| 1. |
- Calling, Susanna, et al.
(författare)
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Lung function, respiratory symptoms and incident venous thromboembolism during a 44-year follow-up
- 2023
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Ingår i: Thrombosis Update. - Oxford : Elsevier. - 2666-5727. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and infections are risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the reasons behind the associations are not fully known. Few studies have investigated whether lung function and respiratory symptoms in individuals without COPD are associated with VTE. Objectives: To study the incidence of VTE in individuals without COPD and other major VTE risk factors, in relation to baseline lung function and respiratory symptoms, through a 44-year follow-up prospective cohort study. Methods: As part of a health screening program, a total of 20,253 men and 7361 women underwent a baseline examination from 1974 to 1992, including a spirometry test and a self-administered questionnaire about respiratory symptoms, e.g., chronic bronchitis, cough, phlegm, and dyspnoea. Lung function was assessed through quartiles of forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC). Through linkage with national registers, all individuals were followed for incidence of VTE. Results: Respiratory symptoms (cough and dyspnoea) at baseline were associated with an increased risk of incident VTE in women after adjustments for age, height, BMI, smoking status, varicose veins, and FEV1/FVC. The adjusted hazard ratio in relation to chronic bronchitis was 1.57 (95% confidence interval 1.17–2.11). Poor lung function was not associated with an increased risk of VTE after adjustments for potential confounders. Conclusion: Women with respiratory symptoms of cough and dyspnoea without COPD have an increased risk of VTE, independent of lung function and major VTE risk factors. Further studies are needed to confirm the association and to study the clinical applicability of the results. © 2023 The Authors
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| 2. |
- Milos Nymberg, Veronica, et al.
(författare)
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HEAD-MIP–(HEAlth Dialogues for patients with Mental Illness in Primary care)—a feasibility study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Pilot and Feasibility Studies. - London : BioMed Central (BMC). - 2055-5784. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Patients with mental illness have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality compared to the rest of the population, which is partly related to unhealthy lifestyle habits. To individualise lifestyle counselling in primary care, the Swedish-developed Health Dialogue (HD) can be used as an educative tool at recurrent measurement points with the goal to improve non-healthy lifestyle habits. HD has not been aimed specifically at patients with mental illness, and the effect of a systematic approach with repeated HDs in patients with mental illness in primary care has not been previously studied. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of the study design for a larger-scale cohort study using repeated HDs focused on the improvement of lifestyle habits in patients seeking primary care due to anxiety, depression, sleeping problems or stress-related symptoms. Methods: Patients were recruited after a visit to a Primary Health Care Center due to mental illness between October 2019 until November 2021 and received a Health Dialogue, including an assessment of cardiovascular risk factors through a Health Curve. Specific feasibility objectives measured were dropout rate, time to follow-up, and risk improvement rate for different lifestyle changes. Results: A total of 64 patients were recruited and 29 (45%) attended a second HD, with a mean follow-up time of 15 months. All participants had at least one elevated cardiovascular risk level on the Health Curve for the assessed lifestyles. Risk level improvement rate was good except for tobacco use. Conclusion: Despite a higher dropout rate than expected, we suggest that the proposed methodology for a full cohort study within general practice of patients with mental illness in primary care is both acceptable to practice and feasible. © 2023, BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
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| 3. |
- Milos Nymberg, Veronica, et al.
(författare)
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Lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors in a Swedish primary care population with self-reported psychiatric symptoms
- 2024
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Ingår i: Preventive Medicine Reports. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 2211-3355. ; 37
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectiveIndividuals with psychiatric illness suffer from poorer physical health compared with the general population and have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This cross-sectional study aims to describe the prevalence of lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors and the association with self-reported psychiatric symptoms in a population of 40-year-old individuals screened with targeted Health Dialogues in southern Sweden.MethodsAll 40-year-old individuals registered at 99 primary healthcare centers in southern Sweden were invited to participate. Self-reported lifestyle habits on a web questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and blood tests were collected. The Health Dialogue resulted in a risk level assessment for different lifestyle habits and a meeting with a trained coach.ResultsA total of 1831 individuals completed a Health Dialogue between 1st January 2021 and 30th June 2022. There were more individuals with high-risk levels for several lifestyle habits in the group with self-reported psychiatric illness compared with the rest of the study population. The analysis showed that physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, high-risk alcohol intake, tobacco use, psychosocial strain, higher BMI, and waist-hip ratio were associated with increased levels of psychiatric symptoms after adjustment for sex and socioeconomic factors.ConclusionUnhealthy lifestyle habits were associated with self-reported psychiatric symptoms in 40-year-old individuals assessed with targeted Health Dialogues in a primary care context. Organized screening might contribute to early detection of modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Individuals with psychiatric symptoms should be prioritized for screening of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. © 2023 The Author(s)
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| 4. |
- Nymberg, Peter, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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Association between changed self-rated health and the risk of venous thromboembolism in Malmö Preventive Program : a cohort study
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis. - New York : Springer-Verlag New York. - 0929-5305 .- 1573-742X. ; 57:3, s. 497-502
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Poor self-rated health (SRH) is associated with incident arterial cardiovascular disease in both sexes. Studies on the association between SRH and incident venous thromboembolism (VTE) show divergent results in women and no association in men. This study focuses on the association between change in SRH and incident VTE in a cohort of 11,558 men and 6682 women who underwent a baseline examination and assessment of SRH between 1974 and 1992 and a re-examination in 2002–2006. To investigate if changes in SRH over time affect the risk of incident VTE in men and women. During a follow-up time from the re-examination of more than 16 years, there was a lower risk for incident VTE among women if SRH changed from poor at baseline to very good/excellent (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.28; 0.74) at the re-examination. Stable good SRH (good to very good/excellent at the re-examination, HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.42; 0.89), or change from good SRH at baseline into poor/fair at the re-examination (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51; 0.90) were all significantly associated with a reduced risk for VTE. All comparisons were done with the group with stable poor SRH. This pattern was not found among men. Regardless of a decreased or increased SRH during life, having an SRH of very good/excellent at any time point seems to be associated with a decreased risk of VTE among women. © 2024, The Author(s).
