Pattern of Referral of Obstetric Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern Nigeria

Background: Health challenges that are difficult to manage at primary health centres should be referred to secondary health facilities, and if untreated, to the tertiary hospitals. A good referral should include the patient’s biography, such as age, gender, tribe, religion, occupation, medical history, the reason for the referral, treatments received, and clinical diagnosis. Objectives: To evaluate the referral patterns, indications for referrals, and feto-maternal outcomes for obstetric patients who were referred to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of patients admitted to the Obstetric unit from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022. Data was collected from patients while on admission or clinic visits and recorded in an excel spread sheet. Data was analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results: Of the 3469 patients were admitted to the obstetric unit, 1476 and 1993 were admitted in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Most (70.35%) of the patients were in the 20-34 years age group, parity 1-4 was the most frequent (66.49%), while 85.39% of patients were booked. 10.46% of the booked patients were referred from other facilities, whereas 89.54% of patients were booked at our facility from the onset. Most common indications of referrals were previous caesarean section (CS) at term (40.09%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (17.59%). The outcome for 2021 indicated 17 maternal deaths, 132 fetal deaths and 1010 live births, giving maternal mortality ratio (MMR) as 1810.44 per 100,000 live births and perinatal mortality ratio (PMR) of 130.7 per 1000 births respectively. In 2022, there were 17 maternal deaths, 130 fetal deaths and 1297 deliveries, giving a MMR of 1399 per 100,000 live births and a PMR of 100.2 per 1000 births. Conclusion: The pattern of referral among obstetric patients in this study shows that a lot of the patients do not get adequate care at the lower cadre of the referral system, hence adequate facilities should be made available in primary and secondary health centres to tackle obstetric emergencies.

Frequency of and reasons behind non-listing in adult patients referred for liver transplantation: Results from a retrospective study

BACKGROUND Few studies have evaluated the frequency of and the reasons behind the refusal of listing liver transplantation candidates.AIM To assess the ineligibility rate for liver transplantation and its motivations.METHODS A single-center retrospective study was conducted on adult patients which entailed a formal multidisciplinary assessment for liver transplantation eligibility.The predictors for listing were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression.RESULTS In our center,314 patients underwent multidisciplinary work-up before liver transplantation enlisting over a three-year period.The most frequent reasons for transplant evaluation were decompensated cirrhosis(51.6%)and hepatocellular carcinoma(35.7%).The non-listing rate was 53.8%and the transplant rate was 34.4%for the whole cohort.Two hundred and five motivations for ineligibility were collected.The most common contraindications were psychological(9.3%),cardiovascular(6.8%),and surgical(5.9%).Inappropriate or premature referral accounted for 76(37.1%)cases.On multivariable analysis,a referral from another hospital(OR:2.113;95%CI:1.259–3.548)served as an independent predictor of non-listing.CONCLUSION A non-listing decision occurred in half of our cohort and was based on an inappropriate or premature referral in one case out of three.The referral from another hospital was taken as a strong predictor of non-listing.

Analysis of Referrals for Mandibular Advancement Appliances for Sleep Apnoea

Aim: This article investigates the increasing awareness of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) as a potentially serious health risk and highlights the role of the dentist in managing mild to moderate OSA cases which can be improved with an intra-oral mandibular advancement appliance. Methods: Data from referrals to a Prosthodontic Unit from 01-01-2019 to 18-8-2022 were analysed. Results: A total of 240 consecutive referrals to an NHS hospital where a patient was fitted with a mandibular advancement appliance (MAA) were analysed and 160 (67%) were male and 80 (33%) were female. The mean age in years was 52 (2019), 50 (2020), 52 (2021) and 51 (2022). Mean age of male referrals was 51 and female referrals was 53. Conclusion: There are a large number of patients with OSA seeking a dental device and practitioners should be aware of this treatment modality to help the medical team manage OSA. Clinical relevance: Dentists may need to have a greater understanding of OSA and be able to provide MAAs.

