Consumption of Non-Prescribed Drugs in Portugal During the Pandemic in 2021.

Objectives: Portugal liberalised the over-the-counter drugs market in 2005 and provides universal healthcare coverage in a mainly Beveridge-type health system. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced healthcare to change how services were delivered, especially increasing remote consultations in primary care. This analysis aims to find the drivers for taking non-prescribed drugs during the pandemic in Portugal. Specifically, it seeks to understand the role of taking prescribed drugs and attending remote medical appointments in the self-medication decision. Methods: In this observational study, we used data collected during the pandemic in Centre Region of Portugal and estimated logistic regression for the whole sample and stratified by sex. Results: The main findings show that people taking prescribed medications and attending a remote consultation are more likely to take non-prescribed drugs. Also, reporting unmet healthcare needs seems to motivate people to choose self-medication. Conclusion: Policy implications are pointed out concerning the health risks raised from self-medication, the role of the pharmacist advising non-prescribed drugs, and the related health risks arising from unmet healthcare needs.

Health Systems of Iran and Portugal: A Comparative Study.

Background: A health system consists of people, institutions, and resources that provide health services to meet the health needs of the target population. Health systems in developed and developing countries have different characteristics from which some lessons can be learned. The aim of this study is to compare the two health systems of Portugal and Iran. Methods: The study was conducted in 2021 using a comparative study approach. The WHO's six building blocks framework was used for the comparison (i.e., governance and leadership, health financing, health workforce, health information system, medication, and service delivery). A six-step protocol was used to review the literature. International databases such as Medline / Pub Med and Scopus were searched. Policy briefs, reports, and dissertations were also reviewed. Results: In both countries, the Ministry of Health is centrally responsible for health system governance. Healthcare financing is 80% government-funded in Portugal and 55% in Iran. In both countries, Health systems are mixed (NHS, NHI, and out-of-pocket model) and the unbalanced regional distribution is a major problem for human resources. In Iran, generic drugs are used, while Portugal combines generic and branded systems. In both countries, there are some challenges in integrating health information systems for health centers and hospitals. Conclusion: In both countries, some autonomy should be delegated to the regions. In Iran, public sector investment in the health system in Iran should be increased to reduce the currently very high out-of-pocket payments in the health system. In both countries, the distribution of resources, especially human resources, should be modified by designing some incentives. Increasing the share of generic drugs in Portugal will have a positive impact on cost control in the drug sector. It seems necessary to develop programs to strengthen the health information system in both countries.

A prática centrada na pessoa: da idiossincrasia do cuidar à inovação em saúde / La práctica centrada en la persona: de la idiosincrasia del cuidado a la innovación en salud / Person-centered practice: from idiosyncrasy of care to health innovation

A prática centrada na pessoa assume um papel preponderante na organização e gestão de sistemas de saúde, bem como na definição de políticas de saúde. Este ensaio teve como objetivo identificar os princípios éticos e estruturas teóricas da prática centrada na pessoa, assim como as diretrizes portuguesas e europeias que sirvam a sua regulamentação. Foi conduzida uma reflexão teórica ancorada na revisão narrativa crítica do estado da arte sobre a prática centrada na pessoa, que visou responder à questão: quais os elementos estruturantes da prática de cuidados centrados na pessoa que a tornam diferenciadora na obtenção de ganhos em saúde? A reflexão crítica contextualiza a mudança de paradigma para a prática centrada na pessoa e identifica os domínios do estado da arte que lhe estão associados: conhecimento filosófico, referenciais teóricos para a prática clínica, ensino e investigação, abordagens para a implementação, e regulamentação. Esses domínios terão de ser necessariamente contemplados para um desenvolvimento e implementação sistemáticos e sustentáveis com efetiva tradução em ganhos em saúde.

La práctica centrada en la persona tiene un papel preponderante en la organización y gestión de sistemas de salud, así como en la definición de políticas de salud. Este ensayo tuvo como objetivo identificar los principios éticos y las estructuras teóricas de la práctica centrada en la persona, así como las instrucciones nacionales portuguesas y europeas que están basadas en su regulación. Se realizó una reflexión teórica con base en una revisión narrativa crítica del estado del arte sobre la práctica centrada en la persona, que buscó responder a la pregunta: ¿Cuáles son los elementos estructurantes de la práctica de cuidados centrados en la persona que la hacen diferenciadora en la obtención de beneficios para la salud? La reflexión crítica contextualiza el cambio de paradigma para la práctica centrada en la persona e identifica los dominios del estado del arte asociados con ella: conocimiento filosófico, marcos teóricos a la práctica clínica, enseñanza e investigación, enfoques de implementación y reglamentación. Estos dominios necesariamente deberán ser contemplados para el desarrollo e implementación sistemático y sostenible que resulte en efectivos beneficios para la salud.