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| 5. |
- Nymberg, Peter, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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Association between self-rated health and venous thromboembolism in Malmö Preventive Program: A cohort study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Preventive Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-7435 .- 1096-0260. ; 159
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share some risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and dietary habits. Poor self-rated health (SRH) has been shown to be a predictor of arterial CVD and mortality for both men and women. The association between SRH and VTE has only been investigated in one previous Swedish study with a cohort that just contained women. This Swedish study did not show any significant associations between poor SRH and VTE in women. Methods: A cohort of 22,444 men and 10,902 women in the Malmö Preventive Program was followed for a period of 44 years. All participants in the baseline screening with measurements including SRH were traced in national registers. Data on VTE events were collected from national hospital registries. Cox proportional regression analysis was used to calculate the association between SRH and time to VTE. Results: During a follow-up time of 44.31 years, a total of 2612 individuals were affected by VTE. Good SRH was associated with a lower risk for VTE in women both in the univariate model (HR = 0.75, CI = 0.65–0.85) and after adjustments for age, smoking, BMI and varicose veins (HR = 0.81, CI 0.70–0.93). SRH was not a predictor for VTE in men, neither in the unadjusted (HR = 1.05, CI 0.90–1.13) nor in the fully adjusted model (HR = 1.00, CI = 0.88–1.14). Conclusion: In this cohort study, SRH was associated with VTE in women but not among men. The association was significant even when adjusting for well-known risk factors such as varicose veins, BMI and smoking. © 2022 The Authors
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| 6. |
- Nymberg, Peter, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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How do patients experience and use home blood pressure monitoring? A qualitative analysis with UTAUT 2
- 2024
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. - Abingdon : Taylor & Francis. - 0281-3432 .- 1502-7724. ; , s. 1-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: hypertension is an important cardiovascular risk factor with potentially harmfulconsequences. home blood pressure monitoring is a promising method for following the effectof hypertension treatment. the use of technology-enabled care and increased patient involvementmight contribute to more effective treatment methods. however, more knowledge is needed toexplain the motivations and consequences of patients engaging in what has been called ‘do-it-yourself healthcare’.Aim: this study aimed to investigate patients’ experiences of home blood pressure monitoringthrough the theoretical frame of the Unified theory of acceptance and Use of technology(UtaUt 2). Methods: the study had a qualitative design, with focus group interviews using theweb-based platform Zoom. the data were analysed using qualitative deductive content analysis,inspired by Graneheim and lundman.Results: the results are presented using the seven theoretical constructs of UtaUt 2: Performanceexpectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, Facilitating conditions, hedonistic Motivation,Price Value and habit. We found one overarching theme ‒ ‘it’s all about the feeling of security’.the patients were influenced by relatives or healthcare personnel and experienced the homemonitoring process as being easy to conduct. the patients emphasised that the quality of theblood pressure monitor was more important than the price. Patients reported home monitoringof blood pressure as a feasible method to follow-up care of their hypertension.Discussion: this study indicates that among motivated patients, home blood pressuremeasurement entails minimal effort, increases security, and leads to better communication aboutblood pressure between healthcare personnel and patients. © 2024 the author(s). Published by informa uK limited, trading as taylor & francis Group
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| 7. |
- Pikkemaat, Miriam, et al.
(författare)
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HEAD-MIP - HEAlth Dialogue for patients with Mental Illness in Primary care
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundPatients with mental illness have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Targeted health conversations can identify individuals at risk and then offer help reducing the risk of disease and complications. The Swedish-developed Health Dialogue is a health conversation including a pedagogical tool to visualize the parts of the patient's lifestyle that might benefit most from improvements. Its use in primary health care has shown improvement of lifestyle habits as well as reduced mortality. Despite a higher expected benefit for patients with mental illness, the Health Dialogue is not aimed specifically or tested for this patient group.MethodsPatients > 18 years old seeking primary care for mental illness (depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, or stress-related problems) were included. A trained nurse performed a Health Dialogue with the patients, including both questionnaires of lifestyle habits, stress, mental illness, and measurements of body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol. Individually tailored advice based on the risk profile was provided.ResultsAll participants had at least one lifestyle area with an increased risk level. There were over 20% of the patients who had abnormal fasting glucose values, elevated blood pressure, or cholesterol levels. Three-quarters were overweight or obese. More than 40% had the highest risk level for Waist-Hip-Ratio and high-risk levels in the physical inactivity lifestyle area. Compared to an ongoing population screening of 40-year-olds, we found higher proportions of overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, and elevated blood pressure or glucose values.ConclusionOur results with a large proportion of unhealthy lifestyle habits in patients with mental illness in primary care show the importance of interventions in this patient group with potentially positive effects on improved mental wellbeing and decreased metabolic and cardiovascular risk. Studying a larger cohort with long-term follow-up is highly motivated.
