Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2014
ReviewDeveloping an international register of clinical prediction rules for use in primary care: a descriptive analysis.
We describe the methodology used to create a register of clinical prediction rules relevant to primary care. We also summarize the rules included in the register according to various characteristics. ⋯ Many clinical prediction rules have been derived, but only about half have been validated and few have been assessed for clinical impact. This lack of thorough evaluation for many rules makes it difficult to retrieve and identify those that are ready for use at the point of patient care. We plan to develop an international web-based register of clinical prediction rules and computer-based clinical decision support systems.
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2014
Validating the 8 CPCSSN case definitions for chronic disease surveillance in a primary care database of electronic health records.
The Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) is Canada's first national chronic disease surveillance system based on electronic health record (EHR) data. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate case definitions and case-finding algorithms used to identify 8 common chronic conditions in primary care: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dementia, depression, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, parkinsonism, and epilepsy. ⋯ The CPCSSN diagnostic algorithms showed excellent sensitivity and specificity for hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, and parkinsonism and acceptable values for the other conditions. CPCSSN data are appropriate for use in public health surveillance, primary care, and health services research, as well as to inform policy for these diseases.
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2014
Risk of cardiovascular disease among postmenopausal women with prior pregnancy loss: the women's health initiative.
Metabolic, hormonal, and hemostatic changes associated with pregnancy loss (stillbirth and miscarriage) may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adulthood. This study evaluated prospectively the association between a history of pregnancy loss and CVD in a cohort of postmenopausal women. ⋯ Pregnancy loss was associated with CHD but not ischemic stroke. Women with a history of 1 or more stillbirths or 1 or more miscarriages appear to be at increased risk of future CVD and should be considered candidates for closer surveillance and/or early intervention; research is needed into better understanding the pathophysiologic mechanisms behind the increased risk of CVD associated with pregnancy loss.
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2014
Influence of shared medical appointments on patient satisfaction: a retrospective 3-year study.
Shared medical appointments (SMAs) are becoming popular, but little is known about their association with patient experience in primary care. We performed an exploratory analysis examining overall satisfaction and patient-centered care experiences across key domains of the patient-centered medical home among patients attending SMAs vs usual care appointments. ⋯ Overall, SMA patients appear more satisfied with their care relative to patients receiving usual care. SMAs may also improve access to care and deliver care that patients find to be sensitive to their needs. Further research should focus on enhancing patient-clinician communication within an SMA as this model of care becomes more widely adopted.
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2014
Effect of payment incentives on cancer screening in Ontario primary care.
There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of pay for performance despite its widespread use. We assessed whether the introduction of a pay-for-performance scheme for primary care physicians in Ontario, Canada, was associated with increased cancer screening rates and determined the amounts paid to physicians as part of the program. ⋯ The pay-for-performance scheme was associated with little or no improvement in screening rates despite substantial expenditure. Policy makers should consider other strategies for improving rates of cancer screening.