On What Do the Homeless Base Their Happiness?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between the characteristics and experiences of homeless persons and their state of happiness as a basis for designing appropriate social support strategies. DESIGN: Exploratory observational study with an analytical and descriptive qualitative design. SETTING: Participants were contacted, administered with questionnaires, and interviewed in the street (central and northern areas of the city) or at the "Asociación Calor y Café" center in Granada (Spain) between April 2017 and February 2018. PARTICIPANTS: Selected by intentional sampling, 25 participants completed questionnaires in the first study and 14 of these were administered with questionnaires and interviewed in the second study. METHOD: General and specific questionnaires were administered to determine the state of happiness and other variables. Descriptive statistics were followed by an analysis of the relationships between variables and the content analysis of semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: A feeling of happiness was described by 64% of participants and confirmed by a happiness scale score of 50%. Participants who felt satisfied with their life were 4.5-fold more likely to feel happy (p = 0.021). Expectations for the future were not associated with happiness or satisfaction with life. Content analysis of interviews revealed three main themes: conditions for happiness, own happiness/unhappiness, and self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: Many homeless people describe themselves as feeling happy and satisfied with their life. Material aspects, affective situations, daily life concerns, and self-esteem predominate in their discourse on happiness.

[Factors related to the use of pediatric emergency services: results from the Spanish National Health Survey]. / Factores relacionados con la utilización de los servicios de urgencias en la población pediátrica española. Resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of use of Spanish pediatric emergency services, and to describe user profiles and geographic variations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive study based on data from the Spanish National Health Survey. We calculated descriptive statistics and analyzed crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of the 5495 respondents had come to an emergency department in the past year, and 88.1% of them had used the services of a Spanish national health service hospital. Factors associated with higher use of emergency services were male sex of the patient, (OR, 1.202; 95% CI, 1.047-1.381), a higher educational level of parents (OR, 1.255; 95% CI, 0.983-1.603), and younger age of the child (OR, 0.909; 95% CI, 0.894-0.924). Emergency department use varied widely from one Spanish community to another. There was a positive correlation between use and the presence of a foreign-born population (ρ=0.495, P=.031). CONCLUSION: The rate of emergency department use is high in Spain. Variability between geographic areas is considerable, and some variation is explained by population characteristics.

OBJETIVO: Determinar la frecuencia de utilización de los servicios de urgencias (SU) en la población pediátrica española, describir el perfil de los usuarios y la variabilidad geográfica. METODO: Estudio descriptivo a partir de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud. Se calcularon estadísticos descriptivos, odds ratio (OR) crudas y ajustadas. RESULTADOS: De los 5.495 encuestados, el 35% acudió al SU en el último año, utilizando el 88,1% los servicios del Sistema Sanitario Público. El sexo varón [OR: 1,202 (IC 95%: 1,047-1,381)] y el nivel de estudios superiores [OR: 1,255 (IC 95%: 0,983-1,603)] se asociaron de forma significativa, y directa a la frecuentación, mientras que la edad lo hizo de forma inversa [OR: 0,909 (IC 95%: 0,894-0,924)]. La utilización de los SU es muy variable entre comunidades autónomas, encontrándose una correlación positiva con la población extranjera (ρ = 0,495, p = 0,031). CONCLUSIONES: La tasa de utilización de los SU en España es elevada. Existe una variabilidad considerable entre zonas geográficas, en parte explicada por las características de la población.

Factores relacionados con la utilización de los servicios de urgencias en la población pediátrica española. Resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud / Factors related to the use of pediatric emergency services: results from the Spanish National Health Survey

Objetivo: Determinar la frecuencia de utilización de los servicios de urgencias (SU) en la población pediátrica española, describir el perfil de los usuarios y la variabilidad geográfica. Método: Estudio descriptivo a partir de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud. Se calcularon estadísticos descriptivos, odds ratio (OR) crudas y ajustadas. Resultados: De los 5.495 encuestados, el 35% acudió al SU en el último año, utilizando el 88,1% los servicios del Sistema Sanitario Público. El sexo varón [OR: 1,202 (IC 95%: 1,047-1,381)] y el nivel de estudios superiores [OR: 1,255 (IC 95%: 0,983-1,603)] se asociaron de forma significativa, y directa a la frecuentación, mientras que la edad lo hizo de forma inversa [OR: 0,909 (IC 95%: 0,894-0,924)]. La utilización de los SU es muy variable entre comunidades autónomas, encontrándose una correlación positiva con la población extranjera (ρ= 0,495, p = 0,031). Conclusiones: La tasa de utilización de los SU en España es elevada. Existe una variabilidad considerable entre zonas geográficas, en parte explicada por las características de la población (AU)