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| 8. |
- Pikkemaat, Miriam, et al.
(författare)
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Structured assessment of modifiable lifestyle habits among patients with mental illnesses in primary care
- 2022
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - London : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Patients with mental illness have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity. The Swedish-developed Health Dialogue is a pedagogical tool to individualize lifestyle counselling, used in specific age-groups to improve lifestyle habits and decrease mortality, but not tested specifically for patients with mental illness. Patients > 18 years old seeking primary care due to symptoms related to mental illness and diagnosed with depression, sleeping disorders, stress and anxiety, were included. A nurse-led health dialogue was conducted, focusing on lifestyle habits, anthropometric measurements, and blood samples, resulting in tailored advice regarding the individual’s risk profile. All 64 participants had lifestyle areas with increased risk level. Approximately 20% had elevated fasting glucose, blood pressure or cholesterol levels, and over 40% had highest risk level in Waist–Hip-Ratio. 30% were overweight, or physical inactive. The results suggest the need of a larger cohort study with long-term follow up, to establish potentially positive effects on wellbeing, and decreased cardiovascular risk in patients with mental illness. © 2022, The Author(s).
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| 9. |
- Bolmsjö, Beata Borgström, et al.
(författare)
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Text message-based lifestyle intervention in primary care patients with hypertension : a randomized controlled pilot trial
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0281-3432 .- 1502-7724. ; 38:3, s. 300-307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of a randomized controlled pilot study with lifestyle-promoting text messages as a treatment for hypertension in primary care.DESIGN: Randomized controlled pilot trial.SETTING: Three primary health care centers in southern Sweden.SUBJECTS: Sixty patients aged 40-80 years with hypertension were included.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Feasibility of the pilot study, i.e. recruitment rate, dropout rate and eligibility criteria. Secondary outcomes were change in blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors.METHODS: Thirty participants were randomized to the intervention group with four lifestyle-promoting text messages sent every week for six months. The control group received usual care. The baseline and follow-up visits for all 60 patients included measurements of blood pressure, anthropometrics, blood tests and a self-reported questionnaire.RESULTS: All feasibility criteria (recruitment rate (≥55%), dropout rate (≤15%) and eligibility (60 eligible patients during the four-month inclusion period) for the pilot study were fulfilled. This means that a larger study with a similar design may be conducted. After six months, there were no significant improvements in cardiovascular risk factors. However, we found favorable trends for all secondary outcomes in the intervention group as compared to the control group.CONCLUSION: Lifestyle modification in patients with hypertension is important to reduce cardiovascular risk. However, primary healthcare has limited resources to work with modifying lifestyle habits. This is the first pilot study to test the feasibility of text message-based lifestyle intervention in patients with hypertension in Swedish primary healthcare. Whether significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors may be achieved in a larger study population remains to be evaluated. Key points This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the first study to evaluate the feasibility of text message-based lifestyle advice to patients with hypertension in Swedish primary healthcare. •All feasibility criteria for the pilot study were fulfilled. This outcome means that a larger study with a similar design may be conducted. •The study was not powered to find significant changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Nevertheless, after six months we found favorable trends for all secondary outcomes in the intervention group compared to control. •If a future larger study can show significant results, this intervention could serve as a useful tool in everyday primary healthcare.
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| 10. |
- Calling, Susanna, et al.
(författare)
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Trajectories of body mass index and risk for coronary heart disease : A 38-year follow-up study
- 2021
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 16:10 October 2021
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective Obesity is a well-known risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), but there is little evidence on the effect of long-term trajectories of body mass index (BMI) over the life course. By using repeated assessments, the aim was to study the risk of CHD in adults during 38 years in different trajectories of BMI. Methods A sample of 2129 men and women, aged 20-59 years at baseline, took part in four repeated interviews between 1980 and 2005. Data on BMI, medical history, lifestyle and socioeconomy were collected. Based on the World Health Organization categories of BMI, life course trajectories of stable normal weight, stable overweight, stable obesity, increasing BMI and fluctuating BMI were created. The individuals were followed through national registers for first hospitalization of CHD (389 events) until the end of 2017, and Hazard Ratios (HRs) were calculated, adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle factors and metabolic comorbidities. Results Stable normal weight in all assessments was the reference group. Those who had an increase in BMI from normal weight in the first assessment to overweight or obesity in later assessments had no increased risk of CHD, HR 1.04 (95% CI: 0.70-1.53). The HR for individuals with fluctuating BMI was 1.25 (0.97-1.61), for stable overweight 1.43 (1.03-1.98), for stable obesity 1.50 (0.92-2.55), and for stable overweight or obesity 1.45 (1.07-1.97), after full adjustments. Conclusion Having a stable overweight or obesity throughout adult life was associated with increased CHD risk but changing from normal weight at baseline to overweight or obesity was not associated with increased CHD risk. Prevention of obesity early in life may be particularly important to reduce CHD risk.
