Strategic use of obturator prostheses for the rehabilitation of oral cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the current pandemic scenario, maxillofacial rehabilitation specialists involved with supportive care in cancer must transform its practice to cope with COVID-19 and improve protocols that could quickly return the oral function of complex cancer patients who cannot wait for surgical complex rehabilitation. This includes the role of the maxillofacial prosthodontist for the rehabilitation of surgically treated patients with maxillary cancers by the means of filling obturator prostheses that are considered an optimal scientific-based strategy to reduce hospital stay with excellent pain control, oral function (speech, swallowing, mastication, and facial esthetics), psychologic and quality of life outcomes for the patients following intraoral cancer resection. Therefore, the aim of this commentary was to bring new lights to the strategic use of obturator prostheses for the rehabilitation of oral cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to present a protocol for managing such cases.

Características clínico-epidemiológicas de los pacientes ingresados en el Hospital "Amalia Simoni" durante la pandemia Covid-19 / Clinical-epidemiologic characteristics of the patients admitted in the Hospital "Amalia Simoni" during the Covid-19 pandemics

RESUMEN Introducción: desde los finales del año pasado en Wuhan, se informó de una neumonía de etiología desconocida, que llevó a la Organización Mundial de la Salud a declarar la infección por SARS-CoV-2, como una emergencia sanitaria denominándola como enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). En Cuba se confeccionó un programa de enfrentamiento, en el cual la atención hospitalaria, siguió un riguroso protocolo de atención a pacientes positivos de la COVID-19, en áreas de cuidados mínimos, intensivos o progresivos. Objetivo: caracterizar clínica/epidemiológica pacientes positivos de la COVID-19, ingresados en el Hospital "Amalia Simoni". Materiales y métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal de 1 066 ingresos en el Hospital "Amalia Simoni", de marzo-mayo del 2020. Se revisaron historias clínicas y se obtuvo: edad, sexo, procedencia, sintomatología, comorbilidades y evolución epidemiológica. Datos que se evaluaron mediante estadísticas descriptivas. Resultados: se halló un predominio de edad media, sin diferencias de sexo, predominaron los casos de la ciudad de Camagüey y de los municipios con mayor urbanización. Prevalecieron la tos y la fiebre, además de la mitad de los casos sin comorbilidades, con solo un pequeño porcentaje de casos confirmados. Conclusiones: con un enfoque basado en la medicina preventiva en los casos estudiados, predominó la edad media, de procedencia de áreas urbanizadas con mayor población y aglomeraciones sociales. Se destacó que el ingreso precoz, basada en la pesquisa de la Atención Primaria logró disminuir los casos confirmados a un pequeño porcentaje, al igual que los graves y un solo fallecido (AU).

ABSTRACT Introduction: from the end of the last year in Wuhan, China, it was informed an unknown etiology pneumonia leading the World Health Organization to declare the infection with SARS-CoV-2 a sanitary emergency naming it coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). A confrontation program was elaborated in Cuba, in which hospital care followed a rigorous protocol to take care to Covid-19-positive patients in areas of minimal, intensive and progressive care. Objective: to clinically/epidemiologically characterize Covid-19-positive patients admitted in the Hospital "Amalia Simoni". Materials and methods: a cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out in 1 066 patients admitted in the Hospital "Amalia Simoni" in the period March-May 2020. Clinical records were reviewed and data gathered were age, sex, origin, symptomatology, co-morbidities and epidemiological evolution, data obtained through descriptive statistics. Results: it was found the predominance of medium age, without sex differences; the cases of patients from the city of Camaguey and from the municipalities with biggest urbanization predominated. Cough and fever prevailed; half of cases did not have comorbidities, and only a little percent of cases was confirmed. Conclusions: with an approach based in preventive medicine, medium age, and provenance from urban areas with bigger population and social concentrations predominated in the studied cases. It was showed that precocious admission, based on the Primary Health Care screening, succeeded in diminish confirmed cases to a little percent, as diminished the seriously ill ones; only one patient died (AU).

