Scandinavian journal of primary health care
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Aug 2024
General practice variation in peptic ulcer prophylaxis: a nationwide register-based study.
Incidence of peptic ulcer bleeding can be substantially reduced by prophylactic use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in patients at risk, but use of PPI varies among risk patients, and substantial under-prescribing may exist. The variation in prophylactic prescribing among general practices remains unknown. ⋯ A significant under-prescribing of ulcer prophylaxis is common across all general practice characteristics, and only few associations with practice characteristics were present. Most efforts to rationalize PPI prescribing have aimed at reducing overprescribing but the findings point to under-prescribing as a problem as well. Development of new methods to assist GPs in identifying individuals at risk of ulcer complications is needed.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Aug 2024
Comparing visual and automated urine dipstick analysis in a general practice population.
Urinary symptoms constitute the primary reason for female patients to consult their general practitioner. The urinary dipstick test serves as a cornerstone for diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs), yet traditional visual interpretation may be subject to variability. Automated devices for dipstick urinalysis are routinely used as alternatives, yet the evidence regarding their accuracy remains limited. Therefore we aimed to compare concordance between visual and automated urinary dipstick interpretation and determine their test characteristics for the prediction of bacteriuria. ⋯ Automated and visual dipstick analysis show near perfect agreement and perform similarly in predicting bacteriuria. However, automated analysis requires maintenance and occasionally measurement errors can occur.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Aug 2024
Primary care physicians' experiences of video and online chat consultations: a qualitative descriptive study.
To explore the perceptions and views of remote consultations and patient care of primary care physicians (PCPs) who work remotely regularly and have experience performing remote consultations. ⋯ Remote consultations provide PCPs with a new way of working that could improve work-life balance. However, it is important to maintain sufficient clinical competence through versatile work. Digital consultations can make contacting healthcare smoother and easier for patients if the patient selection is performed carefully. Online chat seems suitable for singular contacts and simple issues, but remote consultations could be used to sustain continuity of care.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Aug 2024
Between principles and pragmatism - primary healthcare and social services professionals' experiences and perceptions of self-care for older adults with home care: a qualitative study.
To explore the experiences of healthcare and social services professionals and their perceptions of using Certificate for self-care with support (CSS) for preventive self-care for older adults with home care, including the CSS process and collaborations between primary healthcare and social services. ⋯ This study highlights the need to establish structures facilitating safe self-care among frail groups, such as older persons dependent on home care. Our findings emphasize that the demarcation between, and responsibilities of, organizations need to be discussed and clarified to offer person-centered support. Comprehensible guidelines and functioning communication channels must be established so that all important perspectives can be heard, not least the patient's.