out in primary care prevented frailty in pre-frail elderly people at 36-month follow-up. Although the IG was grouped into higher grade Clinical Risk Groups and therefore had greater morbidity, the cost was lower than that in the CG.

[Primary Healthcare management models in Catalonia: May the best win?] / Modelos de gestión de la Atención Primaria en Cataluña: ¿Que gane el mejor?

OBJECTIVE: In Catalonia, the variety of the provision of Primary Healthcare has sparked intense debates over the last 20 years regarding the efficiency of the various management models. Our study analyzed the differences in the three existing management models of primary healthcare in Catalonia (the Catalan Health Institute, public consortiums and associative base entities). METHODS: The primary data were obtained from the reports of the Results Center of The Observatory of the Health System of Catalonia. Representative indicators were selected and compared with the Kruskall-Wallis test. They were later adjusted for confounding factors. RESULTS: There were differences in the average number of visits per population attended, the percentage of the population attended in the subgroup of population over 75 years of age, the percentage of patients over 74 years with more than twelve appointments, the rate of potentially avoidable hospitalizations (total and in the subgroup of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)), polypharmacy, the use of lipid-lowering drugs and the detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). When adjusting for confounding variables, the differences disappeared in all of them except for the indicator on the detection of PSA. CONCLUSIONS: The differences favoured mainly the associative base entities disappear when they are corrected for confounding variables. The legal status of each provider does not significantly influence the health outcomes.

OBJETIVO: En Cataluña, la diversificación de la provisión de la Atención Primaria ha suscitado en los últimos 20 años intensos debates en torno a la eficiencia de los diversos modelos de gestión. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar las diferencias existentes en resultados de salud entre los modelos clásicos de gestión de la Atención Primaria existentes en Cataluña (Institut Català de la Salut, consorcios públicos y entidades de base asociativa). METODOS: Los datos primarios se obtuvieron de los informes de la Central de resultados del Observatori del Sistema de Salut de Catalunya de la Generalitat de Cataluña. Se seleccionaron indicadores representativos y se compararon con la prueba de Kruskall-Wallis. Posteriormente, se ajustaron por factores de confusión. RESULTADOS: Se observaron diferencias en los indicadores sobre la media de visitas por población atendida, el porcentaje de población asignada atendida en el subgrupo de mayores de 75 años, el porcentaje de pacientes mayores de 74 años con más de doce visitas, la tasa de hospitalizaciones potencialmente evitables, tanto total como en el subgrupo de pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC), la polimedicación, el uso de hipolipemiantes y la detección del antígeno prostático específico (PSA). Al ajustar por variables confusoras, las diferencias desaparecieron en todos ellos excepto en el indicador sobre la detección del PSA. CONCLUSIONES: Las diferencias favorables a las entidades de base asociativas desaparecen cuando se corrigen por variables confusoras. La fórmula jurídica o de provisión de servicios no parece influir de forma significativa en los resultados de salud poblacionales.

Predictive factors for induction of remission in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis treated with tocilizumab in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of early response to tocilizumab (TCZ) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) seen in daily routine clinical practice. METHODS: A multicenter ambispective observational study of 126 RA patients treated with TCZ as a first- or second-line biological therapy. The variables associated to achieve the therapeutic goal (remission defined as a DAS28-ESR < 2.6) at 3 and 6 months were identified using regression analysis. RESULTS: TCZ was administered as the first biologic in 26% of patients. Overall, 34% of patients received TCZ as monotherapy. EULAR response and remission were obtained in 82% and 31% of patients at 3 months and in 86% and 40% at 6 months. In the multivariate analysis, the predictive factors increasing the likelihood of clinical remission at 3 months were baseline ESR > 30 mm/h (OR = 19.07, 95% CI: 2.720-133.716), baseline CRP > 10 mg/L (OR = 4.95; 95% CI: 1.464-13.826), and the presence of extra-articular manifestations of the disease (OR = 15.45, 95% CI: 2.334-102.319). The factors that decreased it were higher concentrations of hemoglobin (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.319-0.910), higher baseline DAS28-ESR (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.145-0.635) and the number of previous DMARDs (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.221-0.779), and biological therapies used (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.155-0.734). The only factor that remained statistically significant at 6 months was higher baseline DAS28-ESR (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.347-0.877). No relationship was found with the neutrophil count or with the RF or ACPA positivity. CONCLUSION: In routine clinical practice, strong acute phase response, the presence of extra-articular manifestations, and the number of previous DMARDs and biological therapies used may help to identify patients who will have a rapid response to TCZ. However, it is likely that no parameter will predict response if taken separately.