Ictiosis arlequín: presentación de un caso / Harlequin ichthyosis: presentation of a case

RESUMEN Las genodermatosis ictiosiformes constituyen un grupo heterogéneo de trastornos de la cornificación caracterizados por hiperqueratosis y descamación de la piel. La ictiosis arlequín es la forma más grave y agresiva de las ictiosis congénitas, presenta una baja prevalencia (1/300 000 nacimientos) con expresividad clínica variable, una evolución desfavorable y pronóstico reservado. Se presenta con un patrón autosómico recesivo y su diagnóstico prenatal es aún difícil. Se presentó el caso de un recién nacido masculino pretérmino de 34 semanas gestacionales, sin historia familiar de trastornos de piel, con un cuadro característico de ictiosis arlequín, quien falleció a los 11 días de vida. Se realizó la caracterización clínica y anatomopatológica de la enfermedad y se ofrece una revisión sobre esta rara entidad (AU).

ABSTRACT Ichthyosiform genodermatoses are a heterogeneous group of cornification disorders characterized by hyperkeratosis and skin flaking. Harlequin ichthyosis is the most aggressive and serious form of congenital ichthyoses, presenting a low prevalence (1/300 000 births), with variable clinical expressivity, an unfavorable evolution and reserved prognosis. It appears with an autosomal recessive pattern and its prenatal diagnosis is still difficult. The authors present the case of a male preterm newborn, of 34 gestational weeks, without family history of skin disorders, and clinical characteristics of Harlequin ichthyosis, who died at the 11 day of birth. The disease clinical and anatomopathologic characterization was carried out and a review of this rare entity is made (AU).

Standardized pathway for feeding tube placement reduces unnecessary surgery and improves value of care.

BACKGROUND: Children requiring gastrostomy tubes (GT) have high resource utilization. In addition, wide variation exists in the decision to perform concurrent fundoplication, which can increase the morbidity of enteral access surgery. We implemented a hospital-wide standardized pathway for GT placement. METHODS: The standardized pathway included mandatory preoperative nasogastric feeding tube (FT) trial, identification of FT medical home, and standardized postoperative order set, including feeding regimen and parent education. An algorithm to determine whether concurrent fundoplication was indicated was also created. We identified children referred for GT placement from 2015 to 2018 and compared concurrent fundoplication rates and outcomes pre- and postimplementation. RESULTS: We identified 332 patients who were referred for GT. Of these, 15 avoided placement. Concurrent fundoplication decreased postpathway (48% vs 22%, p < 0.0001). After adjusting for reflux and cardiac disease, prepathway patients were 3.5 times more likely to undergo concurrent fundoplication. ED visits (46% vs 27%, p = 0.001) and postoperative LOS (median (IQR) 10 days (5-36) to 5.5 days (1-19), p = 0.0002) decreased. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized pathway for GT placement prevented unnecessary GT placement and fundoplication with reduction in postoperative LOS and ED visits. This approach can significantly reduce resource utilization while improving outcomes. TYPE OF STUDY: Prognosis study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

[The interplay between isolation and precariousness, and hospitalization duration in French Guiana]. / Calcul de l'IP-DMS en Guyane : prendre en compte le poids réel de la précarité et de l'isolement.

