Articles

Effect of a price display intervention on laboratory test ordering behavior of general practitioners

Redundant use of diagnostic tests in primary care has shown to be a contributor to rising Dutch healthcare costs. A price display in the test ordering system of the electronic health records (EHRs) could poten...

Authors: Dennis M. J. Muris, Max Molenaers, Trang Nguyen, Paul W. M. P. Bergmans, Bernadette A. C. van Acker, Mariëlle M. E. Krekels and Jochen W. L. Cals

How concerned significant others experience Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) – a qualitative study

Heavy drinking causes serious harm, not only to the drinker but also to relationships and concerned significant others (CSOs). Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is an intervention developed t...

Authors: Rikke Hellum, Randi Bilberg, Gallus Bischof and Anette Søgaard Nielsen

Nonspecific symptoms dominate at first contact to emergency healthcare services among cases with invasive meningococcal disease

An early appropriate response is the cornerstone of treatment for invasive meningococcal disease. Little evidence exists on how cases with invasive meningococcal disease present at first contact to emergency m...

Authors: Nichlas Hovmand, Helle Collatz Christensen, Lene Fogt Lundbo, Håkon Sandholdt, Gitte Kronborg, Perle Darsø, Jacob Anhøj, Stig Nikolaj Fasmer Blomberg, Asmus Thun Bisgaard and Thomas Benfield

Barriers and facilitators to diabetic retinopathy screening within Australian primary care

Despite recent incentives through Medicare (Australia’s universal health insurance scheme) to increase retinal screening rates in primary care, comprehensive diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening has not been re...

Authors: Matthew J. G. Watson, Peter J. McCluskey, John R. Grigg, Yogesan Kanagasingam, Judith Daire and Mohamed Estai

Self-management perspectives of elderly patients with multimorbidity and practitioners - status, challenges and further support needed?

Patients with multimorbidity (here defined as three or more chronic conditions) require constant treatment and care. Furthermore, they have to manage their health and diseases in daily life. Offering support t...

Authors: Amanda Breckner, Catharina Roth, Katharina Glassen and Michel Wensing

A qualitative study of high-performing primary care practices during the COVID-19 pandemic

Primary care practices have remained on the frontline of health care service delivery throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of our study was to understand the early pandemic experience of primary care ...

Authors: Stephanie L. Albert, Margaret M. Paul, Ann M. Nguyen, Donna R. Shelley and Carolyn A. Berry

Correction to: The general practitioners perspective regarding registration of persistent somatic symptoms in primary care: a survey

Authors: Willeke M. Kitselaar, Rosalie van der Vaart, Madelon van Tilborg-den Boeft, Hedwig M. M. Vos, Mattijs E. Numans and Andrea W. M. Evers

The receipt of information by family physicians about their patient’s emergency department visits: a record linkage study of electronic medical records to health administrative data

Canadians are known to be frequent users of emergency department (ED) care. However, the exchange of information from ED visits to family physicians (FPs) is not well known. Our objectives were to determine wh...

Authors: Liisa Jaakkimainen, Hannah Chung, Hong Lu, Bogdan Pinzaru and Elisa Candido

Low-touch, team-based care for co-morbidity management in cancer patients: the ONE TEAM randomized controlled trial

As treatments for cancer have improved, more people are surviving cancer. However, compared to people without a history of cancer, cancer survivors are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Incre...

Authors: Leah L. Zullig, Mohammad Shahsahebi, Benjamin Neely, Terry Hyslop, Renee A. V. Avecilla, Brittany M. Griffin, Kacey Clayton-Stiglbauer, Theresa Coles, Lynda Owen, Bryce B. Reeve, Kevin Shah, Rebecca A. Shelby, Linda Sutton, Michaela A. Dinan, S. Yousuf Zafar, Nishant P. Shah…

Living with a chronic disease: insights from patients with a low socioeconomic status

Little is known about how patients with low socioeconomic status (SES) experience their chronic disease, and how it impacts health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Compared to their more affluent counterparts,...

Authors: Lisa Van Wilder, Peter Pype, Fien Mertens, Elke Rammant, Els Clays, Brecht Devleesschauwer, Pauline Boeckxstaens and Delphine De Smedt

Euthanasia in advanced dementia; the view of the general practitioners in the Netherlands on a vignette case along the juridical and ethical dispute

In the Netherlands, euthanasia has been regulated by law since 2002. In the past decade, a growing number of persons with dementia requested for euthanasia, and more requests were granted. A euthanasia request...

