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Revista argentina de reumatología
Print version ISSN 0327-4411On-line version ISSN 2362-3675
Abstract
ALCIVAR NAVARRETE, José Simón et al. Rheumatologists versus paperwork: assessment of administrative burden in a Rheumatology Service. Rev. argent. reumatolg. [online]. 2022, vol.33, n.3, pp.145-150. ISSN 0327-4411. http://dx.doi.org/10.47196/rar.v33i3.677.
Introduction:
medical history summaries (MHS) issued by rheumatologists are requested by patients for various procedures. Not completing them denies access to health benefits, this implies that physicians spend time on a purely bureaucratic requirement. The objectives were: to determine the frequency of MHS requested and issued in our service during a semester and the time dedicated to them; to describe the reasons for the request and the characteristics of the applicants.
Materials and methods:
all patients who request ≥1 MHS in the last semester of 2019 were included. Sociodemographic characteristics, underlying disease and reasons for request were recorded. As a comparison measure, a predetermined duration of 15 minutes per medical appointment was expected.
Results:
103 MHS applicants in 3159 scheduled appointments in 152 days. 144 MHS were performed (0.95/day). 18% requested a new one in the same interval. The average time in the preparation of a MHS was 75 minutes. The total time spent on these during the evaluated semester was equivalent to 720 potential appointments, approximately 20% of scheduled appointments that were granted. Most were issued to request chronic medications, mainly in rheumatoid arthritis and public health care.
Conclusions:
the time spent to prepare MHS for administrative reasons was comparable to a potential increase of more than 20% in medical appointments.
Keywords : rheumatic diseases; professional burnout; cost of illness; accessibility.