Atitudes distintas de profssionais de diferentes especialidades médicas relacionadas à autonomia e aspectos jurídicos no cuidado de pacientes com demência

The evaluation of competence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients to assume personal or collective responsibilities and the resulting legal implications is a relevant issue. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of different medical specialists towards the disability of patients with Alzheimer's disease and practitioners' competence to interfere with decision-making autonomy. Methods: Professionals from different areas (Neurology, Psychiatry, Geriatrics, and General Practice) were interviewed by one of the authors, after being presented a fictitious clinical case which raised several topics, namely: [1] Critical judgment and capacity of the patient to take decisions related to daily activities; [2] The role of family physicians in nominating trustees and caregivers. Results: Answers to the first question did not differ regarding degree of preservation of awareness but at least 25% stressed that the patient must be carefully listened to, independent of caregiver or legal representative opinion. There were significant knowledge gaps in responses to the second question. Half of the physicians interviewed did not have adequate information about the legal aspects of caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Conclusions: Legal aspects is a topic that must be incorporated into professional training in order to improve attitudes toward the long-term management of patients with dementia.

Organização da demanda de um Centro de Especialidades Odontológicas

Introduction: Secondary care in oral health in Brazil is still a little researched topic. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the resolution of dental services in SUS based on the referral to secondary attention and backreferral to primary attention. Methodology: It’s a descriptive, quantitative study that used secondary data collected from dental records of patients seen at Centre of Dental Specialties (Ceo) in a city of São Paulo State. Result: It was analyzed 1030 dental records. Just 1236 proceedings received referral to Ceo and among then, 86.4% showed the first attendance on Basic Health Unity (UBS) through spontaneous demand and 50.4% (n=623) received referral to endodontic treatment. There was evasion of 2.27% of studied population (n=28) on the first specialized consultation. Among 1208 proceedings that started the treatment in Ceo, 62.6% (n=757) were finalized and received back-referral to primary attention, that finalized 61.1% (n=463) of proceedings. To conclude the treatment, considering the time spent in Ceo and primary attention, there was variation according to specialty: periodontics – 62 days (sd ±68) and endodontics – 71 days (sd ±51.8), requiring 3 consultations in average, regardless specialty. Conclusion: The Centre of Dental Specialties gave referral and attention to the majority of demand, regardless specialty. However, there are many cases of evasion during dental treatment, alerting managers to develop methods to entice these patients, reducing service expenses and raising solvability of dental procedures previously initiated.