Objectives: To determine the frequency of use of Spanish pediatric emergency services, and to describe user profiles and geographic variations. Methods: Descriptive study based on data from the Spanish National Health Survey. We calculated descriptive statistics and analyzed crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs). Results: Thirty-five percent of the 5495 respondents had come to an emergency department in the past year, and 88.1% of them had used the services of a Spanish national health service hospital. Factors associated with higher use of emergency services were male sex of the patient, (OR, 1.202; 95% CI, 1.047-1.381), a higher educational level of parents (OR, 1.255; 95% CI, 0.983-1.603), and younger age of the child (OR, 0.909; 95% CI, 0.894-0.924). Emergency department use varied widely from one Spanish community to another. There was a positive correlation between use and the presence of a foreign-born population (ρ=0.495, P=.031). Conclusions: The rate of emergency department use is high in Spain. Variability between geographic areas is considerable, and some variation is explained by population characteristics (AU)

Efecto de un programa de atención telefónica tras el alta hospitalaria de una unidad de cirugía traumatológica / Effect of a telephone care program after hospital discharge from a trauma surgery unit

Objetivo: Determinar el impacto, sobre la utilización de servicios sanitarios y la ansiedad del paciente,de un programa de atención telefónica durante el mes siguiente al alta hospitalaria de una unidad de cirugía traumatológica, junto con análisis presupuestario.Método: Estudio experimental en 604 pacientes, que constituyeron los grupos experimental y control.El grupo experimental dispuso de atención telefónica para solventar dudas durante el mes siguiente alalta. Al finalizar se registraron, en ambos grupos, si habían acudido a urgencias, al médico de familia o reingresado, y el resultado de un test de ansiedad, que constituyeron las variables resultado. El análisis dedatos incluyó análisis multivariados de regresión logística y lineal, y cálculo del impacto presupuestario del programa en tres escenarios (Hospital, Servicio Andaluz de Salud, Sistema Nacional de Salud).Resultados: Se atendieron 73 consultas telefónicas de 60 pacientes, casi la mitad de ellas por dudas respecto al régimen terapéutico. Para la variable resultado «asistencia a los servicios de urgencias», en el análisis multivariado los pacientes sin atención telefónica tenían una odds ratio de 1,8, ajustada por lasvariables «días de estancia hospitalaria», «ansiedad del paciente» y «comprensión de las indicaciones alalta». Para el resto de las variables resultado no hubo diferencias entre ambos grupos. El análisis de costes demostró la posibilidad de implantar el programa con un coste de 1,65 euros por paciente intervenido.Conclusiones: El programa fue eficaz para disminuir las visitas a urgencias, a un coste reducido (AU)

Objective: To determine the impact of a 1-month telephone care program after hospital discharge from a trauma surgery unit on health services utilization and patient anxiety and to perform a budgetaryanalysis. Methods: We carried out an experimental study in 604 patients who formed an experimental and a control group. The experimental group was offered telephone care to resolve doubts during the firstmonth after discharge. After this period, data were collected from both groups on the following outcomevariables: visits to the emergency department or family physician, hospital readmissions, and the resultsof an anxiety test. Data analyses included logistic and linear multivariate analyses and calculation of thebudgetary impact of the program on the hospital, the Andalusian Health Service, and the National Health System.Results: A total of 73 telephone consultations were conducted with 60 patients, almost half for doubts about the therapeutic regimen. For the outcome variable “visit to emergency department”, the groupwithout telephone care had an odds ratio of 1.8 in the multivariate analysis adjusted for the other independentvariables: days of hospital stay, patient anxiety and comprehension of discharge indications.No differences between groups were found in the remaining outcome variables. The budgetary analysis demonstrated the possibility of implementing the program at a cost of 1.65 D per patient.Conclusions: This program proved effective in reducing visits to the emergency department at a low cost (AU)