BACKGROUND: French Guiana faces singular health challenges: poverty, isolation, structural lag, difficulties in attracting health professionals. Hospital stays exceed the recommended durations. The present study aimed to model the impact of precariousness and geographic isolation on the hospital duration performance indicator and to recalculate the indicator after incrementing severity by 1 unit when patients were socially precarious. METHODS: Cayenne hospital data for 2017 were used to model the hospital duration performance indicator (IP-DMS) using quantile regression to study the impact of geographic and social explanatory variables. This indicator was computed hypothesizing a 1 unit increment of severity for precarious patients and by excluding patients from isolated regions. RESULTS: Most excess hospitalization days were linked to precariousness: the sojourns of precarious patients represented 47% of activity but generated 71% of excess days in hospital. Quantile regression models showed that after adjustment for potential confounders, patients from western French Guiana and Eastern French Guiana, precarious patients and the interactions terms between residence location and precariousness were significantly associated with IP-DMS increases. Recalculating the IP-DMSafter exclusion of patients from the interior and after increasing severity by 1 notch if the patient was precarious led to IP-DMS levels close to 1. CONCLUSION: The results show the nonlinear relationship between the IP-DMS and geographical isolation, poverty, and their interaction. These contextual variables must be taken into account when choosing the target IP-DMS value for French Guiana, which conditions funding and number of hospital beds allowed in a context of rapid demographic growth.

Brazilian guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Official document of the Brazilian Thoracic Association based on the GRADE methodology

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a form of chronic interstitial lung disease of unknown cause, which predominantly affects elderly men who are current or former smokers. Even though it is an uncommon disease, it is of great importance because of its severity and poor prognosis. In recent decades, several pharmacological treatment modalities have been investigated for the treatment of this disease, and the classic concepts have therefore been revised. The purpose of these guidelines was to define evidence-based recommendations regarding the use of pharmacological agents in the treatment of IPF in Brazil. We sought to provide guidance on the practical issues faced by clinicians in their daily lives. Patients of interest, Intervention to be studied, Comparison of intervention and Outcome of interest (PICO)-style questions were formulated to address aspects related to the use of corticosteroids, N-acetylcysteine, gastroesophageal reflux medications, endothelin-receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, pirfenidone, and nintedanib. To formulate the PICO questions, a group of Brazilian specialists working in the area was assembled and an extensive review of the literature on the subject was carried out. Previously published systematic reviews with meta-analyses were analyzed for the strength of the compiled evidence, and, on that basis, recommendations were developed by employing the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. The authors believe that the present document represents an important advance to be incorporated in the approach to patients with IPF, aiming mainly to improve its management, and can become an auxiliary tool for defining public policies related to IPF.

[Analysis of the results of a palliative care quality program for the last days of life. Ten years of experience]. / Análisis de los resultados de un programa de calidad en cuidados paliativos para los últimos días de vida. Diez años de experiencia.

The integrated care pathways for the last days of life propose quality standards optimizing the care of patients and families. The Pallium Multidisciplinary Assistance Program (PAMPA ©) was implemented based on standards of the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person in 4 phases: induction, implementation, dissemination and sustainability, in five health centres in Argentina, between 2008 and 2018. A total of 1237 adult patients in the last days of life were included and cared for by palliative care teams trained in PAMPA©. An audit was conducted before and after the implementation of the Program, which is still going on. The median range of follow up into five centres from the beginning of the pathway until death varied from 16 to 178 hours. Care goals were compared: symptom control, communication, multidimensional needs, hydration and nutrition, documentation of interventions and post-mortem care. The overall analysis showed an improvement in the number of records (p = 0.001). The goal of communication on care plan to the patient showed no difference (p = 0.173). Continuous training, support and permanent teams supervision were carried out and perceptions and impact of the implementation were registered. The main emerging items of the qualitative analysis were: attitudes towards the program, fundamental contributions, strengths, weaknesses and subjective definition of the program, recognition of institutional cultural singularities and its influence on care. PAMPA© demonstrated its feasibility as a model of end of life care for patients and families, based on international quality standards.

