Internal Auditing Risk Analysis for Medical Laboratories Seeking Accreditation through the Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS).

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to determine quantitatively the extent of coverage of the Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS 015) requirements by guidance checklists (HOKLAS 016-02 and HOKLAS 021). Methods: The level of conformance requirement coverage of HOKLAS 015 by HOKLAS 016-02 and HOKLAS 021 was calculated by an evaluation checklist based on conformance requirements in HOKLAS 015. A distribution analysis of conformance requirements relating to the International Standard ISO 15189:2012 process-based quality management system model was also performed to elicit further coverage information. Results: HOKLAS 016-02 was found to provide coverage of 76% while HOKLAS 021 was found to provide coverage of 11%. HOKLAS 015 was also found to have a distribution coverage of 78% relating to the International Standard ISO 15189:2012 process-based quality management system model. Conclusion: The results of this analysis should be of value to medical laboratories wishing to maintain the internal auditability required by HOKLAS 015 by gaining an awareness of the extent of coverage provided by HOKLAS 016-02 and HOKLAS 021.

Assessment of the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in an acute UK hospital using a national audit tool: a single centre retrospective survey.

INTRODUCTION: Antibiotic use drives antibiotic resistance. The UK antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategy aims to reduce antibiotic use. We aimed to quantify excess antibiotic use in a district general hospital in south-west England. METHODS: Medical patients discharged in August 2020 who had received antibiotics were included. An audit tool of antibiotic prescribing appropriateness was used to collect relevant clinical information regarding each patient case. The appropriateness of antibiotic use was then determined by two infection specialists and excess days of therapy (DOTs) calculated. RESULTS: 647 patients were discharged in August 2020. Of the 1658 antibiotic DOTs for the 184 patients reviewed, 403 (24%) were excess DOTs. The excess antibiotic DOTs were prescribed in 92 patients (50%); 112/403 (27.8%) excess DOTs originated at the initiation of antibiotic therapy (time point A); 184/403 (45.7%) of excess DOTs occurred at the antibiotic review pre-72 hours (time point B); and 107/403 (26.6%) of excess DOTs were due to protracted antibiotic courses (time point C). CONCLUSION: 24% of antibiotic DOTs were deemed unnecessary. The greatest opportunity to reduce antibiotic use safely was the pre-72 hours antibiotic review, which may provide a target for reducing excess antimicrobial therapy in line with the national AMR strategy.

The evolution of the medical record from paper to digital: an ENT perspective.

OBJECTIVES: A national electronic health record is being procured for Health Service Executive hospitals in Ireland. A number of hospitals have implemented an electronic document management system. This study aimed to investigate the efficiency and safety of the electronic document management system in our centre. METHODS: A retrospective audit was performed of patients operated on at Galway University Hospital. The availability and location of patients' admission data on the electronic document management system were recorded. These data were analysed using Microsoft Excel software, version 16.45. RESULTS: The records of 100 patients were analysed. The main findings were: 5 per cent of operation notes were missing, 80 per cent were in the incorrect section, while 15 per cent were in the correct 'procedure' section on the electronic document management system. CONCLUSION: This study shows there is potential for error with 'paper-light' solutions, whereby delayed scanning, misfiling of scanned records and missing records may lead to significant delays in treatment and potential patient safety issues.

Type 1 diabetes management and hospitalisation in the over 25's at an Australian outer urban diabetes clinic.