[Effect of a telephone care program after hospital discharge from a trauma surgery unit]. / Efecto de un programa de atención telefónica tras el alta hospitalaria de una unidad de cirugía traumatológica.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of a 1-month telephone care program after hospital discharge from a trauma surgery unit on health services utilization and patient anxiety and to perform a budgetary analysis. METHODS: We carried out an experimental study in 604 patients who formed an experimental and a control group. The experimental group was offered telephone care to resolve doubts during the first month after discharge. After this period, data were collected from both groups on the following outcome variables: visits to the emergency department or family physician, hospital readmissions, and the results of an anxiety test. Data analyses included logistic and linear multivariate analyses and calculation of the budgetary impact of the program on the hospital, the Andalusian Health Service, and the National Health System. RESULTS: A total of 73 telephone consultations were conducted with 60 patients, almost half for doubts about the therapeutic regimen. For the outcome variable "visit to emergency department", the group without telephone care had an odds ratio of 1.8 in the multivariate analysis adjusted for the other independent variables: days of hospital stay, patient anxiety and comprehension of discharge indications. No differences between groups were found in the remaining outcome variables. The budgetary analysis demonstrated the possibility of implementing the program at a cost of 1.65 € per patient. CONCLUSIONS: This program proved effective in reducing visits to the emergency department at a low cost.

Relationship between anxiety level of patients and their satisfaction with different aspects of healthcare.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the possible association between the anxiety level of patients and their satisfaction with different aspects of healthcare. METHOD: This analytical cross-sectional study included 301 patients undergoing scheduled trauma surgery from October 2004 to May 2005 at the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital in Granada (Spain). They completed a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire before their discharge and, at 15 days after discharge, they responded to an ad hoc questionnaire comprising three items (satisfaction with information received, privacy and comfort of the setting, and friendliness of healthcare professionals), and were scored on an interviewer-administered Zung anxiety scale. Descriptive analysis and unadjusted logistic regression were performed for each factor, followed by multivariate logistic regression to model the association between satisfaction and anxiety with study of confounding variables. RESULTS: For each higher point in the Zung test, patients had a 4% higher risk of feeling dissatisfied with the information received, an 8% higher risk of dissatisfaction with the hospital setting and a 6% higher risk of dissatisfaction with the friendliness of healthcare personnel. CONCLUSION: A higher anxiety level in the patient was associated with greater dissatisfaction with the three healthcare aspects studied.

Cómo redactar un resumen para una publicación comunicación científica / No disponible

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Cómo elaborar un protocolo de investigación en salud / How to elaborate a protocol on health research

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Información recibida por los pacientes acerca de su estado de salud y su comprensión, antes y durante su hospitalización / Information received by patients on their health status and their understanding of it, before and during hospital admission

Objetivos. Determinar la cantidad de información que reciben los pacientes acerca de su estado de salud antes de su ingreso en el hospital y durante su estancia en él, su comprensión de la información y la relación de estas variables con el perfil sociodemográfico. Método. Estudio trasversal en el que se incluyeron 289 pacientes, de 16 años o más, ingresados desde octubre de 2004 hasta junio de 2005 en cirugía traumatológica programada, con buen estado cognitivo y capacidad auditiva para contestar preguntas por teléfono. Se recogieron variables sociodemográficas, grado de información y comprensión acerca de su problema de salud previo al ingreso y durante su estancia en el hospital. Resultados. En el análisis univariante tenían más riesgo de no comprender la información (p < 0,05) las personas que consideraron que habían sido poco o nada informadas acerca de su problema de salud, las que no tenían estudios o tenían sólo estudios primarios y las que vivían en áreas urbanas con menos de 10.000 habitantes. En el análisis multivariante, la percepción acerca de la cantidad de información recibida y el nivel de estudios mantuvieron la asociación con la comprensión previa de la información. Conclusiones. La información al paciente durante la estancia en el hospital es mejor comprendida que la recibida antes de su ingreso. La percepción de la cantidad de información recibida acerca de su salud es la variable más fuertemente relacionada con la comprensión de la información

Objective. To determine the amount of information received by patients on their health status before and during their hospital stay and their understanding of this information, and to relate these variables to their sociodemographic profile. Method. We performed a cross sectional study that included 289 patients aged >= 16 years old admitted for elective trauma surgery from october 2004 to june 2005. The patients had good cognitive status and sufficient auditory capacity to answer questions by telephone. Data were gathered on demographic variables, the amount of information received, and patients' understanding of their health problems before and during hospital stay. Results. In the univariate analysis, individuals who considered that that they had been little- or uninformed about their health problem or who had only primary schooling and lived in urban areas with < 10,000 inhabitants were at highest risk of not understanding the information (p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, perception of the amount of information received and educational level maintained the association with prior understanding of the information. Conclusions. Patients understand information given to them during hospital stay better than that received before hospital admission. Patients' perception of the amount of information received on their health is the variable most strongly related to their understanding of the information