Person-centered practice plays a significant role in the organization and management of health systems, as well as in the definition of health policies. This essay aimed to identify the ethical principles and theoretical structures of a person-centered practice, as well as the Portuguese and European national guidelines establish its regulation. A theoretical reflection was conducted based on the critical narrative review of the state of the art on person-centered practice, which aimed to answer the question: what are the structuring elements of the person-centered care practice that make it distinguished in obtaining health gains? Critical reflection contextualizes the paradigm shift to a person-centered practice and identifies the state-of-the-art domains associated with it: philosophical knowledge, theoretical frameworks for clinical practice, teaching and research, approaches to implementation, and regulation. These areas will necessarily have to be considered for a systematic and sustainable development and implementation with effective transformation into health gains.

Burnout and health status differences among primary healthcare professionals in Portugal.

BACKGROUND: This paper is focused on two indicators which may be considered as proxies of individuals' well-being: self-assessed health and burnout intensity. There is little research relating these concepts with the type of the primary healthcare setting, its urbanization density and the region. The aims of this work are threefold: (i) to find determinant factors of individual health status and burnout, (ii) to find possible differences across different types of health care units, differently urbanized areas, and different administrative regions, and (iii) to verify if there are differences in between GPs and nurses. METHODS: Data was gathered from an online questionnaire implemented on primary health care. A sample of 9,094 professionals from all 1,212 primary health care settings in Portugal mainland was obtained from an online questionnaire filled from January and April 2018. Statistical analyses include the estimation of two ordered probits, one explaining self-assessed health and the other the burnout. RESULTS: The individual drivers for good health and lower levels of burnout, that is, better well-being, are estimated for GPs and nurses. Main findings support that, first, nurses report worst health than GPs, but the latter tend to suffer higher levels of burnout, and also that, 'place' effects arising from the health unit settings and regional location are more significant in GPs than in nurses. However, urbanization density is not significantly associated with health or burnout. CONCLUSIONS: A set of policy recommendations are suggested to improve the healthcare workforce well-being, such as improving job satisfaction and income. These policies should be taken at the health care unit level and at the regional administrative level.

Drivers for emigration among healthcare professionals: Testing an analytical model in a primary healthcare setting.

This paper aims to contribute to the discussion on health workforce migration, notably by testing an analytical model of the individual drivers for a professional to decide to emigrate. A large database was obtained from all primary health care units on mainland Portugal. A professional satisfaction survey was conducted and information on social-economic, labour and job satisfaction characteristics, including burnout, was obtained. Results showed that healthcare professionals who reported intention to emigrate are mostly male, young, not married, and more educated; they consider their income insufficient for their needs, and show higher levels of burnout at work and professional dissatisfaction. This profile is slightly different for GPs and nurses. The results obtained contribute to the discussion on what motivates primary health care professionals, including GPs and nurses, to emigrate. They also provide insight into the design of policy measures that may mitigate the intention of these healthcare professionals in general to emigrate.

Supporting Innovative Person-Centred Care in Financially Constrained Environments: The WE CARE Exploratory Health Laboratory Evaluation Strategy.

The COST CARES project aims to support healthcare cost containment and improve healthcare quality across Europe by developing the research and development necessary for person-centred care (PCC) and health promotion. This paper presents an overview evaluation strategy for testing 'Exploratory Health Laboratories' to deliver these aims. Our strategy is theory driven and evidence based, and developed through a multi-disciplinary and European-wide team. Specifically, we define the key approach and essential criteria necessary to evaluate initial testing, and on-going large-scale implementation with a core set of accompanying methods (metrics, models, and measurements). This paper also outlines the enabling mechanisms that support the development of the "Health Labs" towards innovative models of ethically grounded and evidenced-based PCC.

Primary health care patient satisfaction: Explanatory factors and geographic characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors that explain the levels of patient satisfaction and the role of geographical characteristics. DESIGN: Questionnaires to patients of Primary Health Care (PHC) units in Portugal Mainland distributed to each unit according to their size; codes were distributed to guarantee single responses; the questionnaire was anonymous and confidential. SETTING: Primary Health Care units in Portugal Mainland. PARTICIPANTS: Primary health care patients. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Overall patient satisfaction. RESULTS: The main results indicate that the most significant dimension explaining overall patient satisfaction index is the satisfaction regarding general practitioner (GP) care, and the two other most significant explanatory variables of satisfaction are to be enrolled in a GP list and education. The bigger is the size of a PHC unit the lower is satisfaction. In rural areas, the level of satisfaction is higher than in urban areas. Comparing to the Lisbon metropolitan area, all other regions show a higher satisfaction in access dimension. CONCLUSIONS: These results contribute to the creation of strategic information relevant to the evaluation of the various models of Primary Health Care, to the commissioning and definition of health policies.