AIMS: To describe clinic management and referral pathways among adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) aged > 25 years attending a public outpatient diabetes service. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of people with T1D aged > 25 years seen by endocrinologists in one Australian urban public outpatient in 2017. Electronic and paper medical records were reviewed using a dataset adapted from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 2015 guidelines. RESULTS: Among the 111 people with T1D (mean age 41 ± 13 years, 55% men, mean body mass index 27.1 ± 5.6 kg/m2), mean HbA1c was 8.1 ± 1.9% (66 ± 19 mmol/mol) (lower than the Australian National Diabetes Audit: 8.5%/69 mmol/mol) with 25.5% meeting the guideline target of < 53 mmol/mol (7.0%). Most people had seen a diabetes educator (80.2%) or dietitian (73.0%) and had complication screening. Complication rates were high (nephropathy 20.4%, retinopathy 27.4%, peripheral neuropathy 30.1%, ischaemic heart disease/acute infarction 10.5%). Overall, 27% of referrals occurred following an acute inpatient admission or emergency department presentation and 13% for management of diabetes in pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of people with T1D accessed public specialist care either during pregnancy or after a largely avoidable acute glycaemia-related hospital presentation. Subsequent care was in line with national specialist standards. This area has a "wait for acute event" rather than "complication prevention" model of care, associated with under-referral to the local multidisciplinary specialist service. Understanding how widespread this model of care is, and ways to reduce its prevalence, are urgently required.

A survey of the antidote preparedness in Norwegian hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: Antidotes are an important part of the emergency preparedness in hospitals. In the case of a major chemical accident or a fire, large quantities of antidotes may be needed within a short period of time. For time-critical antidotes it is therefore necessary that they be immediately available. We wanted to evaluate the antidote preparedness in Norwegian hospitals as regards the national recommendations and compare this with other international guidelines. METHODS: A digital survey was sent to the 50 hospitals in Norway that treat acute poisonings. Of these, four hospitals are categorised as regional hospitals, 15 as large hospitals and 31 as small hospitals. Each hospital was asked which antidotes they stockpiled from a list of 35 antidotes. The financial costs (low, moderate, high) were added to an established efficacy scale to illustrate the cost-effectiveness of the different antidotes. RESULTS: The response rate was 100%. Eleven of fifty (22%) hospitals stockpiled all antidotes recommended for their hospital size. All four regional hospitals had all the recommended antidotes. Large hospitals which were not regional hospitals had the least availability of antidotes, and only one large hospital stockpiled all antidotes recommended for this hospital size. CONCLUSIONS: We found varying compliance with the national recommendations for antidote storage in hospitals. To strengthen antidote preparedness, we recommend standardised European guidelines to support national guidelines.

[Implementation of a quality management system in a central sterilization unit: experience in the Hospital Tahar Sfar, Mahdia, Tunisia]. / Mise en place d´un système de management de la qualité dans une unité de stérilisation centralisée: expérience de l´Hôpital Tahar Sfar de Mahdia en Tunisie.

In Tunisia, Hospital sterilization guidelines recommend the establishment of a quality assurance system. The purpose of this study is to give an overview of the situation in a sterilization unit in order to assess the adherence to good practice criteria and to identify opportunities for improvement. We conducted a prospective study in the sterilization unit of the Hospital Tahar Sfar, Mahdia in 2019. Two internal audits were conducted under the same conditions and were carried out one year apart. The first audit identified failures and malfunctions and the outlining of an action plan. The impact of the measures undertaken was tested using a second audit. Data collection was carried out by direct observation of the existing resources and practices. Compliance rate was calculated taking into account compliant criteria and applicable criteria. The results of the first audit revealed a compliance rate of around 28.1%. The analysis used to observe deviations made it possible to identify 5 axes of improvement, in particular the implementation of a system of documentation and a quality management system. In total, we prepared 14 documents related to the managerial processes, 26 to the operational processes and 41 to the support processes. The actions put in place enabled to achieve a compliance rate of 60.4%. The approach taken to upgrade sterilization processes made it possible to standardize them while ensuring traceability.