Authors: Jaap Schuurmans, Chantalle Crol, Boudewijn Chabot, Marcel Olde Rikkert and Yvonne Engels

Effects of the dementia care toolbox on personnel’s self-reported confidence in patient care: a CRT in general practices

In rapidly aging populations, general practitioners (GPs) are challenged in dementia care of patients with and without migration background. Uncertainties in treating dementia in migrant patients due to langua...

Authors: Sabine Christine Jäger, Anna-Liesa Filbert, Thomas Welchowski and Birgitta Weltermann

Undertaking general practice quality improvement to improve cancer screening - a thematic analysis of provider experiences

Cancer is a major cause of illness and death, and its incidence and mortality can be reduced through effective screening. In order to improve below target screening rates in one region of Australia, the local ...

Authors: Steven A. Trankle, Christine Metusela and Jennifer Reath

Priorities for family physician and general practitioner recruitment and retention in Singapore: a PRIORITIZE study

A shortage of primary care physicians has been reported in many countries. Primary care systems are diverse and the challenges leading to a decline in workforce are at times context-specific and require tailor...

Authors: Lorainne Tudor Car, Yee Sean Teng, Jin Wei How, Nadia Nasuha Binte Mohammad Nazri, Amy Li Xian Tan, Joanne Quah, Stephen Peckham and Helen Smith

A pilot study of participatory and rapid implementation approaches to increase depression screening in primary care

Most individuals with depression go unidentified and untreated. In 2016 the US Preventive Services Task Force released guidelines recommending universal screening in primary care to identify patients with depr...

Authors: Briana S. Last, Alison M. Buttenheim, Anne C. Futterer, Cecilia Livesey, Jeffrey Jaeger, Rebecca E. Stewart, Megan Reilly, Matthew J. Press, Maryanne Peifer, Courtney Benjamin Wolk and Rinad S. Beidas

Care for caregivers- a mission for primary care

The number of elderly people living in the community who are limited in daily activities is increasing worldwide. This generates prolonged care, which usually falls on one family member, the family caregiver. ...

Authors: Aya Biderman, Sara Carmel, Shimon Amar and Yaacov G. Bachner

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and residency training of family medicine residents: findings from a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Turkey

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on resident training in different branches and affected the physical and mental health of frontline residents adversely. This nationwide cross-sectional survey a...

Authors: Hüsna Çevik and Mehmet Ungan

Context and general practitioner decision-making - a scoping review of contextual influence on antibiotic prescribing

How contextual factors may influence GP decisions in real life practice is poorly understood. The authors have undertaken a scoping review of antibiotic prescribing in primary care, with a focus on the interac...

Authors: Resha Al-Azzawi, Peder A. Halvorsen and Torsten Risør

Follow-up care delivery in community-based hypertension and type 2 diabetes management: a multi-centre, survey study among rural primary care physicians in China

Follow-up care is crucial but challenging for disease management particularly in rural areas with limited healthcare resources and clinical capacity, yet few studies have been conducted from the perspective of...

Authors: Yi Wang, Xiu-Jing Hu, Harry H. X. Wang, Hong-Yan Duan, Ying Chen, Yu-Ting Li, Zi-Lin Luo, Xin Li, Jia-Ji Wang and Stewart W. Mercer

Detection and follow-up of chronic health conditions in Rio de Janeiro – the impact of residency training in family medicine

There is a need for evidence that residency training in family medicine can benefit the care of patients in primary care in low- and middle-income countries. We tested the hypothesis that two years of residenc...

Authors: Adelson Guaraci Jantsch, Bo Burström, Gunnar Nilsson and Antônio Ponce de Leon

Correction to: A mobile swabbing booth to address Singapore GPs’ concerns about swabber protection: human-centred design during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors: Boon See Teo, Esther Li, Yi-Lin Khoo, Michelle Evaristo, Yang Fang and Helen E. Smith

Risk factors for the frequent attendance of older patients at community health service centers in China: a cross-sectional study based on stratified sampling

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of frequent attenders (FAs) among older patients in Shanghai, China, and explore the associated factors.

