(1) Background: With the increasing digitalization of healthcare systems, data security and privacy have become crucial issues. In parallel, blockchain technology has gradually proven to be an innovative solution to address this challenge, as its ability to provide an immutable and secure record of transactions offers significant promise for healthcare information management. This systematic review aims to explore the applications of blockchain in health information systems, highlighting its advantages and challenges. (2) Methods: The publications chosen to compose this review were collected from six databases, resulting in the initial identification of 4864 studies. Of these, 73 were selected for in-depth analysis. (3) Results: The main results show that blockchain has been used mainly in electronic health records (63%). Furthermore, it was used in the Internet of Medical Things (8.2%) and for data sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic (6.8%). As advantages, greater security, privacy, and data integrity were identified, while the challenges point to the need for standardization and regulatory issues. (4) Conclusions: Despite the difficulties encountered, blockchain has significant potential to improve healthcare data management. However, more research and continued collaboration between those involved are needed to maximize its benefits.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, vaccination has been the core strategy to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. This paper analyzes the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on hospitalizations and deaths in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. We analyzed data from 23,516 hospitalized COVID-19 patients diagnosed between April 2020 and August 2021. We excluded the data from patients hospitalized through direct occupancy, unknown outcomes, and unconfirmed COVID-19 cases, resulting in data from 12,635 patients cross-referenced with the immunization status during hospitalization. Our results indicated that administering at least one dose of the immunizers was sufficient to significantly reduce the occurrence of moderate and severe COVID-19 cases among patients under 59 years. Considering the partially or fully immunized patients, the mean age is similar between the analyzed groups, despite the occurrence of comorbidities and higher than that observed among not immunized patients. Thus, immunized patients present lower Unified Score for Prioritization (USP) levels when diagnosed with COVID-19. Our data suggest that COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduced the hospitalization and death of elderly patients (60+ years) after administration of at least one dose. Comorbidities do not change the mean age of moderate/severe COVID-19 cases and the days required for the hospitalization of these patients.

Equal access to health initiatives and services under the principles of universal and comprehensive care remains a challenge in Brazil. The realization of public health policies is further intricate when one examines the health situation of people deprived of liberty. This study showcases the “Prison System: Beyond the Walls” educational pathway, available on the Virtual Learning Environment of the Brazilian National Health System (AVASUS). The action research methodological strategy guided the pathway development, emphasizing dialogic learning. The goal was to address the need for massive training on the topic of prison health, with the model focusing on engagement through spontaneous, non-mandatory participation in the pathway courses. The pathway comprised four modules, whose educational offerings were based on the self-learning model. Students were free to choose which courses to take and in what order, as there was no prerequisite for participating in modules. Hence, students could either take all the courses or only those with which they identify their learning needs, regardless of work demands or personal interests. Structuring the pathway through action research facilitated a massive, cohesive, and continuous training process. This approach expanded knowledge and established meaningful relationships among the related topics and the key players involved: health professionals, prison officers, and people deprived of liberty. Notably, the pathway courses have surpassed the 50,000-enrollment mark, spanning all five regions of Brazil. In this context, this article presents and discusses the development of the “Prison System: Beyond the Walls” pathway, emphasizing the massive improvement of health within Brazil’s prison system and highlighting the results achieved.