Measuring the proportion of time spent on work activities of clinical pharmacists using work sampling technique at a public hospital in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: The clinical pharmacy service to the ward was established in 2005 in Malaysia, as the number of pharmacists working in the public service sector began to grow. Yet, there has been little local research done on reporting the range of work activities of clinical pharmacists and the amount of time that they spent on their work activities. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the range of work activities of clinical pharmacists by observation and to estimate the proportion of time spent on different work activities by using the work sampling technique. METHODS: The time spent by clinical pharmacists on various activities was measured using the work sampling technique over 30 working days. The work activities of clinical pharmacists were pre-identified and customized into an activity checklist. Two observers were placed at the study site and took turns recording the activities performed by the clinical pharmacists by following a randomly generated observation schedule. RESULTS: 1,455 observations were made on five clinical pharmacists with a total of 3493 events recorded. Overall, clinical pharmacists spent 78.8% (n=2751) of their time providing clinical services whereas 12.3% (n=433) of their time was spent on non-clinical activities. They were found to be idle from work for 8.9% of the time. There was no difference in bed occupancy rate in the study site regardless of the presence of the observer (p=0.384). Clinical pharmacists were found to report a higher average daily cumulative work unit of 9.8 (SD=4.3) when under observation compared to an average daily cumulative work unit of 6.5 (SD=4.6) when no observer was present (p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that clinical pharmacists spent a significant amount of time on non-clinical work. Their responsibilities with non-clinical work should be properly taken care of so they can allocate more time to providing patient care.

Measuring the proportion of time spent on work activities of clinical pharmacists using work sampling technique at a public hospital in Malaysia

Background: The clinical pharmacy service to the ward was established in 2005 in Malaysia, as the number of pharmacists working in the public service sector began to grow. Yet, there has been little local research done on reporting the range of work activities of clinical pharmacists and the amount of time that they spent on their work activities. Objective: This study aimed to identify the range of work activities of clinical pharmacists by observation and to estimate the proportion of time spent on different work activities by using the work sampling technique. Methods: The time spent by clinical pharmacists on various activities was measured using the work sampling technique over 30 working days. The work activities of clinical pharmacists were pre-identified and customized into an activity checklist. Two observers were placed at the study site and took turns recording the activities performed by the clinical pharmacists by following a randomly generated observation schedule. Results: 1,455 observations were made on five clinical pharmacists with a total of 3493 events recorded. Overall, clinical pharmacists spent 78.8% (n=2751) of their time providing clinical services whereas 12.3% (n=433) of their time was spent on non-clinical activities. They were found to be idle from work for 8.9% of the time. There was no difference in bed occupancy rate in the study site regardless of the presence of the observer (p=0.384). Clinical pharmacists were found to report a higher average daily cumulative work unit of 9.8 (SD=4.3) when under observation compared to an average daily cumulative work unit of 6.5 (SD=4.6) when no observer was present (p=0.005). Conclusions: The results revealed that clinical pharmacists spent a significant amount of time on non-clinical work. Their responsibilities with non-clinical work should be properly taken care of so they can allocate more time to providing patient care (AU)

Niveles de competencias en auditoría de servicios de salud de los médicos del primer nivel de atención del distrito de Comas, 2018

Objetivo: Identificar el nivel de competencias en auditoría de servicios de salud de los médicos del primer nivel de atención del distrito de Comas en 2018. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de tipo analítico. De una población total de 110 médicos, intervinieron 32 individuos quienes accedieron a participar en el estudio. Se evaluaron las variables sociodemográficas y los cinco tipos de competencias en auditoria de servicios de salud: las cuatro primeras fueron graduadas como "Aprobado", "En proceso" y "Desaprobado", mientras que la quinta fue calificada en los niveles "Básico", "Intermedio" y "Avanzado". Los datos se procesaron con el software SPSS versión 24.00. Resultados: De la población evaluada, el 62,50 % fueron médicos asistenciales y 37,50 %, jefes de establecimientos. Predominaron los hombres (68,75 %) respecto a mujeres (31,25 %). El resultado global del nivel de competencia de auditoría de servicios de salud fue "Desaprobado" (50,00 %), "En proceso" (43,75 %) y "Aprobado" (6,25 %). Conclusiones: El 6,25 % de las personas evaluadas alcanzaron el nivel "Aprobado" en las competencias de auditoría de servicios de salud. Las variables "Años laborando" (Sig. = 0,011) y "Formación general" (Sig. = 0,031) tienen relación significativa con el desarrollo de las competencias en auditoría de servicios de salud.

