Gender-specific effects of delay in cardiology consultation following primary care physician referral in atrial fibrillation patients: Impact on one-year outcomes.

Background And Objectives: Over the last two decades, reductions in cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular events for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have been observed, but the non-cardiovascular rates have increased. Early initiation of oral anticoagulation helps reduce AF complications; however, the impact of delayed cardiology care after referral by a Primary Care Physician (PCP) is unknown. The aim of our study is to investigate the association between the elapsed time to cardiology care following a PCP referral and one-year outcomes among patients with AF and analyses gender-specific differences in these outcomes.

Delay in cardiology consultation after primary care physician referrals in heart failure: Clinical implications.

Aims: To investigate the association between the elapsed time to cardiology care following a primary care physician (PCP) referral and 1 year outcomes among patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods: Data from electronic medical records at our institution encompassing all PCP referrals to cardiology consultation from 2010 to 2021 (N = 68 518) were analysed. Of these, 6379 patients had a prior diagnosis of HF.

Enhancing patient outcomes: Integrating electronic cardiology consultation in primary care for cancer patients.

Background: The prevalence of cancer patients with concomitant cardiovascular (CV) disease is on the rise due to improved cancer prognoses. The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term outcomes of cancer patients referred to a cardiology department (CD) via primary care using e-consultation.

Methods: We analysed data from cancer patients with prior referrals to a CD between 2010 and 2021 (n = 6889) and compared two care models: traditional in-person consultations and e-consultations.

Impact of a clinician-to-clinician electronic consultation in heart failure patients with previous hospital admissions.

Aims: To evaluate the impact of an outpatient care management programme that includes a clinician-to-clinician e-consultation on delay time in care, hospital admissions, and mortality in a high-risk group of patients with heart failure (HF) and previous episodes of HF hospitalization (HFH).

Methods And Results: We selected 6444 HF patients who visited the cardiology service at least once between 2010 and 2021. Of these, 4851 were attended in e-consult, and 2230 had previous HFH.

Impact of prior use of antiplatelets on COVID-19 susceptibility, progression, and severity: a population-based study.

Introduction And Objectives: Hypercoagulability and thromboembolism are processes that arise from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and are responsible for a high degree of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related morbidity and mortality. This study sought to assess the effect of antiplatelet drugs on COVID-19 severity (risk of hospitalization and mortality), susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, and progression to severe COVID-19.

Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study in a northwestern region of Spain in 2020.

Estimated Technological Obsolescence of Computed Tomography Equipment.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate a model for predicting technological obsolescence of computed tomography (CT) equipment.

Materials And Methods: Baseline data consisted of various models of CT scanners that have been on the market since 1974 and represent a technological leap in CT. In documenting the CT scans, a principal component analysis was performed to reduce the number of variables.

Cost Analysis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography in Cardiology: A Case Study of a University Hospital Complex in the Euro Region.

Introduction: In recent years, several hospitals have incorporated MRI equipment managed directly by their cardiology departments. The aim of our work is to determine the total cost per test of both CT and MRI in the setting of a Cardiology Department of a tertiary hospital.

Materials And Methods: The process followed for estimating the costs of CT and MRI tests consists of three phases: (1) Identification of the phases of the testing process; (2) Identification of the resources consumed in carrying out the tests; (3) Quantification and assessment of inputs.

Gender differences on healthcare accessibility and outcomes of a electronic inter-clinician consultation program at the cardiology department in a Galician Health Area.

Aims: To assess the longer-term results (hospital admissions and mortality) in women versus men referred to a cardiology department from primary care using an e-consultation in our outpatient care programme.

Methods: We selected 61,306 patients (30,312 women and 30,994 men) who visited the cardiology service at least once between 2010 and 2021: 69.1% (19,997 women and 20,462 men) were attended in e-consultation (from 2013 to 2021) and 30.

A clinician-to-clinician universal electronic consultation programme at the cardiology department of a Galician healthcare area improves healthcare accessibility and outcomes in elderly patients.

Aims: We aimed to assess longer-term results (accessibility, hospital admissions, and mortality) in elderly patients referred to a cardiology department (CD) from primary care using e-consultation in outpatient care.

