Assessment of the extend of epidemiological software used at two primary care centers of the Valdivia Province, during 2004

Abstract

Within the framework of the Chilean Health Reform, it is critical to assess the current situation of primary care centers specifically concerning the state of human skills, the use of the available computational epidemiological surveillance tools and the appraisal of such tools by the health team.

The present study is quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive in nature, and it has been developed at the Primary Care Center of the city of Los Lagos, and at the Valdivia Outpatient Clinic, during the second semester of 2004, using a survey method.

The results showed a low level of knowledge and a poor use of epidemiological software, with 50.7% expressing not having some of such programs available. The best levels of informatics knowledge were evidenced among the management. Additionally, there were no statistically significative differences between both care centers in spite of their dissimilar geographic location and technology availability (p<0.05).

The poor knowledge about epidemiological software evidences the limited and distant training that has been provided to health teams, a fact that adds up to a deficient use of such programs, reflecting a lack of priority at the central levels.

It is highly advisable to encourage the use of novel technologies in epidemiological surveillance, together with a continuing education process, to support the development of health goals for which such processes are mandatory, in order to result in a positive impact on the national epidemiological profile.