Objective: To identify the levels of health services audit proficiency among primary health care physicians from Comas district in 2018. Materials and methods: An analytical study was conducted. Out of a population of 110 physicians, 32 accepted to participate in the study. Sociodemographic variables and five types of health services audit proficiency were assessed: the first four were graded as "pass," "in process" and "fail," while the fifth was scored as "basic," "intermediate" and "advanced." The data was processed using SPSS Statistics statistical software version 24.00. Results: Sixty-two point five zero percent (62.50 %) of the study population consisted of attending physicians, while 37.50 % were medical chief officers. Males (68.80 %) prevailed over females (31.30 %). The global result of the levels of health services audit proficiency was "fail" (50.00 %), "in process" (43.80 %) and "pass" (6.25 %). Conclusions: Six point two five percent (6.25 %) of the study population achieved the "pass" score in the health services audit proficiency. The variables "tenure" (Sig. = 0.011) and "general training" (Sig. = 0.031) were significantly related to the development of health services audit proficiency.

[Assessment model for evaluating the preparedness plan for COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital]. / Modelo de evaluación del plan de respuesta frente a la pandemia de COVID-19 en un hospital de tercer nivel.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: During the first wave of the epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, hospitals have come under significant pressure. This scenario of uncertainty, low scientific evidence, and insufficient resources, has generated significant variability in practice between different health organisations. In this context, it is proposed to develop a standards-based model for the evaluation of the preparedness and response system against COVID-19 in a tertiary hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study, carried out at the University Hospital of Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona (Spain), was designed in two phases: 1) development of the standards-based model, by means of a narrative review of the literature, analysis of plans and protocols implemented in the hospital, a review process by expert professionals from the centre, and plan of action, and 2) validation of usability and usefulness of the model through self-assessment and hospital audit. RESULTS: The model contains 208 standards distributed into nine criteria: leadership and strategy; prevention and infection control; management of professionals and skills; public areas; healthcare areas; areas of support for diagnosis and treatment; logistics, technology and works; communication and patient care; and information and research systems. The evaluation achieved 85.2% compliance, with 42 areas for improvement and 96 good practices identified. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a standards-based model is a useful tool to identify areas for improvement and good practices in COVID-19 preparedness and response plans in a hospital. In the current context, it is recommended to repeat this methodology in other non-hospital and public health settings.

Good pharmacy practice assessment among community pharmacies in Lebanon.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess good pharmacy practice (GPP) aspects and compare GPP scores among community pharmacies in Lebanon, using a tool developed jointly by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve and maintain standards of pharmacy practice. METHODS: Data collection was carried out between July and October 2018 by a team of 10 licensed inspectors who work at the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists (OPL) and visited community pharmacies across Lebanon. The questionnaire was adapted to the Lebanese context and included 109 questions organized under five sections: socio-demographics, Indicator A (data management and data recording), Indicator B (services and health promotion), Indicator C (dispensing, preparation and administration of medicines), and Indicator D (storage and facilities). The value of 75% was considered as the cutoff point for adherence to indicators. RESULTS: Out of 276 pharmacies visited, a total of 250 (90.58%) pharmacists participated in the study with one pharmacist being interviewed in every pharmacy. Results showed that 18.8% of pharmacists were generally adherents to GPP guidelines (scores above the 75% cutoff): 23.3% were adherent to indicator A, 21.6% to indicator B, 14.8% to indicator C and 13.2% to indicator D. Moreover, comparison of GPP scores across geographical regions revealed a higher adherence among community pharmacists working in the Beirut region compared to the North region, the South region, Mount Lebanon, and the Bekaa. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that community pharmacists in Lebanon do not fulfill GPP criteria set by FIP/WHO, and that this poor adherence is a trend across the country's geographical regions. Therefore, efforts should be made to raise awareness among pharmacists about the necessity to adhere to GPP guidelines and standards, and train them and support them appropriately to reach that goal. This is the first indicator-based comprehensive pilot assessment to evaluate GPP adherence in community pharmacies across Lebanon. Working on the optimization of this assessment tool is also warranted.