Methods And Results: We included 9963 patients >80 years from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2019. Until 2012, all patients attended an in-person consultation (2010-2012).

Care transitions among oncological patients: from hospital to community.

Objective: To analyze the transition of care from the perspective of cancer patients, in a Southern Brazil hospital, correlating perspectives with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Method: Cross-sectional study using the Care Transitions Measure (CTM) with cancer patients undergoing clinical or surgical treatment following hospital discharge. Data collection was completed by telephone, between June and September 2019.

Colchicine and risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19: A population-based study.

Colchicine is one of the most widely studied and best-known anti-inflammatory treatments. This study aimed to assess the effect of colchicine on risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19; and its effect on susceptibility to and severity of the virus in patients with COVID-19. We carried out a population-based case-control study.

Effect of Previous Anticoagulant Treatment on Risk of COVID-19.

Introduction: Little is known about the role played by anticoagulants in COVID-19.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of previous anticoagulant treatment on risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19, progression to severe COVID-19 and susceptibility to COVID-19 infection.

Methods: We conducted a multiple population-based case-control study in northwest Spain, in 2020, to assess (1) risk of hospitalization: cases were all patients admitted due to COVID-19 with PCR confirmation, and controls were a random matched sample of subjects without a positive PCR; (2) progression: cases were hospitalized COVID-19 subjects, and controls were all non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients; and (3) susceptibility: cases were patients with a positive PCR (hospitalized and non-hospitalized), and the controls were the same as for the hospitalization model.

The impact of inter-clinician electronic consultation in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in primary care.

Background: An early diagnosis and early initiation of oral anticoagulants (OAC) are main determinants for outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Inter-clinician electronic consultations (e-consultations) program for the general practitioner referrals to cardiologist may improve health care access by reducing the elapsed time for cardiology care.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a reduced elapsed time to care after a inter-clinician e-consultations program implementation (2013-2019) in comparison with previous in-person consultation (2010-2012) in the outpatient health care management in a Cardiology Department.

An electronic consultation program impacts on heart failure patients' prognosis: implications for heart failure care.

Aims: e-consults are asynchronous, clinician-to-clinician exchanges that answer focused, non-urgent, patient-specific questions using the electronic medical record. We instituted an e-consultation programme (2013-2019) for all general practitioners (GPs) referrals to cardiologists that preceded patients' in-person consultations when considered. In our study, we aimed to analyse the clinical characteristics, 1 year prognosis and the prognostic determinants of patients with a previous diagnosis of HF referred for an e-consult, categorized by their previous HF-related hospitalization status (recent hospitalization, <1 year before; remote hospitalization, >1 year before or never been hospitalized because of HF), and to analyse the impact of reducing the time elapsed between e-consultation and response by the cardiologist in terms of prognosis.

Universal electronic consultation (e-consultation) program of a cardiology service. Long-term results.

Introduction And Objectives: Many health systems have initiated electronic consultation (e-consultation) programs, although little is known about their impact on accessibility, safety, and satisfaction. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical impact of the implementation of an outpatient care model that includes an initial e-consultation and to compare it with a one-time face-to-face consultation model.

Methods: We selected patients who visited the cardiology service at least once between 2010 and 2019.

Fast track triage for COVID-19 based on a population study: The soda score.

Background: Healthcare systems are under prominent stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A fast and simple triage is mandatory to screen patients who will benefit from early hospitalization, from those that can be managed as outpatients. There is a lack of all-comers scores, and no score has been proposed for western-world population.

Impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on COVID-19 in a western population. CARDIOVID registry.

Introduction And Objectives: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been designated a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. It is unclear whether previous treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) affects the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical implications of previous treatment with ACEI/ARB on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 infection.

Analysis of drug-related problems in polymedicated patients over the age of 64 in primary care. A cross-sectional descriptive study.

Objective: To identify drug-related problems using the STOPP/START criteria of patients over 64 years polymedicated with 12 or more drugs.

Method: Descriptive cross-sectional. We analysed 172 cases randomly selected from the register of 1500 polymedicated patients of the Quality Improvement Programme for Chronic and Polymedicated Patients of the Galician Health Service for the area of Santiago in 2017.