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| 11. |
- Ekman, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Skala upp den befintliga digitala vården i Sverige
- 2020
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Ingår i: Dagens Medicin. - Stockholm : Bonnier. - 1104-7488.
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Ge Socialstyrelsen ett nationellt uppdrag att beställa och ersätta vårdgivare av digital vård, föreslår en grupp forskare med anledning av covid-19.
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| 12. |
- Entezarjou, Artin, et al.
(författare)
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Antibiotic Prescription Rates After eVisits Versus Office Visits in Primary Care : Observational Study
- 2021
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Ingår i: JMIR Medical Informatics. - : JMIR Publications Inc.. - 2291-9694. ; 9:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Direct-to-consumer telemedicine is an increasingly used modality to access primary care. Previous research on assessment using synchronous virtual visits showed mixed results regarding antibiotic prescription rates, and research on assessment using asynchronous chat-based eVisits is lacking.OBJECTIVE: The goal of the research was to investigate if eVisit management of sore throat, other respiratory symptoms, or dysuria leads to higher rates of antibiotic prescription compared with usual management using physical office visits.METHODS: Data from 3847 eVisits and 759 office visits for sore throat, dysuria, or respiratory symptoms were acquired from a large private health care provider in Sweden. Data were analyzed to compare antibiotic prescription rates within 3 days, antibiotic type, and diagnoses made. For a subset of sore throat visits (n=160 eVisits, n=125 office visits), Centor criteria data were manually extracted and validated.RESULTS: Antibiotic prescription rates were lower following eVisits compared with office visits for sore throat (169/798, 21.2%, vs 124/312, 39.7%; P<.001) and respiratory symptoms (27/1724, 1.6%, vs 50/251, 19.9%; P<.001), while no significant differences were noted comparing eVisits to office visits for dysuria (1016/1325, 76.7%, vs 143/196, 73.0%; P=.25). Guideline-recommended antibiotics were prescribed similarly following sore throat eVisits and office visits (163/169, 96.4%, vs 117/124, 94.4%; P=.39). eVisits for respiratory symptoms and dysuria were more often prescribed guideline-recommended antibiotics (26/27, 96.3%, vs 37/50, 74.0%; P=.02 and 1009/1016, 99.3%, vs 135/143, 94.4%; P<.001, respectively). Odds ratios of antibiotic prescription following office visits compared with eVisits after adjusting for age and differences in set diagnoses were 2.94 (95% CI 1.99-4.33), 11.57 (95% CI 5.50-24.32), 1.01 (95% CI 0.66-1.53), for sore throat, respiratory symptoms, and dysuria, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: The use of asynchronous eVisits for the management of sore throat, dysuria, and respiratory symptoms is not associated with an inherent overprescription of antibiotics compared with office visits.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03474887; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03474887.
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| 13. |
- Entezarjou, Artin, et al.
(författare)
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Experiences of digital communication with automated patient interviews and asynchronous chat in Swedish primary care : a qualitative study
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 10:7, s. 036585-036585
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To explore staff experiences of working with a digital communication platform implemented throughout several primary healthcare centres in Sweden.DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative approach using focus group interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used to code, categorise and thematise data.SETTING: Primary healthcare centres across Sweden, in both rural and urban settings.PARTICIPANTS: A total of three mixed focus groups, comprising 19 general practitioners and nurses with experience using a specific digital communication platform.RESULTS: Five categories emerged: 'Fears and Benefits of Digital Communication', 'Altered Practice Workflow', 'Accepting the Digital Society', 'Safe and Secure for Patients' and 'Doesn't Suit Everyone and Everything'. These were abstracted into two comprehensive themes: 'Adjusting to a novel medium of communication' and 'Digitally filtered primary care', describing how staff experienced integrating the software as a useful tool for certain clinical contexts while managing the communication challenges associated with written communication.CONCLUSIONS: Family medicine staff were ambivalent concerning the use of digital communication but, after a period of adjustment, it was seen as a useful communication tool especially when combined with continuity of care. Staff acknowledged limitations regarding use by inappropriate patient populations, information overload and misinterpretation of text by both staff and patients.
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| 14. |
- Entezarjou, Artin, et al.