Las secuencias integradas de cuidado para últimos días de vida proponen estándares de calidad para optimizar la atención de pacientes y familias. Se implementó el Programa Asistencial Multidisciplinario Pallium (PAMPA©) basado en estándares del International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person en cuatro fases: inducción, implementación, diseminación y sustentabilidad, en cinco centros de salud en Argentina, entre 2008 y 2018. Se incluyeron 1237 pacientes adultos en situación de últimos días de vida, en seguimiento por equipos de cuidados paliativos entrenados en el PAMPA©. Se efectuó una auditoría antes y después de la ejecución del programa, aún en curso. El rango de medianas de permanencia en los cinco centros desde el inicio de la secuencia hasta el fallecimiento fue de 16 a 178 horas. Se compararon objetivos de cuidado: control de síntomas, comunicación, necesidades multidimensionales, hidratación y nutrición, documentación de intervenciones y cuidados post mortem. El análisis conjunto mostró una mejoría del número de registros (p = 0.001). La comunicación del plan de cuidados con el paciente no mostró diferencias (p = 0.173). Se realizó capacitación y supervisión permanente a los equipos profesionales de quienes se registraron percepciones de la implementación. Los principales emergentes de este análisis cualitativo fueron: actitudes ante el programa, aportes fundamentales, fortalezas, debilidades y definición subjetiva del programa, reconocimiento de las singularidades culturales institucionales y su influencia en el cuidado. El PAMPA© demostró la factibilidad de un modelo de atención para pacientes y familias en final de vida, basado en estándares de calidad internacionales.

Análisis de los resultados de un programa de calidad en cuidados paliativos para los óltimos días de vida: Diez aóos de experiencia / Analysis of the results of a palliative care quality program for the last days of life. Ten years of experience

Las secuencias integradas de cuidado para ó;ºltimos días de vida proponen estándares de calidad para optimizar la atenció;n de pacientes y familias. Se implementó; el Programa Asistencial Multidisciplinario Pallium (PAMPA©) basado en estándares del International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person en cuatro fases: inducció;n, implementació;n, diseminació;n y sustentabilidad, en cinco centros de salud en Argentina, entre 2008 y 2018. Se incluyeron 1237 pacientes adultos en situació;n de ó;ºltimos días de vida, en seguimiento por equipos de cuidados paliativos entrenados en el PAMPA©. Se efectuó; una auditoría antes y despuó;©s de la ejecució;n del programa, aó;ºn en curso. El rango de medianas de permanencia en los cinco centros desde el inicio de la secuencia hasta el fallecimiento fue de 16 a 178 horas. Se compararon objetivos de cuidado: control de síntomas, comunicació;n, necesidades multidimensionales, hidratació;n y nutrició;n, documentació;n de intervenciones y cuidados post mortem. El análisis conjunto mostró; una mejoría del nó;ºmero de registros (p = 0.001). La comunicació;n del plan de cuidados con el paciente no mostró; diferencias (p = 0.173). Se realizó; capacitació;n y supervisió;n permanente a los equipos profesionales de quienes se registraron percepciones de la implementació;n. Los principales emergentes de este análisis cualitativo fueron: actitudes ante el programa, aportes fundamentales, fortalezas, debilidades y definició;n subjetiva del programa, reconocimiento de las singularidades culturales institucionales y su influencia en el cuidado. El PAMPA© demostró; la factibilidad de un modelo de atenció;n para pacientes y familias en final de vida, basado en estándares de calidad internacionales.

The integrated care pathways for the last days of life propose quality standards optimizing the care of patients and families. The Pallium Multidisciplinary Assistance Program (PAMPA©) was implemented based on standards of the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person in 4 phases: induction, implementation, dissemination and sustainability, in five health centres in Argentina, between 2008 and 2018. A total of 1237 adult patients in the last days of life were included and cared for by palliative care teams trained in PAMPA©. An audit was conducted before and after the implementation of the Program, which is still going on. The median range of follow up into five centres from the beginning of the pathway until death varied from 16 to 178 hours. Care goals were compared: symptom control, communication, multidimensional needs, hydration and nutrition, documentation of interventions and post-mortem care. The overall analysis showed an improvement in the number of records (p = 0.001). The goal of communication on care plan to the patient showed no difference (p = 0.173). Continuous training, support and permanent teams supervision were carried out and perceptions and impact of the implementation were registered. The main emerging items of the qualitative analysis were: attitudes towards the program, fundamental contributions, strengths, weaknesses and subjective definition of the program, recognition of institutional cultural singularities and its influence on care. PAMPA© demonstrated its feasibility as a model of end of life care for patients and families, based on international quality standards.

