Viral dynamics in patients with monkeypox infection: a prospective cohort study in Spain.

Background: Monkeypox DNA has been detected in skin lesions, saliva, oropharynx, urine, semen, and stool of patients infected during the 2022 clade IIb outbreak; however, the viral dynamics within these compartments remain unknown. We aimed to characterise the viral load kinetics over time in various parts of the body.

Methods: This was an observational, prospective, multicentre study of outpatients diagnosed with monkeypox in two hospitals and two sexual health clinics in Spain between June 28, 2022, and Sept 22, 2022.

Evaluating the Accuracy of Self-Collected Swabs for the Diagnosis of Mpox.

We evaluated the accuracy of patient-collected skin lesions, oropharyngeal, and rectal swabs among 50 individuals enrolled in a study of mpox viral dynamics. We found that the performance of self-collected samples was similar to that of physician-collected samples, suggesting that self-sampling is a reliable strategy for diagnosing mpox.

Reduced humoral response 3 months following BNT162b2 vaccination in SARS-CoV-2 uninfected residents of long-term care facilities.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is the most effective strategy to protect older residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF) against severe COVID-19, but primary vaccine responses are less effective in older adults. Here, we characterised the humoral responses of institutionalised seniors 3 months after they had received the mRNA/BNT162b2 vaccine.

Methods: plasma levels of SARS-CoV-2-specific total IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies were measured before and 3 months after vaccination in older residents of LTCF.

The interplay between infection risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 and mortality: a cross-sectional study from a cohort of long-term care nursing home residents.

Background: Covid-19 pandemic has particularly affected older people living in Long-term Care settings in terms of infection and mortality.

Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional analysis within a cohort of Long-term care nursing home residents between March first and June thirty, 2020, who were ≥ 65 years old and on whom at least one PCR test was performed. Socio-demographic, comorbidities, and clinical data were recorded.

Evaluation of a support system for health professionals confined by COVID-19.

Objective: To evaluate the implementation of a telephone system in a department of Primary Care in Barcelona, Spain, supporting health professionals confined by COVID-19.

Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with confined professionals, between March 11 and May 31, 2020. We emailed a questionnaire with 18 closed-ended questions and one open-ended question and performed a descriptive analysis of the closed-ended answers and an analysis of the thematic content of the open-ended question.

A retrospective cohort study of risk factors for mortality among nursing homes exposed to COVID-19 in Spain.

Long-term care (LTC) facilities have shown remarkably high mortality rates during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in many countries, and different risk factors for mortality have been identified in this setting. Using facilities as the unit of analysis, we investigated multiple variables covering facility characteristics and socioeconomic characteristics of the geographic location to identify risk factors for excess mortality from a comprehensive perspective. Furthermore, we used a clustering approach to detect patterns in datasets and generate hypotheses regarding potential relationships between types of nursing homes and mortality trends.

Determinants of Catalan public primary care professionals' intention to use digital clinical consultations (eConsulta) in the post-COVID-19 context: optical illusion or permanent transformation?

Background: During lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has become a necessary component of clinical practice for the purpose of providing safer patient care, and it has been used to support the healthcare needs of COVID-19 patients and routine primary care patients alike. However, this change has not been fully consolidated.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyse the determinants of healthcare professionals' intention to use the eConsulta digital clinical consultations tool in the post-COVID-19 context.

Characteristics of Citizens and Their Use of Teleconsultations in Primary Care in the Catalan Public Health System Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Background: eConsulta-that is, asynchronous, two-way teleconsultation in primary care-is one of the most important telemedicine developments in the Catalan public health system, a service that has been heavily boosted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital to know the characteristics of its users in order to be able to meet their needs and understand the coverage of this service in a context where there is reduced accessibility to the health system.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the profile of the citizens who use the eConsulta tool and the reasons for their use, as well as to gain an understanding of the elements that characterize their decision to use it while distinguishing between those who used it before and those who have used it since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Descriptive study of the health service workers of a Primary Care Department confined by Covid-19.].

Objective: The Covid-19 pandemic is testing the resistance of health systems, the preservation of health professionals is a priority in processes of this type. The professionals' exposure to suspicious contacts often requires their confinement. The objective was to know the epidemiological characteristics of the primary care professionals who required confinement.

Primary Care Doctor Characteristics That Determine the Use of Teleconsultations in the Catalan Public Health System: Retrospective Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: eConsulta is a tele-consultation service involving doctors and patients, and is part of Catalonia's public health information technology system. The service has been in operation since the end of 2015 as an adjunct to face-to-face consultations. A key factor in understanding the barriers and facilitators to the acceptance of the tool is understanding the sociodemographic characteristics of general practitioners who determine its use.

Complex Care Needs in Multiple Chronic Conditions: Population Prevalence and Characterization in Primary Care. A Study Protocol.

Background: Chronicity, and particularly complex care needs for people with chronic diseases is one of the main challenges of health systems.

Objective: To determine the population prevalence of people with chronic diseases and complex care needs and to characterize these needs considering features of health and social complexity in Primary Care.

Design: Cross-sectional population-based study.

Cost-effectiveness of strategies to increase screening coverage for cervical cancer in Spain: the CRIVERVA study.

Background: The aim of the study is to carry out a cost-effectiveness analysis of three different interventions to promote the uptake of screening for cervical cancer in general practice in the county of Valles Occidental, Barcelona, Spain.

Methods: Women aged from 30 to 70 years (n = 15,965) were asked to attend a general practice to be screened. They were randomly allocated to one of four groups: no intervention group (NIG); one group where women received an invitation letter to participate in the screening (IG1); one group where women received an invitation letter and informative leaflet (IG2); and one group where women received an invitation letter, an informative leaflet and a phone call reminder (IG3).

Intervention to improve social and family support for caregivers of dependent patients: ICIAS study protocol.

Background: Despite the existence of formal professional support services, informal support (mainly family members) continues to be the main source of eldercare, especially for those who are dependent or disabled. Professionals on the primary health care are the ideal choice to educate, provide psychological support, and help to mobilize social resources available to the informal caregiver.Controversy remains concerning the efficiency of multiple interventions, taking a holistic approach to both the patient and caregiver, and optimum utilization of the available community resources.

Intervention for control of hypertension in Catalonia, Spain (INCOTECA Project): results of a multicentric, non-randomised, quasi-experimental controlled intervention study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a quality improvement (QI) plan aimed at primary healthcare teams (PHCTs) to optimise hypertension control and to compare it with standard clinical care.

Methods: Design Multicentric, non-randomised, quasi-experimental controlled intervention study. Setting 5 PHCTs in the intervention and 13 in the standard care group in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.