(författare)
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Health care utilization following "digi-physical" assessment compared to physical assessment for infectious symptoms in primary care
- 2022
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Ingår i: BMC Primary Care. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2731-4553. ; 23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The use of chat-based digital visits (eVisits) to assess infectious symptoms in primary care is rapidly increasing. The "digi-physical" model of care uses eVisits as the first line of assessment while assuming a certain proportion of patients will inevitably need to be further assessed through urgent physical examination within 48 h. It is unclear to what extent this approach can mitigate physical visits compared to assessing patients directly using office visits.Methods: This pre-COVID-19-pandemic observational study followed up "digi-physical" eVisit patients (n = 1188) compared to office visit patients (n = 599) with respiratory or urinary symptoms. Index visits occurred between March 30th 2016 and March 29th 2019. The primary outcome was subsequent physical visits to physicians within two weeks using registry data from Skåne county, Sweden (Region Skånes Vårddatabas, RSVD).Results: No significant differences in subsequent physical visits within two weeks (excluding the first 48 h) were noted following "digi-physical" care compared to office visits (179 (18.0%) vs. 102 (17.6%), P = .854). As part of the "digital-physical" concept, a significantly larger proportion of eVisit patients had a physical visit within 48 h compared to corresponding office visit patients (191 (16.1%) vs. 19 (3.2%), P < .001), with 150 (78.5%) of these eVisit patients recommended some form of follow-up by the eVisit physician.Conclusions: Most eVisit patients (68.9%) with respiratory and urinary symptoms have no subsequent physical visits. Beyond an unavoidable portion of patients requiring urgent physical examination within 48 h, "digi-physical" management of respiratory and urinary symptoms results in comparable subsequent health care utilization compared to office visits. eVisit providers may need to optimize use of resources to minimize the proportion of patients being assessed both digitally and physically within 48 h as part of the "digi-physical" concept.Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03474887.Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12875-021-01618-2.
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| 15. |
- Eriksson, Jon, et al.
(författare)
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Inequity in access to digital public primary healthcare in Sweden: a cross-sectional study of the effects of urbanicity and socioeconomic status on utilization
- 2024
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Ingår i: International Journal for Equity in Health. - 1475-9276. ; 23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundSocial and geographical inequity in access to primary healthcare is an ongoing concern in Sweden. Digital care can potentially decrease geographical inequity. This study aimed to evaluate how urbanicity affects the utilization of a public digital primary healthcare service - PHC Online.MethodsWe performed an ecological cross-sectional study of 4,482 PHC Online visits grouped by 83 public primary healthcare centers. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed with PHC Online visits per 1,000 registered patients as the dependent variable and urbanicity (municipalities grouped by number of inhabitants), socioeconomic status (Care Need Index), and morbidity (Adjusted Clinical Groups) per primary healthcare center as independent variables.ResultsUtilization of PHC Online was more common among those of a younger age (median 32 years) and among women (65%). Urbanicity did not affect utilization. Lower socioeconomic status and higher morbidity had negative effects on utilization (B -3.289, p = 0.001, B -7.728, p = 0.045).ConclusionsGeographical differences based on urbanicity do not seem to affect the utilization of PHC Online. Further studies are needed to clarify a possible association to geographical barriers in access to primary healthcare, specifically accounting for factors associated with urbanicity and distance to physical clinics, and how age and sex affect such an association. Lower utilization of PHC Online in low socioeconomic status and high morbidity populations raises questions on the effect of digital primary care on equitable access to primary healthcare.
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| 16. |
- Erlingsdottir, Gudbjörg, et al.
(författare)
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Förbättrade arbets- och patientflöden i primärvården med digitalt Flow : slutrapport
- 2023
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- I projektet studeras det digitala verktyget Flow och dess inverkan på personalens arbetsmiljö samt på kostnadseffektiviteten i svensk primärvårdskontext. Flow ger patienten möjlighet till digital kontakt och kommunikation med vårdcentralen samt möjlighet till digital kommunikation mellan olika personalgrupper inom vårdcentralen. Implementeringen av Flow har studerats på tre vårdcentraler: A, B och C. På vårdcentral A har implementeringen gått smidigt och haft en positiv effekt medan den gått mindre bra och inte fått lika positiv effekt på vårdcentral B och C. Detta trots att alla verkar överens om att själva plattformen är lätt att arbete i så kan den således få olika effekt på arbetsbelastningen. För att få en positiv effekt behövs det en rad åtgärder vid införandet och vid själva användandet: en gemensam bild hos både ledning och personal om varför plattformen ska införas att involvera och förankra idén om plattformen hos vårdpersonal redan innan implementeringen; att utbilda all personal i plattformen men också utbilda superanvändare som är villiga att driva implementeringen och villiga att kontinuerligt stötta kollegor i förändringsarbetet; att avsätta tid i schemat för vårdpersonal att utforska, lära sig och använda plattformen; att marknadsföra plattformen gentemot patienterna; att ha regelbundna återkopplingsmöten, i vilka vårdpersonal kan diskutera och ventilera farhågor och förväntningar samt uppmuntra kontinuerlig användning. Vad gäller kostnadsanalysen så förefaller Flow leda till besparingar för vårdgivaren. Vi har också jämfört Flow med två andra digitala system inom vården som vi studerat tidigare. Jämförelserna visar bland annat att även om ett digitalt system upplevs som positivt så skapar det oftast något slags kringarbete för vårdpersonalen när systemet eller data det innehåller ska tas hand om. Vidare kan vi konstatera att digitaliseringen inte ersätter de befintliga arbetsrutinerna helt utan skapar ett parallellt arbetsflöde.