Authors: Nana Li and Juan Shou

Strategies for working across Canadian practice-based research and learning networks (PBRLNs) in primary care: focus on frailty

Practice based research and learning networks (PBRLNs) are groups of learning communities that focus on improving delivery and quality of care. Accurate data from primary care electronic medical records (EMRs)...

Authors: Manpreet Thandi, Sabrina T. Wong, Sylvia Aponte-Hao, Mathew Grandy, Dee Mangin, Alexander Singer and Tyler Williamson

Optimising an intervention to support home-living older adults at risk of malnutrition: a qualitative study

In the UK, about 14% of community-dwelling adults aged 65 and over are estimated to be at risk of malnutrition. Screening older adults in primary care and treating those at risk may help to reduce malnutrition...

Authors: Liz Payne, Daniela Ghio, Elisabeth Grey, Joanna Slodkowska-Barabasz, Philine Harris, Michelle Sutcliffe, Sue Green, Helen C. Roberts, Caroline Childs, Sian Robinson, Bernard Gudgin, Pam Holloway, Jo Kelly, Kathy Wallis, Oliver Dean, Paul Aveyard…

Type of treatment, symptoms and patient satisfaction play an important role in primary care contact during prostate cancer follow-up: results from the population-based PROFILES registry

With the increasing attention for the role of General Practitioners (GPs) after cancer treatment, it is important to better understand the involvement of GPs following prostate cancer treatment. This study inv...

Authors: Barbara M. Wollersheim, Mies van Eenbergen, Kristel M. van Asselt, Laurent M. C. L. Fossion, Evert L. Koldewijn, Jorg R. Oddens, Eric H. Oomens, Bart P. Wijsman, Lonneke V. van de Poll-Franse and Nicole P. M. Ezendam

What role conceptions do multi-healthcare professionals have of physicians and what role expectation do they have of physicians in a community?

To create an effective community-based integrated care system, interprofessional collaboration based on healthcare professionals’ mutual understanding of their respective roles must be promoted. This study aim...

Authors: Junji Haruta, Ryohei Goto, Sachiko Ozone and Tetsuhiro Maeno

Pharmacist’s recommendations of over-the-counter treatments for the common cold - analysis of prospective cases in Poland

Common cold is a frequent illness in northern hemisphere between late autumn and early spring. Patients suffering from it frequently turn to pharmacists instead of physicians in order to receive medical advice...

Authors: Malgorzata Pietrusiewicz, Paulina Natalia Kopa-Stojak and Rafal Pawliczak

Factors affecting statin uptake among people living with HIV: primary care provider perspectives

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH), but statin therapy, safe and effective for PLWH, is under-prescribed. This study examined clinic le...

Authors: Allison J. Ober, Sae Takada, Deborah Zajdman, Ivy Todd, Tamara Horwich, Abraelle Anderson, Soma Wali and Joseph A. Ladapo

Somatic complaints as a mediator in the association between body mass index and quality of life in children and adolescents

Children and adolescents with overweight are known to have lower Quality of Life (QoL) compared to peers with a normal weight. QoL is a broad concept and is associated with many factors. A better understanding...

Authors: Hevy Hassan, Winifred D. Paulis, Patrick J. E. Bindels, Bart W. Koes and Marienke van Middelkoop

Medical resilience and morality: a survey study on the opinions and actions of exemplary family physicians

Studies conducted to understand how family doctors develop resilience and deal with the challenges posed by work-related stress, usually have focused on identifying the elements that generate resilience from p...

Authors: Roger Ruiz Moral, Diana Monge Martín, Cristina Garcia de Leonardo, Santiago Alvarez Montero and Fernando Caballero Martínez

Physicians’ experiences, attitudes, and beliefs towards medical cannabis: a systematic literature review

An increasing number of countries legalise the use of medical cannabis or allow it for a narrow range of medical conditions. Physicians, and often the patients’ general practitioner, play a major role in imple...

Authors: Sabrina Trappaud Rønne, Frederik Rosenbæk, Line Bjørnskov Pedersen, Frans Boch Waldorff, Jesper Bo Nielsen, Helle Riisgaard and Jens Søndergaard

Finding common (research) ground between general practitioners and neuroscientists: the vital role of knowledge circulation in closing the evidence-to-practice gap

It may take 15 years or longer before research evidence is integrated into clinical practice. This evidence-to-practice gap has deleterious effects on patients as well as research and clinical processes. Bring...

