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- Andersson, David, et al.
(författare)
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Co-morbidity and health care utilisation five years prior to diagnosis for depression : A register-based study in a Swedish population
- 2011
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2458. ; 11, s. 552-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundDepressive disorders have been associated with a number of co-morbidities, and we hypothesized that patients with a depression diagnosis would be heavy users of health care services, not only when first evaluated for depression, but also for preceding years. The aim of this study was to investigate whether increased health care utilisation and co-morbidity could be seen during five years prior to an initial diagnosis of depression.MethodsWe used a longitudinal register-based study design. The setting comprised the general population in the county of Östergötland, south-east Sweden. All 2470 patients who were 20 years or older in 2006 and who received a new diagnosis of depression (F32 according to ICD-10) in 2006, were selected and followed back to the year 2001, five years before their depression diagnosis. A control group was randomly selected among those who were aged 20 years or over in 2006 and who had received no depression diagnosis during the period 2001-2006.ResultsPredictors of a depression diagnosis were a high number of physician visits, female gender, age below 60, age above 80 and a low socioeconomic status.Patients who received a diagnosis of depression used twice the amount of health care (e.g. physician visits and hospital days) during the five year period prior to diagnosis compared to the control group. A particularly strong increase in health care utilisation was seen the last year before diagnosis. These findings were supported with a high level of co-morbidity as for example musculoskeletal disorders during the whole five-year period for patients with a depression diagnosis.ConclusionsPredictors of a depression diagnosis were a high number of physician visits, female gender, age below 60, age above 80 and a low socioeconomic status. To find early signs of depression in the clinical setting and to use a preventive strategy to handle these patients is important.
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| 2. |
- Holtedahl, Knut, et al.
(författare)
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Abdominal symptoms and cancer in the Abdomen : Prospective cohort study in European primary care
- 2018
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Ingår i: British Journal of General Practice. - : ROYAL COLL GENERAL PRACTITIONERS. - 0960-1643 .- 1478-5242. ; 68:670, s. 301-310
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Different abdominal symptoms may signal cancer, but their role is unclear. Aim: To examine associations between abdominal symptoms and subsequent cancer diagnosed in the abdominal region. Design and setting: Prospective cohort study comprising 493 GPs from surgeries in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Scotland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Method: Over a 10-day period, the GPs recorded consecutive consultations and noted: patients who presented with abdominal symptoms pre-specified on the registration form; additional data on non-specific symptoms; and features of the consultation. Eight months later, data on all cancer diagnoses among all study patients in the participating general practices were requested from the GPs. Results: Consultations with 61 802 patients were recorded and abdominal symptoms were documented in 6264 (10.1%) patients. Malignancy, both abdominal and non-abdominal, was subsequently diagnosed in 511 patients (0.8%). Among patients with a new cancer in the abdomen (n = 251), 175 (69.7%) were diagnosed within 180 days after consultation. In a multivariate model, the highest sex- and age-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was for the single symptom of rectal bleeding (HR 19.1, 95% confidence interval = 8.7 to 41.7). Positive predictive values of >3% were found for macroscopic haematuria, rectal bleeding, and involuntary weight loss, with variations according to age and sex. The three symptoms relating to irregular bleeding had particularly high specificity in terms of colorectal, uterine, and bladder cancer. Conclusions: A patient with undiagnosed cancer may present with symptoms or no symptoms. Irregular bleeding must always be explained. Abdominal pain occurs with all types of abdominal cancer and several symptoms may signal colorectal cancer. The findings are important as they influence how GPs think and act, and how they can contribute to an earlier diagnosis of cancer.
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| 3. |
- Holtedahl, K., et al.