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| 17. |
- Frennert, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Digitalt stött patientflöde : hot och/eller möjlighet för att underlätta arbetet beror på ledarskapet och hur arbetet organiseras
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Digital teknik har blivit en stor del av de flestas vardag och arbete. Digitaliseringen sker även inom primärvården och tros kunna öka kvalitet och effektivitet i vården, samt minska kostnaderna(van Gemert-Pijnen, Kip, Kelders, & Sanderman, 2018), men hur påverkar den vårdpersonalens arbete? Primärvården är redan en utsatt sektor på grund av ökat patientflöde, personalflykt och hög sjukfrånvaro (Golay, 2019; Greenhalgh & Papoutsi, 2018). Det är därför av stor vikt att förstå hur olika digitala lösningar påverkar vårdpersonalen och deras arbete. I ett forskningsprojekt följer vi införandet av och arbetet med en digital plattform på vårdcentraler för att studera hur digitalt stött patient- och arbetsflöde påverkar personalens arbetssätt och arbetsbelastning. Genom plattformen kan patienter ta kontakt med vårdcentralen digitalt istället för via telefonsamtal. Kommunikation och patientmöten kan ske synkront eller asynkront i form av digitala (chatt eller video) eller fysiska möten med olika kategorier av vårdpersonal. Plattformen är tänkt att förbättra ledning och organisering av arbetet/patientflödet, minska arbetsbördan och kognitiv belastning, stärka patientens delaktighet samt öka kostnadseffektiviteten – men hur blir det i praktiken?
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| 18. |
- Frennert, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Embedding and Integrating a Digital Patient Management Platform Into Everyday Primary Care Routines : Qualitative Case Study
- 2022
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Ingår i: JMIR Formative Research. - : JMIR Publications. - 2561-326X. ; 6:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Traditional primary care is characterized by patient consultations via phone and physical visits. However, the current development in Swedish primary care is to blend digital solutions with traditional solutions. This paper addresses this development by examining the normalization of embedding and integrating a digital health care platform into everyday care routines in a primary care clinic. The digital health care platform enables both synchronous (video calls) and asynchronous (chat) communication, as well as self-registration of patient data using automated questions and forms requiring the patient's input.Objective: This study aims to explore the work that health care professionals (HCPs) have to undertake to implement and sustain a digital health care platform as part of their everyday work practice. Methods: HCPs were observed and interviewed to assess their individual and collective engagement and the mechanisms involved in the implementation of the digital platform and its effects on everyday work routines. The normalization process theory (NPT) was used to frame the data analysis.Results: The analysis identified several themes related to the four NPT constructs: coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, and reflexive monitoring. The use of these constructs enabled the analysis to identify ways of supporting implementation. For example, it showed the benefits of having implementation champions and scheduling work hours for HCPs to use the platform. The analysis also revealed a theme of materiality that deviated from the NPT constructs, as NPT gives ontological priority to human actors and social structures.Conclusions: Digital health care platform implementation is a complex process. Our findings provide insights into how individual and collective actions can be supported to embed and integrate a digital platform into everyday care routines. Primary health care organizations need to involve HCPs throughout the implementation process by reorganizing work and providing frequent feedback loops. HCPs are more likely to engage with and commit to changing practices if they perceive the digital platform to be beneficial compared with the current practice. However, they also need resources (eg, time, training, and continuous support) to put the platform into practice. Patient engagement and appraisal are important elements in implementation. Unless patients are willing to use the platform, there is no motivation for HCPs to embed the digital platform into everyday care practice.
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| 19. |
- Frennert, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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‘It increases my ability to influence my ways of working’ : A qualitative study on digitally mediated patient management in primary healthcare
- 2023
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 37:1, s. 88-105
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Digitally mediated primary healthcare is increasingly influencing working conditions, raising questions about how digitally mediated patient management is experienced.Aim: The aim of this study was to generate insights, through the lens of postphenomenology, into how digitally mediated primary healthcare affects the work and working environment, by gathering perspectives from primary healthcare professionals who regularly manage patient errands through a digital platform.Methods: Two rounds of interviews were conducted with a diversified sample of primary healthcare professionals at a primary healthcare centre. The first round of interviews was conducted during the initial phase of the deployment of a digital platform for patient management, with the second round conducted a year later (n = 24). The interview transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results: Four themes relating to digitally mediated care work were identified: ‘positive feelings towards digitally mediated primary healthcare’, ‘seeing a positive work atmosphere as a prerequisite for change’, ‘experiencing increased control over the pace of workflow’ and ‘reconfiguration of previous problems’.Conclusion and relevance to clinical practice: Building on postphenomenology, our study adds to the understanding of how material and symbolic aspects mutually affect the mediating role of a digital platform for patient management. Thus, the results indicate that the experience of using digitally mediated care processes is conditioned by the discourse towards digitalisation at the workplace and the management's approach to and inclusion of employees in the digital transition of primary healthcare, as well as the usefulness and usability of the digital platform. The findings can inform both practice and policy.