Tracking pregnant women displacements in Sao Paulo, Brazil: a complex systems approach to regionalization through the emergence of patterns.

BACKGROUND: The healthcare system can be understood as the dynamic result of the interaction of hospitals, patients, providers, and government configuring a complex network of reciprocal influences. In order to better understand such a complex system, the analysis must include characteristics that are feasible to be studied in order to redesign its functioning. The analysis of the emergent patterns of pregnant women flows crossing municipal borders for birth-related hospitalizations in a region of São Paulo, Brazil, allowed to examine the functionality of the regional division in the state using a complex systems approach and to propose answers to the dilemma of concentration vs. distribution of maternal care regional services in the context of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). METHODS: Cross-sectional research of the areas of influence of hospitals using spatial interaction methods, recording the points of origin and destination of the patients and exploring the emergent patterns of displacement. RESULTS: The resulting functional region is broader than the limits established in the legal provisions, verifying that 85% of patients move to hospitals with high technology to perform normal deliveries and cesarean sections. The region has high independence rates and behaves as a "service exporter." Patients going to centrally located hospitals travel twice as long as patients who receive care in other municipalities even when the patients' conditions do not demand technologically sophisticated services. The effects of regulation and the agents' preferences reinforce the tendency to refer patients to centrally located hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Displacement of patients during delivery may affect indicators of maternal and perinatal health. The emergent pattern of movements allowed examining the contradiction between wider deployments of services versus concentration of highly specialized resources in a few places. The study shows the potential of this type of analysis applied to other type of patients' flows, such as cancer or specialized surgery, as tools to guide the regionalization of the Brazilian Health System.

Integrated care pathway for rectal cancer treatment: cross-sectional post-implementation study using a logic model framework

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Management of rectal cancer has become more complex with multimodality therapy (neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery) and this has led to the need to organize multidisciplinary teams. The aim of this study was to report on the planning, implementation and evaluation of an integrated care pathway for neoadjuvant treatment of middle and lower rectal cancer. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a cross-sectional post-implementation study that was carried out at a public university cancer center. METHODS: The Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was used to identify resources and activities; link results from activities and outcomes with expected goals; and originate indicators and outcome measurements. RESULTS: The logic model identified four activities: stakeholders' engagement, clinical pathway development, information technology improvements and training programs; and three categories of outcomes: access to care, effectiveness and organizational outcomes. The measurements involved 218 patients, among whom 66.3% had their first consultation within 15 days after admission; 75.2% underwent surgery < 14 weeks after the end of neoadjuvant treatment and 72.7% completed the treatment in < 189 days. There was 100% adherence to the protocol for the regimen of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. CONCLUSIONS: The logic model was useful for evaluating the implementation of the integrated care pathways and for identifying measurements to be made in future outcome studies.

Integrated care pathway for rectal cancer treatment: cross-sectional post-implementation study using a logic model framework.

BACKGROUND: Management of rectal cancer has become more complex with multimodality therapy (neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery) and this has led to the need to organize multidisciplinary teams. The aim of this study was to report on the planning, implementation and evaluation of an integrated care pathway for neoadjuvant treatment of middle and lower rectal cancer. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a cross-sectional post-implementation study that was carried out at a public university cancer center. METHODS: The Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was used to identify resources and activities; link results from activities and outcomes with expected goals; and originate indicators and outcome measurements. RESULTS: The logic model identified four activities: stakeholders' engagement, clinical pathway development, information technology improvements and training programs; and three categories of outcomes: access to care, effectiveness and organizational outcomes. The measurements involved 218 patients, among whom 66.3% had their first consultation within 15 days after admission; 75.2% underwent surgery < 14 weeks after the end of neoadjuvant treatment and 72.7% completed the treatment in < 189 days. There was 100% adherence to the protocol for the regimen of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. CONCLUSIONS: The logic model was useful for evaluating the implementation of the integrated care pathways and for identifying measurements to be made in future outcome studies.