Compliance with Recommended Practices for Management of Controlled Substances in a Health Care Facility and Corrective Actions.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists are required to maintain a secure inventory of medications and to ensure proper, safe, and diversion-free dispensing practices. OBJECTIVES: The primary objectives of this study were to determine compliance with recommended practices for the management of controlled substances in a mother-child teaching hospital and to identify actions to improve compliance. The secondary objective was to identify steps in the drug pathway for controlled substances and associated failure modes in the study hospital. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study used a framework developed by the California Hospital Association (CHA) to assess compliance with recommended practices for the management of controlled substances in hospitals. For each criterion, a research assistant observed practices within the pharmacy, on patient care units, at outpatient care clinics, and in operating and delivery rooms. The level of compliance was recorded as compliant, partially compliant, or noncompliant. An Ishikawa diagram was developed to illustrate steps in the drug pathway and associated failure modes related to the use of controlled substances in the study hospital. RESULTS: The pathway for controlled substances at the study hospital was compliant for 56 (49.6%) of the 113 CHA criteria, partially compliant for 27 (23.9%) of the criteria, and noncompliant for 24 (21.2%) of the criteria; the remaining 6 (5.3%) criteria were not applicable. This practice evaluation highlighted 22 corrective actions, 12 (55%) that could be implemented in the short term, 8 (36%) suitable for implementation in the medium term, and 2 (9%) suitable for both the short and medium term. A total of 57 potential failure modes related to the use of controlled substances were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The pathway for controlled substances at the study hospital was compliant with almost half of the CHA criteria, and 22 corrective actions were identified. Pharmacists, physicians, and nurses should be mobilized to optimize the use of controlled substances throughout the drug-use process.

CONTEXTE: Les pharmaciens sont responsables de maintenir à jour les réserves de médicaments et doivent faire en sorte que les pratiques de distribution soient adéquates, sûres et exemptes de détournement. OBJECTIFS: Les objectifs principaux de la présente étude consistaient à déterminer le degré de conformité aux pratiques de gestion des substances contrôlées, recommandées dans un hôpital universitaire mère-enfant, et de trouver des mesures pour améliorer leur degré de conformité. L'objectif secondaire visait à recenser les étapes que suivent les substances contrôlées dans le circuit des médicaments et les modes de défaillance qui y sont associés dans l'hôpital à l'étude. MÉTHODES: La présente étude descriptive et transversale s'appuyait sur un cadre mis au point par la California Hospital Association (CHA), qui sert à évaluer le degré de conformité aux recommandations relatives aux pratiques de gestion des substances contrôlées dans les hôpitaux. Pour chaque critère, un assistant de recherche observait les pratiques dans le service de pharmacie, les unités de soins, les cliniques de consultation externe et les salles d'opération ou les salles d'accouchement. Il évaluait le degré de conformité à l'aide d'un des qualificatifs suivants : conforme, partiellement conforme ou non conforme. Un diagramme d'Ishikawa a été conçu pour illustrer les étapes du circuit des médicaments et les modes de défaillance associés à l'utilisation de substances contrôlées dans l'hôpital à l'étude. RÉSULTATS: Le circuit des substances contrôlées à l'hôpital où se déroulait l'étude était conforme à 56 (49,6 %) des 113 critères de la CHA, partiellement conforme à 27 (23,9 %) critères et non conforme à 24 (21,2 %) critères; les 6 (5,3 %) critères restants n'étaient pas applicables. Cette évaluation des pratiques a mis en évidence 22 actions correctives, dont 12 (55 %) pouvaient être mises en place à court terme, 8 (36 %) à moyen terme et 2 (9 %) à court ou à moyen terme. Les investigateurs ont repéré 57 modes de défaillance potentiels liés à l'utilisation de substances contrôlées. CONCLUSIONS: L'analyse du circuit des substances contrôlées à l'hôpital où se déroulait l'étude a révélé que près de la moitié des critères de la CHA étaient conformes, et 22 actions correctives ont été proposées. Les pharmaciens, médecins et infirmières devraient participer à l'optimisation de l'utilisation des substances contrôlées dans l'ensemble du processus de distribution des médicaments.

