Development and validation of a new set of indicators to assess the quality of maternal and child nutritional care at the primary care

Introduction

Maternal and child malnutrition is a worldwide public health problem with short, medium, and long-term adverse consequences for both mother and child. In Mexico, maternal and child malnutrition represents a serious public health problem that must be urgently addressed. In this context, Primary Health Care (PHC) plays an important role in the prevention, detection, monitoring, and treatment of the different forms of maternal and child malnutrition. Assessing the quality of nutritional care offered at this level of care is necessary in order to improve it; however, there are no indicators for the evaluation of this quality. Therefore, this study aimed at developing a set of indicators to assess the quality of maternal and child nutritional care at PHC.

Methods

We developed indicators for different stages of life: preconception, pregnancy, infancy, and preschool age. A systematic review of the literature on clinical guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the different forms of malnutrition was carried out; the recommendations of the guidelines evaluated with good quality were extracted.

Results

Based on these recommendations, 22 indicators were constructed. A pilot study was carried out to validate the indicators and 16 indicators were selected to assess the maternal and child nutritional care at PHC.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing in older adults in Mexico

OBJECTIVE

To identify and quantify potentially inappropriate prescribing (prescripción potencialmente inapropiada, PPI) and other drug prescribing problems in public health care services in a population-based study at the three existing levels of complexity in Mexico.

METHODS

Descriptive analysis of the Study on Satisfaction of Users of the Social Protection System in Health 2014–2016, prescription and drug supply section, to obtain the prevalence of PPI in older adults (≥ 65 years), based on Beers, STOPP, Prescrire and BSP listings using AM (older adults) prescription indicators, one for each listing.

RESULTS

Most older adults (67%) were prescribed at least one medication, with a mean of 2.7 medications per prescription. The PPI prevalence was 74% according to the BSP criteria, 67% according to the STOPP listing, 59% with the Beer criteria, and 20% with Prescrire. The most frequent PPI prescriptions were NSAIDs, vasodilators and sulfonylureas.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of PPIs in AM is high in Mexico. The higher prevalence found in this study may reflect the use of a source with population representativeness. The partial use and adaptations of the criteria make difficult comparing the studies; however, the STOPP criteria are the ones with the highest prevalence, as they cover a greater number of drugs and their use is more common in the first level of care.

[Quality of care in type 2 diabetes, progressand challenges from 2012 to 2018-19 forthe Mexican health system]

OBJECTIVE

To estimate changes in the quality of process of care and its association with glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Changes in compliance of 14 process of care indicators for 9 038 adults with type 2 diabetes and glycaemic control in a subsample were estimated. Averages, weighted changes and associations without or controlling for other factors were estimated us-ing statistical weights for the combined data (Ensanut 2012 and Ensanut 2018-19).

RESULTS

From 2012 to 2018-19, glycaemic control doubled. Early detection of complications and increased insuline use improved, but identification and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors decreased. The overall quality of care was associated with optimal glycaemic control.

CONCLUSIONS

There are areas of opportunity for improvement of quality of care, that deserve comprehensive strategies and continuous monitoring.