Introduction: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that represents a severe public health problem worldwide and in Brazil it has not been different. The national compulsory notifications regarding syphilis cases are significantly increasing, and therefore, this fact alone justifies the study of such a relevant subject. Objective: This work presents a situational analysis of syphilis cases in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, between 2015 and 2021, aiming primarily at assisting public healthcare authorities in decision-making processes to cope with the disease. Concomitantly, this research aims to build knowledge as well as to provide awareness to the population. Methods: This study analyzed data from compulsory notifications reports from 2015 to 2021, available in the database of the Brazilian Unified Health System’s Informatics Department, in the Brazilian Information System of Notifiable Diseases and in the Brazilian Health Surveillance Secretariat. Results: In the state, 70% of patients with syphilis are aged 15 to 39 years. The rate of patients affected with acquired syphilis that have low education is 48%, and for pregnant women, this value rises to 77%. The declared mixed-race patients represent 48% of notifications for acquired syphilis, and for mixed-race pregnant women, this value increases to 60%. In congenital syphilis, 98% of compulsory notifications occurred for children aged up to 7 days of birth. Conclusion: Syphilis in Rio Grande do Norte is a public health problem that mainly affects the vulnerable population, predominantly the groups at risk with low education, mixed race, and young-adult people, being of paramount importance to combat the disease through population awareness, as well as through constant and adequate compulsory notification.

Na perspectiva de garantir a todos os brasileiros os princípios básicos do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), a integralidade e universalidade são comprometidas devido a dificuldade em atender as demandas e particularidades de um país de dimensões territoriais continentais. A desigualdade no acesso aos serviços de saúde provocada pela carência e má distribuição geográfica de profissionais de saúde em áreas remotas, principalmente no campo da radiologia, dificultam execução de uma política de saúde tão grande e ambiciosa. Nesse contexto, o estudo apresenta uma solução para essa problemática, oferecendo a oportunidade de todo o processo de laudagem ser feito de maneira descentralizada e a distância via web através de uma plataforma de telediagnóstico. Com relação a metodologia, utilizou-se para o desenvolvimento da referida plataforma, as seguintes tecnologias: o sistema de gerenciamento de banco de dados PostgresSQL, por sua grande estabilidade e confiabilidade, e o Laravel, que é um framework de desenvolvimento web. Como resultados alcançados, observou-se com a implementação do OpenTeleDiagnóstico (OpenTD), que é possível transpor barreiras importantes na área da radiologia, impactando de modo positivo o processo de trabalho hospitalar. Os usuários do OpenTD no HUOL mostraram-se satisfeitos com a plataforma. Outro fator significativo constatado no que tange a plataforma é o impacto ambiental e financeiro, proporcionado pela redução da utilização de papéis no serviço de saúde já que os laudos são digitalizados e armazenados de maneira segura.

O presente artigo tem objetivo de analisar a produção científica brasileira referente à tecnologia e inovação aplicada a saúde na pandemia da COVID-19. Estudo bibliométrico que analisou as publicações nacionais, com destaque para os autores, instituições, periódicos, área de conhecimento, ano de publicação, e mapeamento da co-ocorrência das palavras-chave, registrados na base de dados Web of Science (WoS). Utilizou-se as palavras-chave: "Tecnologia”, “Inovação”, “Saúde” (nos idiomas português e inglês), “COVID-19”, “Coronavírus”, e “SARS-CoV-2”. A análise estatística descritiva compreendeu o período de 2019 e 2022, e teve suporte dos softwares Excel e VOSviewer. Os resultados desta pesquisa mostram que as publicações se concentraram no ano de 2021 (60,0%), na categoria Public Environmental Occupational Health da WoS (22,2%), nas universidades do Sudeste brasileiro, com destaque para a Universidade de São Paulo (22,5%), no periódico Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (2,4%) e nos autores Giovanetti, M., Ciccozzi, M. & Durigon, E. L., sendo que esses autores juntos produziram mais 50 artigos publicados. No mapa de co-ocorrência foi possível identificar o conjunto de palavras-chaves que caracterizam o desenvolvimento da tecnologia e inovação à saúde durante a pandemia do COVID-19, com destaque o desenvolvimento de vacinas, terapias e testes de diagnóstico para enfrentamento da pandemia. Desta forma, conclui-se que a produção brasileira científica sobre tecnologia e inovação durante a pandemia COVID-19 foi produzida em artigos multidisciplinares e esteve voltada principalmente para à área de diagnóstico, tratamento e vacina. Entretanto, reforça a necessidade do avanço desses estudos com deferentes métodos no contexto discutido.