The contribution of the Department of Public and Community Health, University of West Attica in BeHealthier, focused on the appropriate methodology for collecting, analyzing, and properly utilizing data, for the development of Health Policies, based on the principles of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. In this context, two systematic reviews were performed, and a research protocol was developed in order to evaluate the proportion of “inappropriate” visits in the Cardiology Emergency Department (ED) of a University Hospital. One of the most critical issues of Emergency Departments is “overcrowding”, in the sense that demand exceeds available resources. The research is observational, cross-sectional and we collected our data from the electronic archive and the patients’ admission book, of a University hospital, including demographic, clinical and laboratory tests. In the pilot study, we included 55 patients (27 male, 28 female), who visited the ED in two separate days (one weekday, one weekend) in two separate seasons (summer, autumn). 16/55 patients (29,1%) were transported by ambulance, while hospital admission was recommended to 9/55 patients (both cases were considered “appropriate” visits, according to pre-specified criteria). 4/55 visits were found to be “inappropriate” by implementing the full set of protocol criteria. In a prespecified sensitivity analysis, where visits in whom the only criterion was the request of D-dimers in biochemical testing, were categorized as “inappropriate”, the proportion of “inappropriate” visits rose to 30,9% (17/55). Our research study in the context of BeHealthier, is the first to focus on “inappropriate” visits to a Cardiology ED. At study completion, the characterization of “inappropriate” visits may lead to the development of Health Policies, for the management of such cases in more suitable facilities, such as Primary Care Health centers.
Project Τitle: beHEALTHIER – Building Health Policies out of data of Collective Knowledge
Project Duration: 36 months (12/05/2020 – 11/05/2023)
Project URL: https://behealthier.gr/
Project Framework & Funding:
Partnership Agreement for the Development Framework 2014 -2020: PA 2014 – 2020.Operational Programme Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation 2014 – 2020: EPAnEK – 2014-2020. Action “Research – Create – Innovate”
Funding: 999.667,25 €
Scientific coordinator (UNIWA): Areti Lagiou
Consortium – Partners:
- University of Piraeus / Department of Digital Systems / Special Account for research grants
- BYTE COMPUTER A.B.E.E.
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens/Medical School/ Vascular Surgery Clinic Attiko Hospital
- BioArogi A.E
- University of West Attica/ Department of Public and Community Health / Special Account for research grants
Research Publications / Results / Patents:
Dimitrios Tsilakis, Maria Ventouri, Anastasia Barbouni, Areti Lagiou “The use of out-of-hours primary health care services in the Covid-19 pandemic. A systematic review”, ICOPH 2023, 03rd – 04th August 2023 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Dimitrios Tsilakis, Konstantina Larentzaki, Anastasia Barbouni, Areti Lagiou “Access to out-of-hours primary herath care and utilization of hospital emergence departments: A systematic review”, ICOPH 2023, 03rd
– 04th August 2023 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Dimitrios Tsilakis, I. Parissis, E. Polyzogopoulou, A. Barbouni, A. Lagiou “Electronic file data analysis to improve health services and impact health policies. A pilot study”, 16th European Public Health Conference 2023