[Care pathway diversity of patients with multiple sclerosis between French regions]. / Diversité des prises en charge des patients atteints de sclérose en plaques entre régions françaises.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to analyze and to compare data from 2015, focusing on hospital care for patients with multiple sclerosis from three French regions with different characteristics in terms of prevalence, size and number of multiple sclerosis competencies and resource centers. METHODS: All hospital admissions from the PMSI MCO 2015 database, with a principal or related diagnosis (PD-RD) of G35* ("multiple sclerosis") were extracted. We also extracted chemotherapy treatments administered in hospital, during admissions with a significant associated diagnosis (SAD) of G35*, if the PD or RD was coded Z512 ("non-tumor chemotherapy"). The analyzed regions corresponded to those of 2015, some of which have since merged. RESULTS: There were 95,359 hospital admissions for multiple sclerosis in France in 2015 among a total cohort of 21,102 patients, resulting in a total cost of € 54.1m. Patients with MS were managed mainly in the ambulatory setting, which accounted for 88.5 % of all admissions. The Rhône-Alpes region represented 7.6 % of national admissions for MS, 9.6 % of patients, and 14 % of inpatient days, contributing 10.4 % of the national cost of MS care. 58.4 % of stays were managed by the two main multiple sclerosis centers. The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region represented 9.8 % of national admissions, 10 % of patients, 6.6 % of inpatient days, and 9.1 % of the national cost. 29.8 % of stays were managed by the main multiple sclerosis center. The Centre region represented 2.7 % of stays, 2.8 % of patients, 3.1 % of inpatient days, and 2.8 % of the national cost. 28.4 % of stays were managed by the main multiple sclerosis center. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the diversity of multiple sclerosis hospital management and care between these three regions.

Programa educativo Habilidades clínico-terapéuticas para el tratamiento al paciente quemado: una alternativa para su implementación en tiempo electivo / Educational program Clinical-therapeutic skills for the treatment to the burnt patient : an alternative for its implementation in elective time

Teniendo en cuenta las inconsistencias metodológicas y praxiológicas detectadas durante el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje en los estudiantes de cuarto año de medicina, en la especialidad de Caumatología, lo cual limita el desarrollo de las habilidades clínico-terapéuticas y el desempeño como futuros profesionales, se realizó un programa educativo, eminentemente práctico, flexible y fácil de socializar, para su implementación en tiempo electivo. Con este se logró alcanzar alto nivel de satisfacción de estudiantes y profesores, así como resultados cualitativos y cuantitativos superiores

An educational program, eminently practical, flexible, of easy socialization, for its implementation in elective time was carried out taking into account the methodological and praxiologic inconsistencies detected during the teaching-learning process in the fourth year students of the Caumatology specialty, which limits the development of clinical-therapeutic skills and their performance as future professionals. With this program was possible to reach high level of students and professors satisfaction, as well as higher qualitative and quantitative results

Una reflexión necesaria sobre la habilidad solucionar problemas clínicos / A necessary reflection on the skill solving clinical problems

El desarrollo de las habilidades relacionadas con los problemas clínicos ocupa un lugar central en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la educación médica, por su especial significado en la actuación profesional del médico general. Debido a la ausencia de dicha habilidad en el currículo de la carrera de medicina, se realizó el presente estudio de reflexión con el objetivo de fundamentar la incorporación de esta al sistema de habilidades del método clínico en la educación médica cubana. Por otra parte, se definió la habilidad en cuestión y se determinaron sus invariantes funcionales, que al formar parte de un procedimiento metodológico, facilitan su integración al sistema de métodos de enseñanza-aprendizaje a utilizar en las diferentes formas de organización de las asignaturas que integran la disciplina principal del plan de estudio D