Comparative effectiveness of tocilizumab with either methotrexate or leflunomide in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: In agreement with EULAR recommendations, a DMARD in combination with a biotherapy is the reference treatment because of the superior long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes. Methotrexate (MTX) is the cornerstone of combination therapy but is in some cases contra-indicated or poorly tolerated. This observational study aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of TCZ in combination with either MTX or leflunomide (LEF) in the treatment of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and an inadequate response to one or more DMARDs and/or biological agents in a real-world setting. METHODS: We performed an ambispective review of 91 patients with active RA who were routinely treated with TCZ plus MTX or LEF. A comparative study between the two combinations of treatment was performed at 6 months of follow-up considering 3 outcomes: improvement of RA disease activity, evolution of functional disability, and tolerability and side effect profile. RESULTS: Of the 91 patients, 62 received TCZ with MTX and 29 received TCZ with LEF. Eighty-one patients were followed for 6 months, and the remaining 10 patients discontinued treatment due to serious adverse events. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the main clinical and laboratory data or in the number of previous DMARDs and biological agents used. At 6 months, there were no significant differences between the combinations in terms of disease activity and functional disability. Serious adverse events occurred in 11% and 10% of the patients treated in combination with MTX and LEF, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary data support the argument that LEF is an effective and safe (equivalent) alternative to MTX for combination treatment with TCZ.

Association between nailfold capillaroscopy findings and pulmonary function tests in patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is an association between different capillaroscopic findings and pulmonary function tests in systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: We did a retrospective observational study in a cohort of patients with SSc and early SSc. Patients with at least 1 nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) magnified 120× were included. Pathological findings were giant capillaries, angiogenesis, and density loss. Findings were compared with lung function values: percent expected value of forced vital capacity (FVC), DLCO, and FVC/DLCO ratio. Other variables collected were sex and SSc type, and the presence of digital ulcers (DU), interstitial lung disease (ILD), scleroderma renal crisis, and/or pulmonary hypertension (PH). RESULTS: Of 136 patients with SSc, 85 had undergone an NVC. The frequency of ILD, DU, and PH was 24.1%, 28.7%, and 17.2%, respectively. Data analysis showed that patients with density loss had worse FVC% (86.91 ± 19.42 vs 101.13 ± 16.06, p < 0.01) and DLCO% (71.43 ± 21.19 vs 85.9 ± 19.81, p < 0.01) compared to those without. CONCLUSION: Patients with loss of density present worse FVC and DLCO values. Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether NVC is useful for studying pulmonary function in SSc.

The relationship between effectiveness and costs measured by a risk-adjusted case-mix system: multicentre study of Catalonian population data bases.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this study is to measure the relationship between morbidity, direct health care costs and the degree of clinical effectiveness (resolution) of health centres and health professionals by the retrospective application of Adjusted Clinical Groups in a Spanish population setting. The secondary objectives are to determine the factors determining inadequate correlations and the opinion of health professionals on these instruments. METHODS/DESIGN: We will carry out a multi-centre, retrospective study using patient records from 15 primary health care centres and population data bases. The main measurements will be: general variables (age and sex, centre, service [family medicine, paediatrics], and medical unit), dependent variables (mean number of visits, episodes and direct costs), co-morbidity (Johns Hopkins University Adjusted Clinical Groups Case-Mix System) and effectiveness.The totality of centres/patients will be considered as the standard for comparison. The efficiency index for visits, tests (laboratory, radiology, others), referrals, pharmaceutical prescriptions and total will be calculated as the ratio: observed variables/variables expected by indirect standardization.The model of cost/patient/year will differentiate fixed/semi-fixed (visits) costs of the variables for each patient attended/year (N = 350,000 inhabitants). The mean relative weights of the cost of care will be obtained. The effectiveness will be measured using a set of 50 indicators of process, efficiency and/or health results, and an adjusted synthetic index will be constructed (method: percentile 50).The correlation between the efficiency (relative-weights) and synthetic (by centre and physician) indices will be established using the coefficient of determination. The opinion/degree of acceptance of physicians (N = 1,000) will be measured using a structured questionnaire including various dimensions. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: multiple regression analysis (procedure: enter), ANCOVA (method: Bonferroni's adjustment) and multilevel analysis will be carried out to correct models. The level of statistical significance will be p < 0.05.