Patient prompting of their physician resulted in increased colon cancer screening referrals

AIM:To determine whether a communication instru-ment provided to patients prior to their primary carephysician(PCP)visit initiates a conversation with theirPCP about colorectal cancer screening(CRC-S),impact-ing screening referral rates in fully insured and underin-sured patients.METHODS:A prospective randomized control studywas performed at a single academic center outpatient internal medicine(IRMC,underinsured)and fam-ily medicine(FMRC,insured)resident clinics prior to scheduled visits.In the intervention group,a pamphlet about the benefit of CRC-S and a reminder card were given to patients before the scheduled visit for prompt-ing of CRC-S referral by their PCP.The main outcome measured was frequency of CRC-S referral in each clinic after intervention.RESULTS:In the IRMC,148 patients participated,a control group of 72 patients(40F and 32M)and 76 patients(48F and 28M)in the intervention group.Re-ferrals for CRC-S occurred in 45/72(63%)of control vs 70/76(92%)in the intervention group(P≤0.001).In the FMRC,126 patients participated,66(39F:27M)con-trol and 60(33F:27M)in the intervention group.CRC-S referrals occurred in 47/66(71%)of controls vs 56/60(98%)in the intervention group(P≤0.001).CONCLUSION:Patient initiated physician prompting produced a significant referral increase for CRC-S in un-derinsured and insured patient populations.Additional investigation aimed at increasing CRC-S acceptance is warranted.

AB026. Referrals from optometry-a comparative study (the R.O.C.S study)

Background:To characterize emergency optometrist referrals triaged at a tertiary ophthalmology care center by pathology,physical exam findings,and provisional diagnosis accuracy.Methods:Variables extracted from the patients’charts included date of referral,age,sex,eye(s)under examination,visual acuity(VA)at the time of referral,intraocular pressure(IOP)at the time of the referral,the referring optometrist’s provisional diagnosis,VA at the time of the ophthalmologist consultation,IOP at the time of the ophthalmologist consultation,number of days between referral and ophthalmic consultation,and the ophthalmologist’s diagnosis.Results:After categorizing disease by anatomical location,absolute agreement between optometrist provisional diagnosis and ophthalmologist diagnosis was 60%.A strong correlation was found between optometrist and ophthalmologist VA measurements.IOP measurements were checked less frequently by optometrists.In cases where referral IOP was documented,no significant difference was observed between optometrist and ophthalmologist IOP measures.Conclusions:VA and IOP measurements by optometrists are reliable,but IOP is less frequently checked in the optometry setting.While optometrist referrals correctly localized eye pathology in 60%of cases,posterior pathology was missed in two cases of retinal tear and retinal detachment.

Acceptability of Phone-Based Communication Intervention by Healthcare Workers as an Adjunct to Routine Referral Form: A Qualitative Study in South Western Uganda

Introduction: A functional maternal referral system should encompass a feasible communication system between health facilities. In Uganda, the current paper-based patient referral form is associated with inadequate patient-information and low feedback rates. A recent quasi-experimental study demonstrated that a phone-based communication intervention is feasible for iterative communication between health facilities, and there were improved maternal-fetal outcomes and high rates of feedback. However, the acceptability of the intervention was not assessed. Objective: The study assessed the acceptability of a phone-based communication intervention by the health care workers (HCWs) for iterative communication between the referring and receiving health facilities. Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted in South Western Uganda, in April 2021. The study employed a theoretical framework of acceptability of medical interventions. We conducted in-depth interviews with HCWs and used deductive-inductive analysis. Results: We enrolled a total of 23 HCWs, of whom 69.6% (n = 16) were females while 30.4% (n = 7) were males. Majority (65.2%, n = 15), were midwives and the rest were: doctors (30.4%, n = 7) and a nurse (4.3%). The HCWs were positive towards the intervention: they believed that the intervention reduced delays, promoted professional escort, encouraged sharing of supplies, enabled exchange of relatively more patient details, feedback and improved case management. They believed it was culturally acceptable and had enough skills and experience of operating phones. All participants recommended scale out of the intervention, but advised on the need for dedicated human-resource to coordinate phone calls, ensure availability of airtime and charged battery. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the phone-based communication intervention was highly accepted by the healthcare workers, and that hospitals can successfully give feedback to lower health centres through iterative phone calls. This provides a possible solution to the long-standing challenge of poor feedback rates and a vicious cycle of poor maternal-fetal outcomes in resource limited settings.