(författare)
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Abdominal symptoms in general practice: Frequency, cancer suspicions raised, and actions taken by GPs in six European countries. Cohort study with prospective registration of cancer
- 2017
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Ingår i: Heliyon. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-8440. ; 3:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Abdominal symptoms are diagnostically challenging to general practitioners (GPs): although common, they may indicate cancer. In a prospective cohort of patients, we examined abdominal symptom frequency, initial diagnostic suspicion, and actions of GPs in response to abdominal symptoms. Methods Over a 10-day period, 493 GPs in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scotland, recorded consecutive consultations: sex, date of birth and any specified abdominal symptoms. For patients with abdominal symptoms, additional data on non-specific symptoms, GPs’ diagnostic suspicion, and features of the consultation were noted. Data on all cancer diagnoses among all included patients were requested from the GPs eight months later. Findings Consultations with 61802 patients were recorded. Abdominal symptoms were recorded in 6264 (10.1%) patients. A subsequent malignancy was reported in 511 patients (0.8%): 441 (86.3%) had a new cancer, 70 (13.7%) a recurrent cancer. Abdominal symptoms were noted in 129 (25.2%) of cancer patients (P < 0.001), rising to 34.5% for the 89 patients with cancer located in the abdominal region. PPV for any cancer given any abdominal symptom was 2.1%. In symptomatic patients diagnosed with cancer, GPs noted a suspicion of cancer for 85 (65.9%) versus 1895 (30.9%) when there was no subsequent cancer (P < 0.001). No suspicion was noted in 32 (24.8%) cancer patients. The GP's intuitive cancer suspicion was independently associated with a subsequent new cancer diagnosis (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.15–3.89). Laboratory tests were ordered for 45.4% of symptomatic patients, imaging for 10.4%, referral or hospitalization for 20.0%: all were more frequent in subsequent cancer patients (P < 0.001). Interpretation Abdominal symptoms pointed to abdominal cancers rather than to other cancers. However, the finding of abdominal symptoms in only one third of patients with an abdominal cancer, and the lack of cancer suspicion in a quarter of symptomatic cancer patients, provide challenges for GPs’ diagnostic thinking and referral practices. © 2017 The Authors
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| 4. |
- Holtedahl, K., et al.
(författare)
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Symptoms and signs of colorectal cancer, with differences between proximal and distal colon cancer: a prospective cohort study of diagnostic accuracy in primary care
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMC Family Practice. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2296. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In an abdominal symptom study in primary care in six European countries, 511 cases of cancer were recorded prospectively among 61,802 patients 16years and older in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium and Scotland. Colorectal cancer is one of the main types of cancer associated with abdominal symptoms; hence, an in-depth subgroup analysis of the 94 colorectal cancers was carried out in order to study variation in symptom presentation among cancers in different anatomical locations. Method: Initial data capture was by completion of standardised forms containing closed questions about symptoms recorded during the consultation. Follow-up data were provided by the GP after diagnosis, based on medical record data made after the consultation. GPs also provided free text comments about the diagnostic procedure for individual patients. Fisher’s exact test was used to analyse differences between groups. Results: Almost all symptoms recorded could indicate colorectal cancer. ‘Rectal bleeding’ had a specificity of 99.4% and a PPV of 4.0%. Faecal occult blood in stool (FOBT) or anaemia may indicate gastrointestinal bleeding: when these symptoms and signs were combined, sensitivity reached 57.5%, with 69.2% for cancer in the distal colon. For proximal colon cancers, none of 18 patients had ‘Rectal bleeding’ at the initial consultation, but three of the 18 did so at a later consultation. ‘Abdominal pain, lower part’, ‘Constipation’ and ‘Distended abdomen, bloating’ were less specific and also less sensitive than ‘Rectal bleeding’, and with PPV between 0.7% and 1.9%. Conclusions: Apart from rectal bleeding, single symptoms did not reach the PPV 3% NICE threshold. However, supplementary information such as a positive FOBT or persistent symptoms may revise the PPV upwards. If a colorectal cancer is suspected by the GP despite few symptoms, the total clinical picture may still reach the NICE PPV threshold of 3% and justify a specific referral. © 2021, The Author(s).
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| 7. |
- Carstensen, John, et al.
(författare)
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How does comorbidity influence healthcare costs? A population-based cross-sectional study of depression, back pain and osteoarthritis
- 2012
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 2, s. e000809-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives To analyse how comorbidity among patients with back pain, depression and osteoarthritis influences healthcare costs per patient. A special focus was made on the distribution of costs for primary healthcare compared with specialist care, hospital care and drugs.Design Population-based cross-sectional study.Setting The County of Östergötland, Sweden.Patients Data on diagnoses and healthcare costs for all 266 354 individuals between 20 and 75 years of age, who were residents of the County of Östergötland, Sweden, in the year 2006, were extracted from the local healthcare register and the national register of drug prescriptions.Main outcome measures The effects of comorbidity on healthcare costs were estimated as interactions in regression models that also included age, sex, number of other health conditions and education.Results The largest diagnosed group was back pain (11 178 patients) followed by depression (7412 patients) and osteoarthritis (5174 patients). The largest comorbidity subgroup was the combination of back pain and depression (772 patients), followed by the combination of back pain and osteoarthritis (527 patients) and the combination of depression and osteoarthritis (206 patients). For patients having both a depression diagnosis and a back pain diagnosis, there was a significant negative interaction effect on total healthcare costs. The average healthcare costs among patients with depression and back pain was SEK 11 806 lower for a patient with both diagnoses. In this comorbidity group, there were tendencies of a positive interaction for general practitioner visits and negative interactions for all other visits and hospital days. Small or no interactions at all were seen between depression diagnoses and osteoarthritis diagnoses.Conclusions A small increase in primary healthcare visits in comorbid back pain and depression patients was accompanied with a substantial reduction in total healthcare costs and in hospital costs. Our results can be of value in analysing the cost effects of comorbidity and how the coordination of primary and secondary care may have an impact on healthcare costs.
