Impact of COVID-19 on Primary Care Practice Sites and Their Vulnerable Patients

Abstract The STEADI Options trial uses a randomized, controlled-trial design to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the STEADI Initiative . Beginning March, 2020, we will randomize 3,000 adults ≥ 65 years of age at risk for falls seen in an Emory Clinic primary care practice to: (1) full STEADI; (2) a STEADI-derived gait, balance, and strength assessment with physical therapy referrals; (3) a STEADI-derived medication review and management; or (4) usual care. This presentation will discuss decisions made by the study team to facilitate implementation of STEADI including electronically conducting screening prior to the date of encounter, the use of dedicated nursing staff to conduct assessments, implementation of strength, balance, orthostatic hypotension, and vision testing, methods to facilitate medication review, and communication of assessment information to providers. The results from this study will be used to estimate the impact of STEADI on falls, service utilization, and costs over one year.

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Challenging the status quo: results of an acceptability and feasibility study of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) management pathways in Indonesian primary care

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-021-03970-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Fitriana Murriya Ekawati ◽

Ova Emilia ◽

Jane Gunn ◽

Sharon Licqurish ◽

Phyllis Lau

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Primary Care Practice ◽

Scale Up ◽

Primary Care Providers ◽

Care Practice ◽

Local Health ◽

Care Providers ◽

Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy ◽

Hypertensive Disorders

Abstract Background Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are the leading cause of maternal mortality in Indonesia. Focused HDP management pathways for Indonesian primary care practice have been developed from a consensus development process. However, the acceptability and feasibility of the pathways in practice have not been explored. This study reports on the implementation process of the pathways to determine their acceptability and feasibility in Indonesian practice. Methods The pathways were implemented in three public primary care clinics (Puskesmas) in Yogyakarta province for a month, guided by implementation science frameworks of Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM). The participating providers (general practitioners (GPs), midwives, and nurses) were asked to use recommendations in the pathways for a month. The pathway implementation evaluations were then conducted using clinical audits and a triangulation of observations, focus groups (FGs), and interviews with all of the participants. Clinical audit data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed using a mix of the inductive-deductive approach of thematic analysis. Results A total of 50 primary care providers, four obstetricians, a maternal division officer in the local health office and 61 patients agreed to participate, and 48 of the recruited participants participated in evaluation FGs or interviews. All of the providers in the Puskesmas attempted to apply recommendations from the pathways to various degrees, mainly adopting preeclampsia risk factor screenings and HDP monitoring. The participants expressed that the recommendations empowered their practice when it came to HDP management. However, their practices were challenged by professional boundaries and hierarchical barriers among health care professionals, limited clinical resources, and regulations from the local health office. Suggestions for future scale-up studies were also mentioned, such as involving champion obstetricians and providing more patient education toolkits. Conclusion The HDP management pathways are acceptable and feasible in Indonesian primary care. A further scale-up study is desired and can be initiated with investigations to minimise the implementation challenges and enhance the pathways’ value in primary care practice.

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Cross-sectional study evaluating the association between integrated care and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Dutch primary care

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040781 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. e040781

Author(s):

Pim P Valentijn ◽

Marcel Kerkhoven ◽

Jantien Heideman ◽

Rosa Arends

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Integrated Care ◽

Primary Care Practice ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Care Practice ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Practice Population ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between integrated care and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a primary care practice population.DesignA cross-sectional survey study.SettingPrimary care practice population.ParticipantsA sample (n=5562) of patients in two general practitioner practices in the Netherlands.Primary outcome measuresThe Rainbow Model of Integrated Care Measurement Tool patient version and EQ-5D was used to assess integrated service delivery and HRQOL. The association between integrated care and HRQOL groups was analysed using multivariate logistic regression.ResultsOverall, 933 respondents with a mean age of 62 participated (20% response rate) in this study. The multivariate analysis revealed that positive organisational coordination experiences were linked to better HRQOL (OR=1.87, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.95), and less anxiety and depression problems (OR=0.36, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.63). Unemployment was associated with a poor HRQOL (OR=0.15, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.28). Ageing was associated with more mobility (OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.09), self-care (OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.11), usual activity (OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05) and pain problems (OR=1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.04). Being married improved the overall HRQOL (OR=1.60, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.26) and decreased anxiety and depression (OR=0.47, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.72). Finally, females had a poor overall HRQOL (OR=1.67, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.93) and more pain and discomfort problems (OR=1.47, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.95).ConclusionThis study shows for the first time that organisational coordination activities are positively associated with HROQL of adult patients in a primary care context, adding to the evidence of an association between integrated care and HRQOL. Also, unemployment, ageing and being female are accumulating risk factors that should be considered when designing integrated primary care programmes. Further research is needed to explore how various integration types relate to HRQOL for people in local communities.

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