Socio-Demographic Factors, Clinical Characteristics and Maternal Prognosis of Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy at Panzi General Referral Hospital

Background: Hypertensive disease in pregnancy is an important cause of morbidity, long-term disability, and maternal and neonatal mortality. The aim is to determine the socio-demographic characteristics and maternal prognosis of these women with Hypertension during pregnancy. Material and Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study, we interview patients and after discussion we transcripts in a database in Excel software before analysis with SPSS version 20.0 and Stata 14.0 The qualitative variables have been summarised by the Percentage and the quantitative variables will be summarised by Means and Standard Deviation. The associations of the variables were calculated by Pearson’s chi-square test with a significance level set at a p-value Result: The average age of the patients was 30.33 ± 7.020 years, 92.1% were married, 79.8% lived in urban areas, most of the patients were overweight (43%), 92.1% of them had monofetal pregnancies, 36% were multiparous, 34.2% had a previous history of preeclampsia in pregnancy and 14% were known to have hypertension. Pre-eclampsia was the most frequent form of hypertension in pregnancy with 73.68% of cases and represents 84.8% of severe forms of hypertension in pregnancy, 53.4% of the patients delivered vaginally. Eclampsia was the most frequent complication in our patients with 31.7% frequency and among the socio-demographic parameters, age and body mass index were significantly associated with maternal complications. Conclusion: Maternal age and body mass index are important socio-demographic factors associated with the occurrence of maternal complications in women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

Delayed referral for liver transplant evaluation worsens outcomes in chronic liver disease patients requiring inpatient transplant evaluation

BACKGROUND Indications to refer patients with cirrhosis for liver transplant evaluation(LTE)include hepatic decompensation or a model for end stage liver disease(MELDNa)score≥15.Few studies have evaluated how delaying referral beyond these criteria affects patient outcomes.AIM To evaluate clinical characteristics of patients undergoing inpatient LTE and to assess the effects of delayed LTE on patient outcomes(death,transplantation).METHODS This is a single center retrospective cohort study assessing all patients undergoing inpatient LTE(n=159)at a large quaternary care and liver transplant center between 10/23/2017-7/31/2021.Delayed referral was defined as having prior indication(decompensation,MELD-Na≥15)for LTE without referral.Early referral was defined as referrals made within 3 mo of having an indication based on practice guidelines.Logistic regression and Cox Hazard Regression were used to evaluate the relationship between delayed referral and patient outcomes.RESULTS Many patients who require expedited inpatient LTE had delayed referrals.Misconceptions regarding transplant candidacy were a leading cause of delayed referral.Ultimately,delayed referrals negatively affected overall patient outcome and an independent predictor of both death and not receiving a transplant.Delayed referral was associated with a 2.5 hazard risk of death.CONCLUSION Beyond initial access to an liver transplant(LT)center,delaying LTE increases risk of death and reduces risk of LT in patients with chronic liver disease.There is substantial opportunity to increase the percentage of patients undergoing LTE when first clinically indicated.It is crucial for providers to remain informed about the latest guidelines on liver transplant candidacy and the transplant referral process.

基于双向转诊模式的骨质疏松防治在围绝经期女性中的应用效果

目的探讨基于双向转诊模式的骨质疏松防治方案在围绝经期女性中的应用效果。方法采用便利抽样方法,选取2023年1月-6月在晋江市医院健康管理中心进行体检的60名围绝经期女性为研究对象,按照随机数字表法分为对照组(30名)和干预组(30名)。对照组实施常规骨质疏松健康教育流程,干预组在对照组基础之上,实施基于双向转诊模式的中老年骨质疏松防治方案。干预前后通过采用双能X线吸收检测法、骨质疏松症知识测试问卷和骨质疏松症自我效能量表,对比两组骨量、疾病知识知晓情况及自我效能量情况。结果干预6个月后,干预组骨质疏松症自我效能得分为(106.63±5.08)分,高于对照组的(93.17±8.09)分(P<0.05);干预组骨质疏松症知识得分为(20.93±2.16),优于对照组的(16.73±2.96)分(P<0.05);干预组的骨量为(-0.84±0.36),与对照组(-0.96±0.35)比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论基于双向转诊模式的骨质疏松防治在围绝经期女性的骨量、疾病知晓情况及自我效能方面应用效果较好。

