The European journal of general practice
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Most COVID-19 patients were treated in primary health care (PHC) in Europe. ⋯ In Europe PHC participated in many steps to diagnose, treat and monitor COVID-19 patients. Differences among countries might be addressed at European level for the management of future pandemics.
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For several decades, medical school graduates' motivation to specialise in family medicine is decreasing. Therefore, residents in family medicine must be motivated for the profession and finish their residency. ⋯ Based on the internal validation, the STRONG Instrument appears to have good reliability and internal validity, assuming a two-factor structure. This may therefore be a helpful instrument for measuring the strength of the motivation of (future) family medicine residents.
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The physician--patient relationship plays a critical role in the quality of primary care management. The generalised wearing of surgical masks in enclosed spaces - common during the COVID-19 pandemic -- could change the communication between patients and healthcare professionals. ⋯ Wearing masks makes the doctor--patient relationship more complex. GPs adjusted their practice to compensate.
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The increasing prevalence of multimorbidity among older people in Lithuania and other Central-Eastern European countries leads to a greater patient treatment burden and puts additional pressure on healthcare services. ⋯ The study's findings show that the MTBQ is applicable in assessing the treatment burden of multimorbid patients in Lithuania. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that Lithuanian patients with multimorbidity have average treatment burden scores similar to or higher than participants in previous MTBQ validation studies.
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General practitioners (GPs) play a significant role in providing medical care to patients affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Little is known about the impact of the pandemic on patient care from the perspective of GPs. ⋯ Findings show that patient care was successful but GPs' adaptation to unprecedented conditions was limited by poor communication and collaboration with health authorities. Therefore, providing adequate support services by policymakers is essential to strengthen primary care in future health crises.