[Computer-aided prescribing: from utopia to reality]. / Receta electrónica: de la utopía a la realidad.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the introduction of computer-aided prescribing helped reduce the administrative burden at primary care centers. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional design. SETTING: Torreblanca Health Center in the province of Seville, southern Spain. From 29 October 2003 to the present a pilot project involving nine pharmacies in the basic health zone served by this health center has been running to evaluate computer-aided prescribing (the Receta XXI project) with real patients. PARTICIPANTS: All patients on the center's list of patients who came to the center for an administrative consultation to renew prescriptions for medications or supplies for long-term treatment. MEASURES: Total number of administrative visits per patient for patients who came to the center to renew prescriptions for long-term treatment, as recorded by the Diraya system (Historia Clinica Digital del Ciudadano, or Citizen's Digital Medical Record) during the period from February to July 2004. Total number of the same type of administrative visits recorded by the previous system (TASS) during the period from February to July 2003. MAIN RESULTS: The mean number of administrative visits per month during the period from February to July 2003 was 160, compared to a mean number of 64 visits during the period from February to July 2004. The reduction in the number of visits for prescription renewal was 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Introducing a system for computer-aided prescribing significantly reduced the number of administrative visits for prescription renewal for long-term treatment. This could help reduce the administrative burden considerably in primary care if the system were used in all centers.

Receta electrónica: de la utopía a la realidad / Computer-aided prescribing: from utopia to reality

Objetivo. Valorar si la introducción de la receta electrónica ayuda a desburocratizar las consultas de atención primaria. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, transversal. Emplazamiento. Centro de Salud de Torreblanca, donde desde el 29 de octubre de 2003 se está pilotando, junto con las 9 oficinas de farmacia de la Zona Básica de Salud, la implantación de la Receta Electrónica de Andalucía (Receta XXI) con pacientes reales. Participantes. Todos los pacientes de un cupo médico que acuden a consulta administrativa para la renovación de tratamientos crónicos entre febrero y junio de 2004. Mediciones. Número total de consultas administrativas realizadas por todos los pacientes que acuden para la renovación de tratamientos crónicos registrados mediante el sistema operativo DIRAYA (Historia Clínica Digital del Ciudadano) y comparación con el mismo tipo de consulta administrativa registrado en TASS en el período comprendido entre febrero y julio de 2003. Resultados principales. La media mensual de consultas administrativas entre febrero y julio de 2003 fue de 160, frente a las 64 habidas entre febrero y julio de 2004, lo que supone una reducción de la frecuentación para la renovación de recetas del 60%. Conclusiones. La introducción de la receta electrónica reduce significativamente la frecuentación de consultas administrativas para la renovación de recetas de tratamientos crónicos, lo que ayudará a desburocratizar de forma importante las consultas de atención primaria cuando se generalice su uso

Objective. To determine whether the introduction of computer-aided prescribing helped reduce the administrative burden at primary care centers. Design. Descriptive, cross-sectional design. Setting. Torreblanca Health Center in the province of Seville, southern Spain. From 29 October 2003 to the present a pilot project involving nine pharmacies in the basic health zone served by this health center has been running to evaluate computer-aided prescribing (the Receta XXI project) with real patients. Participants. All patients on the center's list of patients who came to the center for an administrative consultation to renew prescriptions for medications or supplies for long-term treatment. Measures. Total number of administrative visits per patient for patients who came to the center to renew prescriptions for long-term treatment, as recorded by the Diraya system (Historia Clínica Digital del Ciudadano, or Citizen's Digital Medical Record) during the period from February to July 2004. Total number of the same type of administrative visits recorded by the previous system (TASS) during the period from February to July 2003. Main results. The mean number of administrative visits per month during the period from February to July 2003 was 160, compared to a mean number of 64 visits during the period from February to July 2004. The reduction in the number of visits for prescription renewal was 60%. Conclusions. Introducing a system for computer-aided prescribing significantly reduced the number of administrative visits for prescription renewal for long-term treatment. This could help reduce the administrative burden considerably in primary care if the system were used in all centers

[Attitude and structural barriers detected in primary care physicians towards treating patients with HIV/AIDS infection]. / Barreras de actitud y estructurales detectadas en médicos de atención primaria para atender a los pacientes con la infección VIH/SIDA.

OBJECTIVES: To identify attitudes, knowledge and self-perceived risks among doctors in the Este-Oriente District of Sevilla concerning HIV/AIDS infection; to detect attitude problems and structural barriers affecting doctors' predisposition towards patients with HIV/AIDS infection. DESIGN: A cross sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. SETTING: Este-Oriente Primary Care district, Sevilla. PARTICIPANTS: Permanent and provisional doctors and paediatricians working in the district during the survey. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Reply rate was 86% (n = 111). Most doctors (85%) had treated one or more patients with HIV. 91% thought they had to treat these persons. However, 21% would not work with them, if they had the choice. CONCLUSIONS: Attitudes of doctors and paediatricians in the Este-Oriente district of Sevilla towards HIV/AIDS patients can be qualified as positive. Most doctors need to extend their knowledge of this disease. The perception of risk of contagion is high and higher than the real risk. Important attitude and structural barriers to care provision were detected: intervention strategies were proposed by the doctors and paediatricians of this district.