三级医院老年患者出院延续护理转介单的设计及应用

目的设计三级医院老年患者出院延续护理转介单,评价其应用效果。方法参考文献资料,采用焦点小组讨论法,设计老年患者出院延续护理转介单,嵌入医院电子病历信息系统,病区护士使用转介单对有延续护理需求的患者进行转介,延续护理服务部专职护士接收转介,到病区为患者提供出院计划服务及出院后上门护理。结果2021-2022年全院21个老年患者所在科室均应用老年患者出院延续护理转介单实施转介,转介患者386例,其中80岁及以上老年患者219例(56.7%),内科系统9个科室共转介患者267例(69.2%)。为386例患者出院后1个月内提供上门护理服务597例次,患者出院30 d内非计划性再入院率为5.2%。结论设计及应用老年患者出院延续护理转介单,有利于促进转介及提高不同部门工作人员之间合作协调性,从而满足出院老年患者延续护理服务需求及降低出院后非计划性再入院率。

美国牙髓病学专科教育体系对我国牙体牙髓病学专科建设的借鉴意义

我国社会经济的发展推动了口腔医学专科的建立与发展,但如何发展并无经验可循。美国在牙科专科的认定与管理方面有长期而成熟的制度。本文第一作者分别接受过中美两个体系的牙体牙髓病学专科训练,曾分别任教于中美两国的牙学院。本文目的在于结合美国牙科协会下属委员会负责的牙科专科申请与认定标准,美国牙髓专科医师的培养现状与包括教育机构、师资及课程设置等方面的具体培养要求等,探讨如何借鉴或参考美国的经验,形成符合中国国情的牙体牙髓病学专科医生培训体系。作者认为,培养后的专科医师认证制度对整个培养体系必不可缺,规范的转诊制度是专科医师有效服务的重要保证。以此为基础,回顾我国的牙体牙髓专科教育与培训体制,期望本文为进一步明确专科定义,完善专科培养制度并最终建立规范且符合社会实际需求的专科医师体系提供借鉴。

“零转介”AIDS诊疗管理模式的临床验证

目的探讨“零转介”诊疗管理模式对人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)感染患者治疗疗效和满意度的效果。方法选取石家庄市第五医院2022年7月至12月新增HIV感染者100例,随机分为对照组和研究组,每组50例。对照组给予常规认知干预和健康指导、心理干预,研究组在确诊前较对照组提前7~10 d即给予认知干预、生活指导和心理干预。比较对照组和研究组患者的HIV感染患者睡眠[匹兹堡睡眠质量指数表(PSQI)]、服药依从性、焦虑抑郁量表分值。结果对照组患者的PSQⅠ评分高于研究组患者(P<0.01);研究组患者的焦虑抑郁的心理状况要优于对照组(P<0.05);对照组患者服药依从性良好者比例低于研究组患者(P<0.01);研究组患者对疾病的接受度和认知评定量表均好于对照组患者(P<0.01)。结论“零转介”模式,提前给予认知干预、生活指导和心理干预,可提高HIV感染患者满意度,对社会层面的AIDS预防具有积极意义。

推动北京市海淀区某医联体可持续发展的实践和启示

北京市是医疗卫生资源最丰富的城市之一,但仍然存在优质医疗卫生资源集聚,区域、城乡间卫生资源配备不均衡,大医院与基层医疗卫生机构间联系较弱的问题。充分发挥医联体的网络作用,将三甲医院病情稳定的患者主动转诊至医联体成员单位继续治疗和康复,搭建医联体内影像、检查检验、消毒供应、后勤服务保障共享平台,可以有效缓解医疗卫生资源的聚集与不均衡,提升辖区慢病管理能力,不断提高居民的幸福感和获得感。