Validação colaborativa de macrodimensões e indicadores-chave para avaliação de performance de serviços de saúde no Brasil / Collaborative validation of macrodimensions and key indicators for health services performance evaluation in Brazil

RESUMO A criação do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) no Brasil, em 1988, representou avanços na organização sistêmica e descentralização da gestão única; entretanto, passados 30 anos a governança de resultados parece frágil. A nova gestão pública tem exigido esforços de monitoramento de resultados, controladoria e responsabilização dos gastos (accountability). Este estudo explora a translação de conhecimentos de uma amostra de gestores e profissionais (stakeholders), para validação de um painel de indicadores do SUS. A aplicação dos instrumentos de captação e validação das percepções obteve resultados das três fases iniciais (n=108) que consolidaram um instrumento aplicado para validação de campo (n=112), cuja análise descritiva validou cinco dimensões e 24 indicadores-chave para gestão de resultados em organizações de saúde. A análise inferencial gerou um modelo final que garantiu confiabilidade e validade das cinco dimensões (macrodomínios), mas apenas de 17 indicadores (domínios) de desempenho propostos pelos decisores a partir de seus conhecimentos prévios.

ABSTRACT The creation of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil, in 1988, represented advances in the systemic organization and decentralization of the unified management; however, after 30 years the governance of results seems fragile. The new public management has demanded efforts to monitor results, controllership and accountability. This study explores the translation of knowledge from a sample of managers and professionals (stakeholders), for validation of a panel of SUS indicators. The application of perceptual capture and validation instruments yielded results from the three initial phases (n=108), which consolidated an instrument validated for field validation (n=112), whose descriptive analysis validated five dimensions and 24 key indicators for management of results in health organizations. Inferential analysis generated a final model that guaranteed reliability and validity of the five dimensions (macrodomains), but only of 17 performance indicators (domains) proposed by the decision makers based on their previous knowledge.

The voice of Primary Care patients in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region of Portugal. / A voz dos utilizadores dos cuidados de saúde primários da região de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Portugal.

This article was the result of a study aimed at determining the degree of user satisfaction with the care provided in the 125 Family Health Units (Unidades de Saúde Familiar - USF) and in some of the 127 Personalized Health Care Units (Unidades de Cuidados de Saúde Personalizados - UCSP) of the Region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley (LVT). A total of 20,118 questionnaires were distributed and 16,965 received (89.0% response rate). The data collection instrument used was the Europep questionnaire, essentially measuring four dimensions: medical care, non-medical care, organization of care and quality of premises. 65.3% of the respondents were women, the average age was 50.8 years, 35% had a maximum of six years of schooling, and to 5.2% this had been their first contact. There was an overall average satisfaction of 77.4%, higher in what regards the care and attention provided by professionals. Women had slightly lower satisfaction than men, the same as for the younger compared to the older ones. Those with less literacy were the ones that presented better satisfaction rates. USF had always more satisfaction than the UCSP, and models B a satisfaction greater than models A. Users penalize units with more than 12 GP and there was a great regional disparity.

A voz dos utilizadores dos cuidados de saúde primários da região de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Portugal / The voice of Primary Care patients in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region of Portugal

Resumo Este artigo resultou de um estudo com o objetivo de determinar o grau de satisfação dos utilizadores com os cuidados prestados nas 125 Unidades de Saúde Familiares (USF) e em algumas das 127 Unidades de Cuidados de Saúde Personalizados (UCSP) da Região de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (LVT). Foram entregues 20.118 questionários e recebidos 16.965 (89,0% taxa de respostas). O instrumento de recolha de dados utilizado foi o questionário Europep, medindo essencialmente quatro dimensões: cuidados médicos, cuidados não médicos, organização dos cuidados e qualidade das instalações. 65,3% dos respondentes eram mulheres, a média etária atingiu os 50,8 anos, 35% tinham no máximo 6 anos de escolaridade e para 5,2% este tinha sido o seu primeiro contato. Verificou-se um valor médio global de satisfação de 77,4%, superior em relação aos cuidados e à atenção prestados pelos profissionais. As mulheres apresentaram uma satisfação ligeiramente menor do que a dos homens, o mesmo acontecendo aos jovens face aos mais idosos. As pessoas com menos habilitações literárias foram as que apresentaram melhores índices de satisfação. As USF tiveram sempre maior satisfação face às UCSP, com os modelos B com maior satisfação face aos modelos A. Os utilizadores penalizam as unidades com mais de 12 MF e verificou-se uma grande disparidade regional.

Abstract This article was the result of a study aimed at determining the degree of user satisfaction with the care provided in the 125 Family Health Units (Unidades de Saúde Familiar - USF) and in some of the 127 Personalized Health Care Units (Unidades de Cuidados de Saúde Personalizados - UCSP) of the Region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley (LVT). A total of 20,118 questionnaires were distributed and 16,965 received (89.0% response rate). The data collection instrument used was the Europep questionnaire, essentially measuring four dimensions: medical care, non-medical care, organization of care and quality of premises. 65.3% of the respondents were women, the average age was 50.8 years, 35% had a maximum of six years of schooling, and to 5.2% this had been their first contact. There was an overall average satisfaction of 77.4%, higher in what regards the care and attention provided by professionals. Women had slightly lower satisfaction than men, the same as for the younger compared to the older ones. Those with less literacy were the ones that presented better satisfaction rates. USF had always more satisfaction than the UCSP, and models B a satisfaction greater than models A. Users penalize units with more than 12 GP and there was a great regional disparity.