Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28614483›Full record

ArticleRevista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health2017

[Public health impact of a remote diagnosis system implemented in regional and district hospitals in Paraguay].

Pedro Galván, Miguel Velázquez, Gualberto Benítez, José Ortellado, Ronald Rivas, Antonio Barrios, Enrique Hilario

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2022
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Pedro GalvánDepartamento de Ingeniería Biomédica e Imágenes, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay.
Miguel VelázquezMinisterio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, Asunción, Paraguay.
Gualberto BenítezMinisterio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, Asunción, Paraguay.
José OrtelladoDepartamento de Ingeniería Biomédica e Imágenes, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay.
Ronald RivasDepartamento de Ingeniería Biomédica e Imágenes, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay.
Antonio BarriosMinisterio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, Asunción, Paraguay.
Enrique HilarioUniversidad del País Vasco, Bilbao, España.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDetermine the viability of a remote diagnosis system implemented to provide health care to remote and scattered populations in Paraguay.

methodsThe study was conducted in all regional and general hospitals in Paraguay, and in the main district hospitals in the country's 18 health regions. Clinical data, tomographic images, sonography, and electrocardiograms (ECGs) of patients who needed a diagnosis by a specialized physician were entered into the system. This information was sent to specialists in diagnostic imaging and in cardiology for remote diagnosis and the report was then forwarded to the hospitals connected to the system. The cost-benefit and impact of the remote diagnosis tool was analyzed from the perspective of the National Health System.

resultsBetween January 2014 and May 2015, a total of 34 096 remote diagnoses were made in 25 hospitals in the Ministry of Health's telemedicine system. The average unit cost of remote diagnosis was US$2.6 per ECG, tomography, and sonography, while the unit cost of "face-to-face" diagnosis was US$11.8 per ECG, US$68.6 per tomography, and US$21.5 per sonography. As a result of remote diagnosis, unit costs were 4.5 times lower for ECGs; 26.4 times lower for tomography, and 8.3 times lower for sonography. In monetary terms, implementation of the remote diagnosis system during the 16 months of the study led to average savings of US$2 420 037.

conclusionParaguay has a remote diagnosis system for electrocardiography, tomography, and sonography, using low-cost information and communications technologies (ICTs) based on free software that is scalable to other types of remote diagnostic studies of interest for public health. Implementation of remote diagnosis helped to strengthen the integrated network of health services and programs, enabling professionals to optimize their time and productivity, while improving quality, increasing access and equity, and reducing costs.

Indexed as

Public HealthFemaleHospitals, DistrictHumansMaleMiddle AgedParaguayRemote ConsultationRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID28614483
PMCPMC6645396

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.