Are there clinical or serological differences between male and female patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. It can be primary (pSS) or secondary (sSS) and is observed 90% more in women than in men, mainly in the fourth and fifth decades of life. We investigated the prevalence of serological and clinical manifestations in male and female patients with primary SS. METHODS: We analyzed 521 female and 28 male patients with pSS between 1993 and 2001. All patients fulfilled > or = 4 of the 1993 European Community Study Group criteria. RESULTS: Men presented higher concentrations of IgA, rheumatoid factor, and antinuclear antibodies than women. A higher percentage of women than men reported fibromyalgia, thyroidal manifestations, and carpal tunnel syndrome. There were no statistical differences between the 2 groups in relation to the presence of Raynaud's phenomenon, arthritis, erosive osteoarthritis, liver disease, or other visceral manifestations. CONCLUSION: The pattern of SS in our cohort of patients reveals a difference between male and female patients, in contrast with earlier studies.

[Uveitis as initial manifestation of sarcoidosis: study of 31 patients]. / Uveítis como manifestación inicial de sarcoidosis: estudio de 31 pacientes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to analyze the epidemiological and clinical findings, as well as the diagnostic approach in a group of patients in whom uveitis was the first manifestation of sarcoidosis. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Retrospective study (between March 1998 and July 2002) including 31 patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis after an episode of uveitis. The group consisted of 19 females (61%) and 12 males (39%). Mean follow-up was 34.5 months. Age, sex, ocular and systemic clinical findings were recorded. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) levels were measured and radiological studies of the thorax were conducted including simple radiography (Rx), computerized axial tomography (CT) and gallium scan (67Ga). Biopsy was carried out in 14 patients. RESULTS: Mean age was 59.6 years. Six different clinical presentations of uveitic sarcoidosis were observed, the most common being bilateral panuveitis in 13 patients (42%) and chronic anterior bilateral uveitis in 11 (35%). Gallium scan, thoracic CT and chest radiography were positive in 88%, 77% and 33% cases, respectively. ACE levels were raised in 7 of the 27 patients analyzed (26%). Histological confirmation of disease was obtained in all 14 patients biopsied with a specificity and sensitivity of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Uveitis may be the presenting manifestation of sarcoidosis, especially in women over 60 years of age. Bilateral panuveitis and chronic bilateral anterior uveitis are the most common clinical presentations. The sensitivity of gallium scan and thoracic CT is greater than simple chest radiography in diagnosing pulmonary and mediastinal lesions of sarcoidosis. The need for biopsy should be individualized in each case depending on complementary exams, age and potential morbidity of the procedure.

Uveítis como manifestación inicial de sarcoidosis: estudio de 31 pacientes / Uveitis as initial manifestation of sarcoidosis: study of 31 patients

FUNDAMENTO Y OBJETIVO: Analizar las características epidemiológicas y clínicas, así como los métodos diagnósticos empleados en un grupo de pacientes en el que la uveítis es la primera manifestación de la sarcoidosis. PACIENTES Y MÉTODO: Estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo de 31 pacientes diagnosticados de sarcoidosis a partir de un cuadro de uveítis en el período comprendido entre marzo de 1998 y julio de 2002. La muestra está formada por 19 mujeres (61 por ciento) y 12 varones (39 por ciento). El seguimiento medio ha sido de 34,5 meses. Se evaluaron la edad, el sexo y las manifestaciones clínicas oculares y sistémicas. Se realizó un estudio radiológico del tórax mediante radiografía simple, tomografía computarizada y gammagrafía con 67Ga, así como la determinación de los valores de la enzima de conversión de la angiotensina. Se indicó biopsia en 14 enfermos. RESULTADOS: La edad media fue de 59,6 años. Se han podido establecer 6 formas diferentes de presentación de la uveítis sarcoidótica, cuyos 2 patrones más frecuentes han sido la panuveítis bilateral, que se observó en 13 pacientes (42 por ciento), y la uveítis anterior crónica bilateral, en 11 (35 por ciento). Se objetivó clínica sistémica en 13 pacientes (42 por ciento), principalmente de tipo respiratorio. La positividad de la gammagrafía con 67Ga, la tomografía computarizada torácica y la radiografía de tórax ha sido del 88, el 77 y el 33 por ciento, respectivamente. La enzima de conversión de la angiotensina resultó elevada en el 26 por ciento. La confirmación histológica se realizó en 14 pacientes con sensibilidad y especificidad del 100 por ciento. CONCLUSIONES: La uveítis puede ser la primera manifestación clínica de la sarcoidosis, principalmente en el grupo de mujeres mayores de 60 años. Los 2 patrones oculares de presentación más frecuentes son la panuveítis bilateral y la uveítis anterior crónica bilateral. La sensibilidad de la gammagrafía con 67Ga y la tomografía computarizada es superior a la de la radiografía de tórax para objetivar lesiones pulmonares y mediastínicas debidas a la sarcoidosis. La biopsia debe individualizarse en función de las exploraciones complementarias, la edad del paciente y su morbilidad potencial (AU)