Authors: Astrid Eich-Krohm, Bernt-Peter Robra, Yvonne Marx and Markus Herrmann

Challenges and visions for managing pain-related insomnia in primary care using the hybrid CBT approach: a small-scale qualitative interview study with GPs, nurses, and practice managers

Chronic pain and insomnia have a complex, bidirectional relationship – addressing sleep complaints alongside pain may be key to alleviating patient-reported distress and disability. Healthcare professionals ha...

Authors: V. E. J. Collard, C. Moore, V. Nichols, D. R. Ellard, S. Patel, H. Sandhu, H. Parsons, U. Sharma, M. Underwood, J. Madan and N. K. Y. Tang

Postpartum opportunistic advice in primary care for women who have had gestational diabetes: a qualitative study of health care professionals’ views

Women who have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, but their understanding of the risks is often limited. In this study we explored the ...

Authors: Josie M. M. Evans, Aileen V. Ireland, Dawn M. Cameron, Kate M. Clarke and Claire E. Eades

Anti-hypertensive drugs deprescribing: an updated systematic review of clinical trials

Polypharmacy is defined as the prescription of at least 5 different medicines for therapeutic or prophylactic effect and is a serious issue among elderly patients, who are frequently affected by multi-morbidit...

Authors: Salvatore Crisafulli, Nicoletta Luxi, Raffaele Coppini, Annalisa Capuano, Cristina Scavone, Alessia Zinzi, Simona Vecchi, Graziano Onder, Janet Sultana and Gianluca Trifirò

Optimising personal continuity for older patients in general practice: a study protocol for a cluster randomised stepped wedge pragmatic trial

Continuity of care, in particular personal continuity, is a core principle of general practice and is associated with many benefits such as a better patient-provider relationship and lower mortality. However, ...

Authors: Lex J. J. Groot, Henk J. Schers, Jako S. Burgers, Francois G. Schellevis, Martin Smalbrugge, Annemarie A. Uijen, Peter M. van de Ven, Henriëtte E. van der Horst and Otto R. Maarsingh

Tests for central sensitization in general practice: a Delphi study

Central sensitization (CS) may explain the persistence of symptoms in patients with chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms (PPS). There is a need for assessing CS in the consultation room. In a recently...

Authors: Carine den Boer, Berend Terluin, Johannes C. van der Wouden, Annette H. Blankenstein and Henriëtte E. van der Horst

Exploring antibiotic prescribing in public and private primary care settings in Singapore: a qualitative analysis informing theory and evidence-based planning for value-driven intervention design

Singapore’s healthcare system presents an ideal context to learn from diverse public and private operational models and funding systems.

Authors: Huiling Guo, Zoe Jane-Lara Hildon, Victor Weng Keong Loh, Meena Sundram, Muhamad Alif Bin Ibrahim, Wern Ee Tang and Angela Chow

Performance of primary health care workers in detection of mental disorders comorbid with epilepsy in rural Ethiopia

Timely detection and management of comorbid mental disorders in people with epilepsy is essential to improve outcomes. The objective of this study was to measure the performance of primary health care (PHC) wo...

Authors: Ruth Tsigebrhan, Abebaw Fekadu, Girmay Medhin, Charles R. Newton, Martin J. Prince and Charlotte Hanlon

Willingness of patients with chronic disease in rural China to contract with family doctors: implication for targeting characteristics

Rural residents with chronic conditions have a stronger need for health services, which should make using family doctor contract services a priority. This study aimed to evaluate the rate of willingness among ...

Authors: Jie Li, Jie Li, Peipei Fu, Yan Chen, Xue Tang, Zhixian Li, Shijun Yang, Chen Yan, Wenjuan Li, Zhen Gui and Chengchao Zhou

Prognostic factors associated with quality of life in heart failure patients considering the use of the generic EQ-5D-5L™ in primary care: new follow-up results of the observational RECODE-HF study

The implementation of care concepts fitting the needs of patients with chronic heart failure (HF) remains challenging. In this context, psycho-emotional well-being is not routinely assessed, and under-research...

