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- Hajdarevic, Senada, et al.
(author)
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Exploring why European primary care physicians sometimes do not think of, or act on, a possible cancer diagnosis : a qualitative study
- 2023
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In: BJGP Open. - : Royal College of General Practitioners. - 2398-3795. ; 7:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: While primary care physicians (PCPs) play a key role in cancer detection, they can find cancer diagnosis challenging, and some patients have considerable delays between presentation and onward referral.Aim: To explore European PCPs’ experiences and views on cases where they considered that they had been slow to think of, or act on, a possible cancer diagnosis.Design & setting: A multicentre European qualitative study, based on an online survey with open-ended questions, asking PCPs for their narratives about cases when they had missed a diagnosis of cancer.Method: Using maximum variation sampling, PCPs in 23 European countries were asked to describe what happened in a case where they were slow to think of a cancer diagnosis, and for their views on why it happened. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.Results: A total of 158 PCPs completed the questionnaire. The main themes were as follows: patients’ descriptions did not suggest cancer; distracting factors reduced PCPs’ cancer suspicions; patients’ hesitancy delayed the diagnosis; system factors not facilitating timely diagnosis; PCPs felt that they had acted wrongly; and problems with communicating adequately.Conclusion: The study identified six overarching themes that need to be addressed. Doing so should reduce morbidity and mortality in the small proportion of patients who have a significant, avoidable delay in their cancer diagnosis. The ‘Swiss cheese’ model of accident causation showed how the themes related to each other.
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- Petrazzuoli, Ferdinando, et al.
(author)
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Differences between Rural and Urban Practices in the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic : Outcomes from the PRICOV-19 Study in 38 Countries
- 2023
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In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 20:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper explores the differences between rural and urban practices in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing aspects such as management of patient flow, infection prevention and control, information processing, communication and collaboration. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected through the online PRICOV-19 questionnaire sent to general practices in 38 countries. Rural practices in our sample were smaller than urban-based practices. They reported an above-average number of old and multimorbid patients and a below-average number of patients with a migrant background or financial problems. Rural practices were less likely to provide leaflets and information, but were more likely to have ceased using the waiting room or to have made structural changes to their waiting room and to have changed their prescribing practices in terms of patients attending the practices. They were less likely to perform video consultations or use electronic prescription methods. Our findings show the existence of certain issues that could impact patient safety in rural areas more than in urban areas due to the underlying differences in population profile and supports. These could be used to plan the organization of care for similar future pandemic situations.
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- Petrazzuoli, Ferdinando, et al.
(author)
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Exploring dementia management attitudes in primary care : a key informant survey to primary care physicians in 25 European countries
- 2017
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In: International psychogeriatrics. - : Cambridge University Press. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 29:9, s. 1413-1423
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Strategies for the involvement of primary care in the management of patients with presumed or diagnosed dementia are heterogeneous across Europe. We wanted to explore attitudes of primary care physicians (PCPs) when managing dementia: (i) the most popular cognitive tests, (ii) who had the right to initiate or continue cholinesterase inhibitor or memantine treatment, and (iii) the relationship between the permissiveness of these rules/guidelines and PCP's approach in the dementia investigations and assessment. Methods: Key informant survey. Setting: Primary care practices across 25 European countries. Subjects: Four hundred forty-five PCPs responded to a self-administered questionnaire. Two-step cluster analysis was performed using characteristics of the informants and the responses to the survey. Main outcome measures: Two by two contingency tables with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the association between categorical variables. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to assess the association of multiple variables (age class, gender, and perceived prescription rules) with the PCPs' attitude of trying to establish a diagnosis of dementia on their own. Results: Discrepancies between rules/guidelines and attitudes to dementia management was found in many countries. There was a strong association between the authorization to prescribe dementia drugs and pursuing dementia diagnostic work-up (odds ratio, 3.45; 95% CI 2.28-5.23). Conclusions: Differing regulations about who does what in dementia management seemed to affect PCP's engagement in dementia investigations and assessment. PCPs who were allowed to prescribe dementia drugs also claimed higher engagement in dementia work-up than PCPs who were not allowed to prescribe.
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- Petrazzuoli, Ferdinando, et al.
(author)
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Unburdening dementia a basic social process grounded theory - based on a primary care physician survey from 25 countries
- 2020
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0281-3432 .- 1502-7724. ; 38:3, s. 253-264
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective To explore dementia management from a primary care physician perspective. Design One-page seven-item multiple choice questionnaire; free text space for every item; final narrative question of a dementia case story. Inductive explorative grounded theory analysis. Derived results in cluster analyses. Appropriateness of dementia drugs assessed by tertiary care specialist. Setting Twenty-five European General Practice Research Network member countries. Subjects Four hundred and forty-five key informant primary care physician respondents of which 106 presented 155 case stories. Main outcome measures Processes and typologies of dementia management. Proportion of case stories with drug treatment and treatment according to guidelines. Results Unburdeningdementia - a basic social process - explained physicians' dementia management according to a grounded theory analysis using both qualitative and quantitative data. Unburdening starts withRecognizingthe dementia burden byBurden IdentificationandBurden Assessmentfollowed byBurden Relief. Drugs to relieve the dementia burden were reported for 130 of 155 patients; acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or memantine treatment in 89 of 155 patients - 60% appropriate according to guidelines and 40% outside of guidelines. More Central and Northern primary care physicians were allowed to prescribe, and more were engaged in dementia management than Eastern and Mediterranean physicians according to cluster analyses. Physicians typically identified and assessed the dementia burden and then tried to relieve it, commonly by drug prescriptions, but also by community health and home help services, mentioned in more than half of the case stories. Conclusions Primary care physician dementia management was explained by anUnburdeningprocess with the goal to relieve the dementia burden, mainly by drugs often prescribed outside of guideline indications. Implications:Unique data about dementia management by European primary care physicians to inform appropriate stakeholders.
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- Vinker, Shlomo, et al.
(author)
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WONCA Europe position statement on the redefinition of fatty liver disease
- 2022
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In: The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology. - 2468-1253. ; 7:12, s. 1076-1077
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Family doctors and general practitioners (GPs) are the frontline in the management of fatty liver disease. With its high prevalence and strong association with other conditions commonly treated in primary care, the voice of family doctors and GPs has an important role in informing the discussion on the redefinition of fatty liver disease. Primary care uptake of any proposed name will be hampered if there is not enough involvement of this important group in the process.
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