备案审查联合审查方式探究:从实践渊源和生成逻辑探索结构属性

联合审查,是《备案审查决定》新确立的第五类审查方式。借鉴其他职权行使中采行联合审查的实践素材,正好可回应已有四类审查方式的功能空缺,基于此实践渊源和生成逻辑,联合审查在整个审查方式体系中呈现出其结构属性:其实质在审查职权的联合,不同于作为工作机制的联合审查会议;其途径在关联审查对象,有限依托于人大主导;其功能特点在提高审查质效,目标重点在保障审查效力和实效,而核心关键在协同审查基准。这一方面为进一步论证建构联合审查的重点机制提供了规范原理基础,另一方面,诸如联合审查等“探索”型条款,引入了“完善和加强”备案审查制度的又一种重要的制度化路径,而且,在规范基础上建构规范机制、生成规范内涵,拓展了备案审查释义学的用武之地。

医联体背景下分级诊疗的难点与对策

自主选择的就医模式使得大多数患者选择三级医院首诊,三甲医院承担了不应该的轻症、常见病诊治。我国医联体服务模式探索较早,也是分级诊疗制度的重要载体。分析医联体与分级诊疗的关系,结合本单位在医联体建设中的遇到的实际问题,分析认为目前分级诊疗中存在办医主体利益难协调、下转动力不足、基层能力不足、转诊系统信息化建设不完善的问题,提出紧密合作、完善流程、加强引导、发挥基层特色,提高分级诊疗制度的实施力度。

农产品直播情境下消费者积极购后行为影响因素研究

基于ABC态度理论模型,将农产品电商直播购物特征的影响因素划分为平台服务与物流服务两个维度。其中,平台服务维度涵盖信息质量、互动性以及激励机制;物流服务维度包含专业性和响应性。从消费者满意度的视角切入,构建农产品电商直播情境中消费者积极购后行为(如重复购买、口碑推荐)影响研究模型。基于339份参与农产品电商直播用户的问卷调查数据,采用结构方程模型和Bootstrap中介分析法进行实证研究。研究结果显示:平台服务维度的信息质量、互动性与激励机制通过消费者满意度对消费者的积极购后行为产生影响;物流服务维度的专业性和响应性同样通过消费者满意度对消费者的积极购后行为产生影响。基于上述研究结论,为农产品电商直播企业在平台服务和物流服务方面提出如下建议:提高观众所获农产品相关信息的质量;重视农产品直播中激励机制对消费者满意度的影响;增强直播间的互动性,提高观众与主播、观众与观众之间的交流频率和效率;重点关注物流问题。

在京部属高校医保制度的调查与思考

随着我国医疗保险覆盖面的逐步扩大,医保制度使居民享受到更高质量的医疗服务、医保实时结算等一系列实实在在的实惠以及更大的就医便利度,“全民医保”已然成为大趋势和共识。为探索在京部属高校医保制度改革前景,改变当前在京部属高校师生就医困难、选择受限、无法享受优质医疗资源,以及在京部属高校未被纳入医保系统、医患矛盾日益加重等困境,笔者调查相关高校实施医保政策制度经验,提出医疗改革可渐进式由公费医疗并入医保,或增加定点医疗机构的形式,以期早日为在京部属高校师生提供更便利、更优质的医疗服务。

基层糖尿病微血管疾病筛查与防治专家共识(2024)

糖尿病微血管疾病(DMiVD)是糖尿病常见的慢性并发症,早期识别及有效干预可以显著提高患者生活质量,改善预后。中国微循环学会糖尿病与微循环专业委员会和中华医学会内分泌学分会基层内分泌代谢病学组组织领域内专家,以2021年版为基础,结合最新研究进展,特别针对基层临床实际需求,修订《基层糖尿病微血管疾病筛查与防治专家共识(2024)》。该共识详尽阐述了DMiVD(糖尿病视网膜病变、糖尿病肾脏病、远端对称性多发性神经病变和糖尿病心肌病)的筛查方法、综合管理及防治策略,明确分级诊疗及转诊流程,强化防治DMiVD重要性,为广大医师特别是基层医生及全科医生提供指导和建议,降低DMiVD的发生率、恶化率以及致残致死率。

体医融合路径创新:爱尔兰运动转诊实施的动因、经验与镜鉴

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