Scandinavian journal of primary health care
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Jun 2023
Associations between education level, blood-lipid measurements and statin treatment in a Danish primary health care population from 2000 to 2018.
To examine whether education level influences screening, monitoring, and treatment of hypercholesterolemia. ⋯ Higher education was associated with earlier statin prescription, although the higher educated group was monitored less frequently. There was no difference in reaching treatment goal between the three education groups. These findings suggest patients with higher education level achieve an earlier dyslipidemia prevention intervention with an equally satisfying result compared to lower education patients.Key PointsLittle is known about the role of social inequality as a possible barrier for managing hypercholesterolemia in general practice.Increasing education level was associated to less frequent measurement and less frequent statin treatment.Patients with higher education level were younger, and less comorbidity at first statin prescription.Education level had no effect on frequency of statin treatment-initiated patients reaching the treatment goal was found.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Jun 2023
Attitudes of primary healthcare chief physicians towards research in Finland - a national study.
To illustrate the views of chief physicians in Finnish primary healthcare health centres (HCs) on the existing research capacity of their centres, their attitudes to practice-based research network activity, and research topics of interest to them. ⋯ Chief physicians regard research as an elementary part of the development of primary care practices and health policy. Their motivation to engage in PBRN activity is determined by the relevance of the research to their interests and the management of competing priorities and resource limitations.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Jun 2023
Sex and gender differences in primary care help-seeking for common somatic symptoms: a longitudinal study.
Women are reported to consult general practitioners (GPs) more frequently than men. However, previous studies on sex differences in help-seeking behavior for somatic symptoms do not distinguish between sex and gender, do not account for sex differences in presented symptoms, and are frequently conducted in clinical settings, automatically excluding non-help seekers. Therefore, we aim to assess the independent associations of sex and gender with primary care help-seeking for somatic symptoms in the general population. ⋯ The results suggest that female sex rather than feminine gender is associated with primary care help-seeking behavior for somatic symptoms. Nevertheless, clinicians should be aware that gender-related variables, such as mean paid working days, may be associated with help-seeking behavior.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Jun 2023
Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with low back pain in primary and secondary care settings in Southern Denmark.
To describe and compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with acute or chronic low back pain across all health care settings treating this condition.Design and setting: Concurrent prospective survey registration of all consecutive consultations regarding low back pain at general practitioners, chiropractors, physiotherapists, and the secondary care spine centre in Southern Denmark. ⋯ The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with low back pain differ considerably across the health care settings treating them.KEY POINTSThe study describes the symptoms and clinical findings of patients with low back pain consulting the Danish health care system in all its settings.Patients with chiropractors were youngest, while those with physiotherapists were the oldest and most frequently female.First consultations in general practice were generally with the least symptomatic patients while those returning for a subsequent consultation had more severe disease including more sick leave compared to patients in the other primary care settings.Our findings call for caution when generalizing between health care settings for patients with low back pain.