Authors: Sigrid Boczor, Marion Eisele, Anja Rakebrandt, Agata Menzel, Eva Blozik, Jens-Martin Träder, Stefan Störk, Christoph Herrmann-Lingen and Martin Scherer

Consensus for a primary care clinical decision-making tool for assessing, diagnosing, and managing shoulder pain in Alberta, Canada

Shoulder pain is a highly prevalent condition and a significant cause of morbidity and functional disability. Current data suggests that many patients presenting with shoulder pain at the primary care level ar...

Authors: Breda H. F. Eubank, Sebastian W. Lackey, Mel Slomp, Jason R. Werle, Colleen Kuntze and David M. Sheps

The influence of a MOBile-based video Instruction for Low back pain (MOBIL) on initial care decisions made by primary care providers: a randomized controlled trial

Adherence to guidelines for back pain continues to be a challenge, prompting strategies focused on improving education around biopsychosocial frameworks.

Authors: Daniel I. Rhon, Rachel J. Mayhew, Tina A. Greenlee and Julie M. Fritz

Early detection of anaemia in primary care with haemoglobinometry: ANHEMOG clinical trial protocol

Detecting, treating and monitoring anaemia has a functional, social and economic impact on patients’ quality of life and the health system, since inadequate monitoring can lead to more accident & emergency vis...

Authors: Boris Trenado Luengo, Rosa García-Sierra, Maria Asunción Wilke Trinxant, Esther Díaz Mondelo, Ramon Miralles Baseda, Maria Magdalena Lladó Blanch, Maria del Pilar Montero Alia and Pere Toran-Monserrat

Need-based care of multi-morbid patients – supporting general practitioners with algorithm-generated recommendations of healthcare services (telemedicine-project ATMoSPHÄRE)

The patient-oriented and need-based care of multi-morbid patients with healthcare services and assistive products can be a highly complex task for the general practitioners (GPs). An algorithm-based digital recom...

Authors: Peggy Borchers, Steve Piller, Mandy Böhme, Karen Voigt and Antje Bergmann

Osteopathy in Germany: attitudes, beliefs and handling among general practitioners – results of a nationwide cross-sectional questionnaire survey

Osteopathy is a type of complementary medicine based on specific manual techniques. In many countries, including Germany, the profession is not officially regulated, and evidence for the effectiveness of osteo...

Authors: Gordian L. Schmid, Jeremias Kluge, Tobias Deutsch, Anne-Kathrin Geier, Markus Bleckwenn, Susanne Unverzagt and Thomas Frese

Primary care physiotherapists ability to make correct management decisions – is there room for improvement? A mixed method study

With increasing interest in direct access to physiotherapy, it is important to consider the physiotherapists (PTs) ability to make correct management decisions, because identification of differential diagnosti...

Authors: Cecilie Rud Budtz, Helle Rønn-Smidt, Janus Nikolaj Laust Thomsen, Rikke Pilegaard Hansen and David Høyrup Christiansen

First contact of care for persons with spinal cord injury: a general practitioner or a spinal cord injury specialist?

Although general practitioners (GPs) are generally considered as the first point of contact for care, this may be different for persons with complex conditions, such as those with spinal cord injury (SCI). The...

Authors: Dima Touhami, Mirjam Brach, Stefan Essig, Elias Ronca, Isabelle Debecker, Inge Eriks-Hoogland, Anke Scheel-Sailer, Nadja Münzel and Armin Gemperli

Implementation of targeted screening for poverty in a large primary care team in Toronto, Canada: a feasibility study

Poverty has a significant influence on health. Efforts to optimize income and reduce poverty could make a difference to the lives of patients and their families. Routine screening for poverty in primary care i...

Authors: Kimberly Wintemute, Meh Noor, Aashka Bhatt, Gary Bloch, Suja Arackal, Sumeet Kalia, Babak Aliarzadeh, Sabrina La Tona, Joyce Lo, Andrew D. Pinto and Michelle Greiver

Diagnostic value of biomarkers for paediatric urinary tract infections in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis

Accurate diagnosis of urinary tract infection is essential as children left untreated may suffer permanent renal injury.

Authors: Hanne A. Boon, Thomas Struyf, Dominique Bullens, Ann Van den Bruel and Jan Y. Verbakel