The development of skills related to clinical problems occupies a central site in the teaching-learning process of medical education, due to its special meaning in the general doctor professional performance. Due to the absence of this skill in the curriculum of the medicine career, this reflection study was carried out with the objective of supporting its incorporation to the skills system of the clinical method in the Cuban medical education. On the other hand, the skill in question was defined and its functional invariants were determined; that when being part of a methodological procedure, facilitate their integration to the system of teaching-learning methods to be used in the different forms of organization of the subjects that integrate the main discipline of the study plan D

Avaliação de procedimentos operacionais padrão implantados em um serviço de saúde / Evaluation of standard operating procedures implemented in a health service

Introdução: A assistência prestada nos serviços de saúde deve ser integral, segura e de qualidade. Nesse cenário, emergem as potencialidades da padronização da assistência à saúde, por meio da implantação do Procedimento Operacional Padrão (POP). Objetivo: Analisar relatos da equipe de saúde sobre a implantação e efetivação de Procedimentos Operacionais Padrão em um serviço de saúde. Casuística e Métodos: Estudo descritivo com abordagem qualitativa desenvolvido em um serviço de saúde escola, referência regional para Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis, Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana/Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida e Hepatites Virais, localizado em um município no interior do estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. No referido serviço foram implantados Procedimentos Operacionais Padrão, construídos por meio de uma pesquisa ação. Após dois meses da implantação dos procedimentos, foi realizada reunião com a equipe, incluindo profissionais, acadêmicos e coordenação, utilizando o grupo focal que ocorreu no próprio serviço de saúde e contou com 12 participantes, uma moderadora e uma observadora. Na condução do grupo, utilizou-se um roteiro de temas. A reunião foi gravada e transcrita na íntegra, sendo realizada análise de conteúdo, modalidade temática. Resultados: Entre os conceitos abordados, três temáticas emergiram como mais relevantes, sendo apresentadas nos temas: Procedimento Operacional Padrão como ferramenta de gestão: potencialidades e dificuldades; Repercussões da padronização da assistência na qualidade do serviço prestado aos usuários; A viabilidade do Procedimento Operacional Padrão como ferramenta prática no cotidiano. Esses temas traduzem as percepções dos integrantes da equipe de saúde sobre os Procedimentos Operacionais Padrão, bem como as vantagens advindas para a equipe e os usuários do serviço. Conclusão: A equipe de saúde reconhece que a padronização da assistência pode resultar em benefícios para usuários e equipe, possibilitando maior segurança e atenção às reais necessidades dos usuários. Todavia, para a efetivação desse instrumento no serviço, torna-se necessário maior envolvimento da equipe de saúde.

Introduction: The care provided in health services must be comprehensive, safe and of quality. In this scenario, the potential of standardization of health care emerges, through the implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Objective: Analyze reports of the health team about the implantation and effectuation of the Standard Operating Procedures in a health service. Patients and Methods: We carried out a descriptive study with a qualitative approach at a school health service, which is a regional reference for Sexually Transmitted Infections, Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Viral Hepatitis, located in a municipality in the inland Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Standard Operating Procedures were established in this service through a research-action. Two months after the establishment of the procedures, a meeting was held with the team, including professionals, academics and coordinators, using the focus group created in the health service. The group was composed of 12 participants, a moderator, and an observer. In conducting the group, a script of themes was used. The meeting was recorded and transcribed in its entirety. In order to perform the content reported, a content analysis was carried out. Results: Among the concepts addressed, three more relevant themes emerged: Standard Operating Procedure as a management tool: potentialities and difficulties; Repercussions of the standardization of care in the quality of service provided to users; the viability of the Standard Operating Procedure as a practical tool in daily practice. These themes reflect the health team members' perceptions about the Standard Operating Procedures, as well as the advantages for the team and users of the service. Conclusion: The health team recognized that standardization of care can result in benefits for users and the health team, allowing greater security and attention to users' real needs. However, for the effectiveness of this instrument in the service, it becomes necessary further involvement of the health team.