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| 8. |
- Olai, Lena, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
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Health problems in elderly patients during the first post-stroke year
- 2012
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Ingår i: Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences. - : Informa Healthcare / Upsala Medical Society. - 0300-9734 .- 2000-1967. ; 117:3, s. 318-327
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. A wide range of health problems has been reported in elderly post-stroke patients. Aim. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence and timing of health problems identified by patient interviews and scrutiny of primary health care and municipality elderly health care records during the first post-stroke year. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethods. A total of 390 consecutive patients, andgt;= 65 years, discharged alive from hospital after a stroke event, were followed for 1 year post-admission. Information on the health care situation during the first post-stroke year was obtained from primary health care and municipal elderly health care records and through interviews with the stroke survivors, at 1 week after discharge, and 3 and 12 months after hospital admission. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults. More than 90% had some health problem at some time during the year, while based on patient record data only 4-8% had problems during a given week. The prevalence of interview-based health problems was generally higher than record-based prevalence, and the ranking order was moderately different. The most frequently interview-reported problems were associated with perception, activity, and tiredness, while the most common record-based findings indicated pain, bladder and bowel function, and breathing and circulation problems. There was co-occurrence between some problems, such as those relating to cognition, activity, and tiredness. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusions. Almost all patients had a health problem during the year, but few occurred in a given week. Cognitive and communication problems were more common in interview data than record data. Co-occurrence may be used to identify subtle health problems.
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| 9. |
- Olai, Lena, 1958-
(författare)
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Life After a Stroke Event : With Special Reference to Aspects on Prognosis, Health and Municipality Care Utilization, and Life Satisfaction Among Patients and Their Informal Caregivers
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objectives. The aim of this thesis was to study the prognosis, health care utilization and health situation in stroke patients, and informal caregiver burden during the first post-stroke year. Material and methods. 390 patients, 65 years or older, discharged from hospital after a stroke, were followed with repeated patient interviews, patient record and register data, and hospital staff and informal caregiver questionnaires. Results. Prognosis assessments performed by hospital staff at discharge regarding the course of events during the following year were highly accurate and were mainly influenced by the patient’s pre- and post-morbid state. The risk of dying or having a new stroke decreased rapidly during the early post-morbid phase. Health care utilization, in hospitals as well as in primary health care, and municipal social service support was considerably higher after the stroke than before, but the utilization of services was lower than previously reported. Health problem prevalence according to interview and record scrutiny was modest, peaked early after discharge and then declined. Support from informal caregivers increased significantly after discharge and remained high during the first post-stroke year. The support given was mainly determined by patient functional ability, distance to patient, relation to patient, municipal social service support provided, and patient sex. The informal caregivers reported considerable strain and burden, with significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression than the stroke patients. Moreover, there was a parallel between the patient’s and the caregiver’s situation regarding anxiety, emotional and social situation, and home, social and outdoor activities. Conclusion. Hospital staff prognosis assessments of patient outcomes during the next year were highly accurate. Risk of recurrence and mortality, and health problem prevalence was high in the early post-stroke period, and than declined. Health care utilization and municipality social support increased over time. Informal caregivers reported considerable strain and burden.
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| 10. |
- Olai, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Life situation among informal caregivers to stroke patients
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background and Purpose Stroke related problems may affect the life situation of not only stroke patients but also their informal caregivers. The objective of this study was to assess life situation aspects in stroke patients and their informal caregivers during the first post-stroke year. Methods 377 patients surviving a stroke event were followed during the first post stroke year with interviews 1 week after discharge from hospital and three and twelve months after the index stroke admission. Their informal caregivers answered questionnaires in connection to the interviews. In both groups information based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and GQL-Activity Scale was obtained. Additional information was sought among patients on their health situation and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, and among informal caregivers on the nature and amount of assistance provided, measured as support score and number of hours per week and perceived caregiver burden (CB) score. Results Before index admission 85% of informal caregivers provided on average five hours’ care per week and 8-10 support score. The corresponding numbers after discharge were 91%, 10 hours per week and 13-15 support score. Support determinants were patient’s functional ability, distance to patient’s home, relation to patient, municipality social service support given. CB score determinants were municipality support given, relation to patient, functional ability, and patient age. The caregivers had higher anxiety and depression scores than the patients. Significant associations between caregiver and patient responses were found for HAD anxiety, NHP emotional and social, and GQL activity score. Conclusions The informal caregivers reported a significant caregiver burden. There was a parallel situation between patients’ and caregivers’ situation.
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