Práticas de auditoria no sistema único de saúde: uma revisão integrativa / Prácticas de auditoría en el sistema único de salud: una revisión integrativa / Auditing practices in the Brazilian unified health system: an integrative literature review

Objective: The study's purpose has been to analyze the auditing practices in the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) [Brazilian Unified Health System]. Methods: It is an integrative literature review that was carried out in the Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS) [Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences], Virtual Health Library (VHL), and Web of Science databases. By using the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 scientific articles were selected for in-depth analysis. Results: The findings demonstrate the political and institutional advances regarding to the auditing practices in the SUS. There have been also identified many challenges that must be overcome in order to support such practices, such as the need to qualify the tools of the National Audit Department from the SUS and to improve the communication between State, Municipal, and Federal auditing. Conclusion: Auditing practices in the SUS are still under development, then requiring more studies and dissemination, aiming to bring contributions to both practice and the academic milieu

Objetivo: Analisar as práticas de auditoria no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Métodos: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa de literatura realizada na Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (Lilacs), e Web of Science. Ao total, utilizando-se os critérios de inclusão e exclusão selecionou-se 12 artigos científicos para análise. Resultados: Os resultados apontam avanços políticos e nas instituições com relação as práticas de auditoria no SUS. Identificam-se também muitos desafios para fortalecer tais práticas, como a necessidade de qualificar as ferramentas do Departamento Nacional de Auditoria do SUS e melhorar a comunicação entre o componente, estadual, municipal e federal de auditoria. Conclusão: As práticas de auditoria no SUS estão em construção, necessitando de mais estudos e divulgação, afim de que traga contribuições para a prática e o meio acadêmico

Objetivo: Analizar las prácticas de auditoría en el Sistema Único de Salud (SUS). Método: Se trata de una revisión integrativa de literatura realizada en la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud (BVS), Literatura Latinoamericana y del Caribe en Ciencias de la Salud (Lilacs), y Web of Science. Al total, utilizando los criterios de inclusión y exclusión se seleccionaron 12 artículos científicos para análisis. Resultados: Los resultados apuntan avances políticos y en las instituciones con relación a las prácticas de auditoría en el SUS. Se identifican también, muchos desafíos para fortalecer tales prácticas, como la necesidad de calificar las herramientas del Departamento Nacional de Auditoría del SUS y mejorar la comunicación entre el componente, estatal, municipal y municipal, federal de auditoría. Conclusión: Las prácticas de auditoría en el SUS están en construcción, necesitando más estudios y divulgación, a fin de que traiga contribuciones para la práctica y el medio académico

Doing Pre-operative Investigations in Emergency Department; a Clinical Audit.

INTRODUCTION: Pre-operative investigations for emergency surgical patients differ between centers. Following established guidelines can reduce unnecessary investigation, cost of treatment and hospital stay. The present audit was carried out to evaluate the condition of doing pre-operative investigations for three common surgical emergencies compared to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and local criteria. METHODS: A retrospective clinical audit of acute-appendicitis, abscess and hernia patients admitted to the emergency department was carried out over a one-year period from July 2014 to July 2015. Data of laboratory investigations, their indication, cost and duration of hospital stay was collected and compared with NICE-guidelines. RESULTS: A total of 201 patients were admitted to the emergency department during the audit period. These included 77(38.3%) cases of acute-appendicitis, 112 (55.7%) cases of abscesses, and 12 (6%) cases of hernia. Investigations not indicated by NICE-guidelines included 42 (20.9%) full blood counts, 29 (14.4%) random blood sugars, 26 (12.9%) urea tests, 4 (2%) chest x-rays, 13 (6.5%) electrocardiographs, and 58 (28.9%) urine analyses. These cost 25,675 Rupees (245.46 Dollars) in unnecessary investigation costs and 65.7 days of additional hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Unnecessary investigations for emergency surgical patients can be reduced by following NICE-guidelines. This will reduce workload on emergency services, treatment costs and the length of hospital stay.

