Clinical and regulatory protocol for the treatment of jaundice in adults and elderly subjects: a support for the health care network and regulatory system.
OBJECTIVE
Clinical interventions and controlled access to the health care system can be improved by a Regulatory System (RS) and Clinical and Regulatory Protocols (CRPs). The objective of the present paper is to present the methodology used for elaborating the CRPs.


METHODS
The process used to elaborate the CPRs involved a scientific co-operation between university and health care system. Workshops were held and attended by primary care practitioners, RS team, and matrix team (university specialists supporting primary care practitioners).


RESULTS
The treatment of jaundice in adults and elderly subjects is amongst the themes selected for elaborating the CRPs since jaundice is a medical sign frequently seen in four clinical scenarios involving distinctive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions which can be performed in different health care settings. Evaluation guidelines as well as the clinical and regulatory procedures were established for different health care settings. The most relevant clinical and regulatory interventions were expressed as algorithms in order to facilitate the use of CRPs by health care practitioners.


CONCLUSIONS
It is expected that the implementation of this protocol will minimise the imbalance between the icteric patients' needs and the treatment modalities being offered, thus contributing to a more co-operative health care network.
Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Faculty of Medicine, Univesity of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. jsdsanto@fmrp.usp.br
José Sebastião dos
JS
Santos
Rafael
R
Kemp
Ajith Kumar
AK
Sankarankutty
Wilson
W
Salgado Júnior
Fernanda Fernandes
FF
Souza
Andreza Correa
AC
Teixeira
Guilherme Viana
GV
Rosa
Orlando de
Od
Castro-e-Silva
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*