Informe sobre los criterios para establecer prioridades al incluir pacientes en lista de espera de cirugía

[Waiting list in general and digestive surgery: patient expectations, quality of life during waiting time and overall satisfaction]

INTRODUCTION

The structural resources of the National Health system are limited, and therefore early surgery cannot be performed on all patients. The objective was to analyse the satisfaction perceived by the patient as regards the delay of treatment by waiting list of three types of surgery. The influence of expectations on waiting times, and impaired quality of life due to the clinical symptoms during the delay, were studied.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A prospective study was conducted using a postal questionnaire. We compared the expectations (scale of 1 to 5), the impact on quality of life for symptoms (scale of 1 to 5) and the level of patient satisfaction (scale of 1 to 5) with respect to time on the waitng list for cholelithiasis, inguinal hernia and haemorrhoids. The predictors of patient dissatisfaction were analysed.

RESULTS

A total of 57 patients were included. When comparing the characteristics of patients with and without satisfaction over time on the waiting list, days on the waiting list (P=.044), the change in the quality of life due to the symptoms (P=.028), and expectations (P<.001) were significantly different between the two groups. In the multivariate analysis, the expectation was associated with patient dissatisfaction as regards the time on waiting list (OR: 3.14 95% CI: 5.91 to 220.73, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The level of patient dissatisfaction is associated with expectations about time in waiting list.

[Evaluation of the gastrointestinal quality of life index as a system to prioritize patients on the waiting list for laparoscopic cholecystectomy]

INTRODUCTION

We prospectively evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) through the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) as a system to prioritize patients on the waiting list for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and its correlation with a linear prioritization system developed in the General and Gastrointestinal Surgery Institute of Clínica Quirón in Valencia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

There were 100 consecutive patients who underwent elective outpatient LC. The main outcome measures consisted of: 1) assessment of the impact of the disease, measured through the GIQLI; 2) evaluation of an objective system based on technical scientific criteria; 3) evaluation of the utility of LC in improving HRQoL through the GIQLI by analyzing expected and obtained utility through the change ratio, and 4) analysis of the correlation between the objective linear system, HRQoL and utility.

RESULTS

The GIQLI was useful in evaluating the impact of the disease. LC significantly improved HRQoL in both oligosymptomatic and symptomatic patients. The objective or clinical factors did not allow perceptions of the process to be evaluated or the impact on HRQoL to be measured or inferred. A prioritization system based on GIQLI scores allows patients to be selected according to the expected utility (worsening of HRQoL) and obtained utility (improvement in HRQoL) of CL.

CONCLUSIONS

Prioritization systems should include utility to guarantee equity. The GIQLI shows the impact of the disease on the patient while the clinical/objective factors are unrelated to the expectation of prioritization. Prioritization systems should include both elements to maintain the balance between impact and appropriate indication.

[Intervention to reduce variability in surgical indications and the waiting list of priority 1 patients. An experience in Galicia (Spain)]

The aims of this study were to homogenize priority 1 surgical indications in Galician hospitals and propose a methodology designed to ensure that that the waiting times of priority 1 patients do not exceed 30 days. The priority 1 surgical indications of the distinct surgical services in Galicia were obtained and reviewed and were then sent for validation to the scientific societies. To reduce waiting times to less than 30 days, a procedure of periodic patient monitoring was established, with allocation of tasks to all the parties involved. Comparison of the mean waiting times before and after the implantation of periodic monitoring showed that this procedure reduced the mean waiting time by 55.7%. The mean waiting time was reduced in all the surgical specialities except one. In almost all of the surgical specialities, the procedure established reduced the number of patients on the waiting lists and the mean waiting time to less than 30 days.

Gestión integral del proceso de colecistectomía laparoscópica

INTRODUCTION

One of the most important objectives of public healthcare services is to guarantee integral healthcare to patients; activity is currently focussed on process management. Analysis of a "key" process could have health, social and economic effects if measures to improve the results are designed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the process of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our hospital in order to determine its strong and weak points.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

We performed a prospective observational study of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) process in the Jarrio Hospital between January 2001 and December 2002. A working group was formed and a process flowchart was designed by consensus. The different steps of the process were evaluated through the main indicators of quality: accessibility, efficiency, and effectiveness, including cost, the convalescence period, and patient satisfaction. The results were compared with the standards defined by the Andalusian Health Council, bibliographic sources, and hospital commissions. The statistical analysis was performed with 95% confidence intervals of the main results.

RESULTS

A series of 86 patients who underwent LC was evaluated. The results for accessibility showed wide variability in delays for specialist consultations, the waiting list for surgery, and urgent diagnostic tests, often exceeding the standards. The laparoscopic approach was more frequent than open cholecystectomy; morbidity and mortality with LC were below the reference standards and compliance with established prophylaxis protocols was close. The efficiency markers showed that the length of hospital stay for elective LC was close to the standard; however, for cholecystitis preoperative length of stay was longer than the standard. Overall patient satisfaction with medical care and non-medical services was high.

CONCLUSIONS

Quality analysis of a process allowed us to identify strong points such as the high rate of laparoscopic cholecystectomy -showing good effectiveness and efficiency- the quality of informed consent, and patient satisfaction. Required improvements consisted of shortening preoperative length of stay in acute cholecystitis and waiting lists, informing patients about the length of the convalesce period, eliminating routine type and screen, and admitting patients on the day of surgery.

Tratamiento de la fisura anal crónica

Chronic anal fissure is a common benign anorectal problem in Western countries that substantially impairs the patient's life. Consequently, a rapid and effective solution is required. We reviewed the various treatments for chronic anal fissure described in the literature, with the aim of establishing a therapeutic protocol. We recommend surgical sphincterotomy (preferably open or closed lateral sphincterotomy) as the first therapeutic approach in patients with chronic anal fissure. However, we prefer the use of chemical sphincterotomy (preferably botulinum toxin) in patients aged more than 50 years old and in those with previous incontinence, risk factors for incontinence (previous anal surgery, multiple vaginal births, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.), or without anal hypertonia, despite the higher recurrence rate with medical treatments, since this procedure avoids the greater risk of residual incontinence described in the literature with surgical sphincterotomy in this group of patients.