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| 20. |
- Frennert, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Lärdomar från en ”lyckad” implementering av en digital plattform i primärvården
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- BakgrundAnvändandet av digitala plattformar ökar inom primärvården. Syftet med den här typen av digitala plattformar är att avståndet ska minska mellan vårdpersonal och patient i tid och rum, vården ska bli mer kontinuerlig och proaktiv samt att resurser allokeras till de delar av vården där de behövs bäst. För att syftet ska nås, behöver dessa plattformar inte bara vara funktionella och användbara, utan de behöver inlemmas i det dagliga arbetet. Tidigare forskning visar att många implementeringar inom primärvården fallerar (Granja, Janssen, & Johansen, 2018). Oftast förklaras den långsamma digitaliseringen inom vården som ett resultat av motstånd bland vårdpersonal och patienter på grund av avsaknad av digitala färdigheter och negativ attityd gentemot teknik (Ali, Zhou, Miller, & Ieromonachou, 2016). Förklaringen speglar ett reduktionistiskt synsätt som saknar förståelse för att implementering av digitala lösningar inom vården, inte är en linjär process utan en komplex process som påverkas av flera faktorer (tekniska, sociala, strukturella, historiska, ekonomiska och politiska), olika aktörer (vårdpersonal, patienter , anhöriga, ledning, politiker), utformningen av tekniska lösningar som ömsesidigt är relaterade och möjliggör viss typ av vård och arbetsförhållanden, samtidigt som de begränsar andra (Nilsen, 2020). SyfteSyftet med vår presentation är att beskriva de lärdomar vi dragit från vad som förefaller vara en framgångsrik implementering av en digital plattform på en vårdcentral. Via plattformen kan patienten digitalt ta kontakt med vårdcentralen och blir dirigerad till antingen fysiska eller digitala vårdmöten, beroende på patientens önskemål och medicinska behov. MetodMaterialet kommer från en pilotstudie och består av 12 semi-strukturerade intervjuer med vårdpersonal samt observationer under utbildningstillfällen av den digitala plattformen och på ett APT. Vårt teoretiska ramverk tar sin utgångspunkt i Normalisation Process Theory (NPT). NPT beskriver det arbete och samspel mellan olika aktörer som krävs, för att normalisera ett nytt arbetssätt och inbegriper fyra mekanismer: samstämmighet; kognitiv medverkan; kollektivt agerande och reflekterande monitorering (Carl May, 2013; C May & Finch, 2009).ResultatPilotstudien visar på en rad åtgärder som förefaller att ha säkerställt normalisering av den digital plattformen på den studerade vårdcentralen: att involvera och förankra idén om det nya arbetssättet/innovationen hos vårdpersonal redan innan implementeringen; att utbilda superanvändare som är villiga att driva implementeringen och villiga att kontinuerligt stötta kollegor i förändringsarbetet; att avsätta tid i schemat för vårdpersonal att utforska, lära sig och använda det nya arbetssättet; att ha regelbundna återkopplingsmöten, i vilka vårdpersonal kan diskutera och ventilera farhågor samt förväntningar.
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| 21. |
- Frennert, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Materiality and digitalisation : Observations on eHealth solutions for care
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This presentation brings light on how the materialityof three eHealth solutions affects care and carework. We conducted 92 semi-structured interviewswith healthcare workers from the south of Sweden.The analysis of the data was interpretive with focuson the participants’ experiences. By exploring thelived experiences of the participants, we found thatall the three solutions (1) changed the boundariesbetween patients and colleagues; (2) enabledaugmented information- and knowledge processes;and (3) reconfigured professional control.
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| 22. |
- Frennert, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Materiality and digitalisation : observations on eHealth solutions for care
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This presentation brings light on how the materiality of three eHealth solutions affects care and care work. We conducted 92 semi-structured interviews with healthcare workers from the south of Sweden. The analysis of the data was interpretive with focus on the participants’ experiences. By exploring the lived experiences of the participants, we found that all the three solutions (1) changed the boundaries between patients and colleagues; (2) enabled augmented information- and knowledge processes; and (3) reconfigured professional control.
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| 23. |
- Frennert, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Materiality and the mediating roles of eHealth : a qualitative study and comparison of three cases
- 2022
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Ingår i: Digital Health. - London : Sage Publications. - 2055-2076. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Against the backdrop of eHealth solutions increasingly becoming a part of healthcare professionals’ ways of doing care work, this paper questions how the solutions mediate the experience of healthcare professionals when deployed. We undertook a qualitative study of three eHealth solutions, conducting qualitative interviews with a diverse sample of 102 healthcare professionals from different care settings across the south of Sweden. Materiality and postphenomenology serve as analytic tools for achieving an understanding of the mediating roles of eHealth solutions. The analysis emphasises the mediating roles consisting of interrelated paradoxes: (1) changing and perpetuating boundaries between patients and professional groups, (2) (dis)enabling augmented information and knowledge processes and (3) reconfiguring professional control over work. This contribution provides critical insights into materiality as a category of analysis in studies on the deployment of eHealth solutions, as these technologies have both intended and unintended consequences for care work. Our study identified general positive consequences of all three solutions, such as the increased feeling of closeness to patients and colleagues over time and space; increased ‘understanding’ of patients through patient-generated data; and increased autonomy, due to the fact that asynchronous communication makes it possible to decide when and which patient to attend to. We also identified general unintended consequences of the solutions, such as maintenance of power relations maintained due to organisational structures and professional relations, disabled information and knowledge processes due to the lack of non-verbal clues, reduced professional autonomy due to technical scripts determining what data is collected and how it is categorised, and uneven workload due to the dependency on patient input and compliance.
