Unmet healthcare needs among the population aged 50+ and their association with health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented levels of subjective unmet healthcare needs (SUN). This study investigates the association between SUN in 2020 and three health outcomes in 2021-mortality, cancer, and self-assessed health (SAH), among adults aged 50 years and older, using data from the regular administration of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and from the two special waves administered in 2020 and 2021 regarding COVID-19. Three types of SUN were surveyed: care foregone due to fear of contracting COVID-19, pre-scheduled care postponed, and inability to get medical appointments or treatments demanded.

Development of a warning score for early detection of colorectal anastomotic leakage: Hype or hope?

Background: Colorectal anastomotic leakage (CAL), a severe postoperative complication, is associated with high morbidity, hospital readmission, and overall healthcare costs. Early detection of CAL remains a challenge in clinical practice. However, some decision models have been developed to increase the diagnostic accuracy of this event.

Usefulness of serum C-reactive protein and calprotectin for the early detection of colorectal anastomotic leakage: A prospective observational study.

Background: Colorectal anastomotic leakage (CAL) is one of the most dreaded complications after colorectal surgery, with an incidence that can be as high as 27%. This event is associated with increased morbidity and mortality; therefore, its early diagnosis is crucial to reduce clinical consequences and costs. Some biomarkers have been suggested as laboratory tools for the diagnosis of CAL.

[The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Unmet Healthcare Needs in People Aged Over 50 in Portugal].

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of healthcare appointments and to lower demand, which generated unmet healthcare needs. The aim of this study was to evaluate their prevalence and distribution in Portugal.

Material And Methods: Data came from the "Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe".

[Access to healthcare in Portugal in the wake of the crisis. Not everything is money?].

Unmet healthcare needs have been used to assess access to healthcare. In scenarios of recession and financial constraints on public policies, it is important to identify which factors besides income can be used to mitigate barriers to access. This was the focus of our study on Portugal's case in the wake of the crisis.

Unmet needs across Europe: Disclosing knowledge beyond the ordinary measure.

Unmet healthcare needs (or foregone healthcare) is a widely used intermediate indicator to evaluate healthcare systems attainment since it relates to health outcomes, financial risk protection, improved efficiency and responsiveness to the individuals' legitimate expectations. This paper discusses the ordinary measure of this indicator used so far, prevalence of unmet needs in the whole population, based on the level of healthcare needs among the population. The prevalence of needs and the prevalence of unmet needs among those in need are key aspects that have not yet been fully explored when it comes to foregone healthcare.

No unmet needs without needs! Assessing the role of social capital using data from European social survey 2014.

This paper examines the determinants of unmet healthcare needs in Europe. Special emphasis is put on the impact of social capital. Data come from the European Social Survey, 2014.

Do drinking problems in the past affect current consumption?

Harmful use of alcohol ranks among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death worldwide. However, not all individuals who consume alcohol throughout life are addicted and our premise is that addiction implies a chain of consumption that produces harmful effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether self-assessed past drinking problems - our measure of harmful alcohol consumption - affect the current alcohol consumption patterns.

Multidisciplinary Portuguese recommendations on DXA request and indication to treat in the prevention of fragility fractures.

Objective: To establish Portuguese recommendations regarding the indication to perform DXA and to initiate medication aimed at the prevention of fragility fractures.

Methods: A multidisciplinary panel, representing the full spectrum of medical specialties and patient associations devoted to osteoporosis, as well as national experts in this field and in health economics, was gathered to developed recommendations based on available evidence and expert consensus. Recently obtained data on the Portuguese epidemiologic, economic and quality-of-life aspects of fragility fractures were used to support decisions.

Cost-Effectiveness of Intervention Thresholds for the Treatment of Osteoporosis Based on FRAX(®) in Portugal.

Cost-effective intervention thresholds (ITs) based on FRAX(®) were determined for Portugal. Assuming a willingness to pay (WTP) of €32,000 per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), treatment with generic alendronate is cost effective for men and women aged 50 years or more, with 10-year probabilities for major osteoporotic fractures and hip above 8.8 and 2.

A FRAX model for the estimation of osteoporotic fracture probability in Portugal.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to develop a Portuguese version of the World Health Organization fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX®).

Methods: All cases of hip fracture occurred at or after 40 years of age were extracted from the Portuguese National Hospital Discharge Register from 2006 to 2010. Age and sex-ranked population estimates and mortality rates were obtained from National Statistics.

Utilization of public health centres in Portugal: effect of time costs and other determinants. Finite mixture models applied to truncated samples.

The impact of time costs on the utilization of medical care has been a subject of theoretical and empirical research since the early 1970s. The main goal of this paper is to show the effect of time costs on the number of visits to general practitioners (GP) in Portuguese public health centres. We measured the elasticity of primary health care utilization relative to the total time spent in the health centre and relative to travel time.