The use of personal hearing protection in hostile territory and the effect of health promotion activity: advice falling upon deaf ears.

INTRODUCTION: Noise-induced hearing loss is a significant cause of morbidity among serving soldiers despite provision of a range of personal hearing protection (PHP) and education and training. It appears that soldiers are choosing to forego PHP. This audit aimed to evaluate the effect of health promotion activity on the use of hearing protection in hostile territory. METHOD: 46 dismounted infantry soldiers operating out of a forward operating base in Afghanistan during Op HERRICK 17 were directly observed in order to determine the rate of wearing PHP before and after health promotion activity. RESULTS: In the initial phase, 39% of soldiers (range 16-74%) wore PHP in at least one ear, but following health promotion activity the rate fell to 12% (range 9-14%). CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in the wearing of PHP appears to have been because the perceived diminished threat of enemy contact was outweighed by any benefit of health promotion activity. Reasons for poor compliance were not investigated, but it appears that behavioural factors, and specifically, leadership at the smallest unit level, are important. These should be investigated and considered in the development of future PHP.

[Clinical safety audits for primary care centers. A pilot study]. / Auditorías en seguridad clínica para centros de atención primaria. Estudio piloto.

OBJECTIVE: To identify organizational processes, violations of rules, or professional performances that pose clinical levels of insecurity. DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional survey with customized externally-behavioral verification and comparison of sources, conducted from June 2008 to February 2010. SETTING: Thirteen of the 53 primary care teams (PCT) of the Catalonian Health Institute (ICS Costa de Ponent, Barcelona). PARTICIPANTS: Employees of 13 PCT classified into: director, nurse director, customer care administrators, and general practitioners. METHODS: Non-random selection, teaching (TC)/non-teaching, urban (UC)/rural and small/large (LC) health care centers (HCC). A total of 33 indicators were evaluated; 15 of procedures, 9 of attitude, 3 of training, and 6 of communication. Level of uncertainty: <50% positive answers for each indicator. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: no collaboration. RESULTS: A total of 55 professionals participated (84.6% UC, 46.2% LC and 76.9% TC). Rank distribution: 13 customer care administrators, 13 nurse directors, 13 HCC directors, and 16 general practitioners. Levels of insecurity emerged from the following areas: reception of new medical professionals, injections administration, nursing weekend home calls, urgent consultations to specialists, aggressive patients, critical incidents over the agenda of the doctors, communication barriers with patients about treatment plans, and with immigrants. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Clinical safety is on the agenda of the health centers. Identified areas of uncertainty are easily approachable, and are considered in the future system of accreditation of the Catalonian Government. General practitioners are more critical than directors, and teaching health care centers, rural and small HCC had a better sense of security.

Un modelo estructural para medir la efectividad de los servicios hospitalarios: aplicación en hospitales públicos del sur de Chile / A structural model to measure effectiveness of hospital services

Background: One of the main determinants of quality in the public health care services is the perceived user satisfaction. Aim: To analyze the relationship between supply (User Orientation of Management) (UO), demand (User Satisfaction with service components) (US) and subjective indicators of effectiveness, such as Perceived Global Quality (PGQ) and Global Satisfaction (GS) among hospital service users. Material and Methods: A survey was applied to users of hospital services, asking about management and quality of hospital services and satisfaction with the service provided. Data was analyzed with exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses. Structural Equation Models were used to test the hypotheses implied in the theoretical model of effectiveness. Results: The cause-effect relationship between UO and US was confirmed. There was also a direct relationship between PGQ and GS. Conclusions: Efficient nursing and administrative personnel are of highest importance to improve user satisfaction. The hospital management must pay extreme attention to this kind of staff in order to be effective from the point of view of their patients.