Acta Medica Port
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By March 2020, the first COVID-19 cases were detected in Portugal. Anecdotal evidence showed that the National Health Service absenteeism rate rose. The present study aimed to quantify and characterize the absenteeism rate among these healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal. ⋯ The interrupted time series analysis showed an increase of 10.8% in the National Health Service absenteeism rate after the pandemic onset [relative risk = 1.10; 95% CI 1.10 - 1.11; p < 0.01]. When accounting for seasonality in the data, the interrupted time series analysis showed an increase of 11.0% in the National Health Service absenteeism rate [relative risk = 1.11; 95% CI 1.00 - 1.23; p < 0.05]. These results suggest an increased number of days of absence rate among the National Health Service healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Comment Observational Study
[Analysis of Expectations in Routine Appointments: A Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal].
Preventive medicine is a subject of study due to the increasing evidence that it can cause more harm than good, and the population's interest in routine appointments is widely recognized. The main objective of this study was to understand users' expectations regarding routine appointments in primary health care and compare them to doctors' perceptions regarding these expectations. ⋯ It is important that general practitioners / family doctors are aware of patients' expectations. In this sample, patients revealed a greater appreciation for a higher number of preventive medical measures during consultations and more periodic analytical testing than thought by the doctors. Doctors also judged that users would show greater interest in the frequent implementation of screening programs.