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| 24. |
- Frennert, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Successful Implementation and Integration of a Digital Healthcare Platform Supporting Patient- and Workflow in a Swedish Primary Healthcare Center
- 2021
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Ingår i: ; , s. 33-34
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This abstract is based on a pilot study from an ongoing project focusing the implementation of a digital platform offering support for both the patient- and workflow at a primary healthcare center in Western Sweden. The overarching aim of the project is to follow the introduction and adaptation (normalization) of the platform in primary healthcare centers to study how digital support of the patient- and workflow affects the healthcare professionals (HCP) working routines and workload. Through the platform, patients can make contact with the primary healthcare center digitally instead of through phone calls. Communication can take place synchronously or asynchronously and patient meetings digitally (through chat or video) or physically. Through the platform patients are directed to different categories of HCPs, depending on symptoms. We will present the findings of how the organization and leadership was prepared for the introduction of the platform and how the HCPs are prepared, trained and affected by the implementation. The primary healthcare center’s motive for implementing the platform was to increase patient accessibility and experience, enhance resource utilization, and to decrease workload for HCPs (primarily the nurses).Past research shows that implementations of this type of digital platforms are a complex process, involving a wide range of actors who translate means, actions, and objectives into care practices in different ways (Damschroder et al., 2009) not always rendering the expected effects (Cajander, Larusdottir, & Hedström, 2020). Also, early research on digital implementations in healthcare has been accused of being rich in data but “information poor” (Nilsen, 2020). However, several theoretical tools to comprehend and illuminate implementation failures or successes have been developed (Damschroder et al., 2009; C May & Finch, 2009; C. R. May et al., 2011; Nilsen, 2020; Tabak, Khoong, Chambers, & Brownson, 2012). One such explanatory framework is the Normalization Process Theory (NPT) (C May & Finch, 2009). NPT identifies and explains important mechanisms that promote or inhibit an implementation process. It allows a systematic exploration of how and why (or not) a digital healthcare platform becomes normalized and sustained in healthcare practice. NPT “characterizes and explains implementation processes as interactions between ‘emergent expressions of agency (i.e., the things that people do to make something happen, and the ways that they work with different components of a complex intervention to do so); and as ‘dynamic elements of context’ (the social-structural and social-cognitive resources that people draw on to realize that agency)” (Carl May, 2013, p. 1). We use NPT and its constructs as an explanatory framework for analyzing the empirical findings from the pilot study. MethodMethods of inquiry included semi-structured interviews (N=12) and observations during training sessions with the HCPs (2), as well as at a formal workplace meeting (1). The interviews were conducted with four nurses, three doctors, two managers, one psychologist, and one rehabilitation coordinator from the same healthcare center. We also interviewed one of the main initiators and developers of the platform. NPT has inspired the framing of the interviews as well as the data analysis.FindingsThe findings suggest that the digital platform has been successfully implemented and integrated into the everyday care routines at the primary healthcare center. In specific, it has positively affected the patient- and workflow as well as the HCP’s working conditions. The findings also point at the importance of preparation on the organizational and leadership level before platform implementation. In the presentation, we will elaborate further on how the platform becomes successfully embedded and integrated by using the NPT constructs of coherence, cognitive participation, collective actions, and reflexive monitoring as an analytical lens.
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| 25. |
- Glock, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Attitudes, Barriers, and Concerns Regarding Telemedicine Among Swedish Primary Care Physicians : A Qualitative Study
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of General Medicine. - 1178-7074. ; 14, s. 9237-9246
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: The primary care physician's traditional patient contacts are challenged by the rapidly accelerating digital transformation. In a quantitative survey analysis based on the theory of planned behavior, we found high behavioral intention to use telemedicine among Swedish primary care physicians, but low reported use. The aim of this study was to further examine the physicians' experiences regarding telemedicine, with a focus on possible explanations for the gap between intention and use, through analysis of the free-text comments supplied in the survey.MATERIAL AND METHODS: The material was collected through a web-based survey which was sent out to physicians at 160 primary health care centers in southern Sweden from May to August 2019. The survey covered four areas: general experiences of telemedicine, digital contacts, chronic disease monitoring with digital tools, and artificial intelligence. A total of 100 physicians submitted one or more free-text comments. These were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach.RESULTS: The primary care physicians expressed attitudes towards telemedicine that focused on clinical usefulness. Barriers to use were the loss of personal contact with patients and a deficient technological infrastructure. The major concerns were that these factors would result in patient harm and an increased workload. The connection between intention and use postulated by the theory of planned behavior was not applicable in this context, as external factors in the form of availability and clinical usefulness of the specific technology were major impediments to use despite a generally positive attitude.CONCLUSION: All telemedicine tools must be evaluated regarding clinical usefulness, patient safety, and effects on staff workload, and end users should be included in this process. Utmost consideration is needed regarding how to retain the benefits of personal contact between patient and provider when digital solutions are introduced.
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