scholarly journals AB0801 TIME FOR REFERRAL AND DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS IN PATIENTS WITH HAND ARTHRALGIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1425.1-1425
Author(s):  
P. Herrera-Sandate ◽  
G. Figueroa-Parra ◽  
D. Vega-Morales ◽  
J. A. Esquivel Valerio ◽  
B. R. Vázquez Fuentes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Time Delay ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Definitive Diagnosis ◽  
Official Journal ◽  
Medical Visit ◽  
Medicine Clinic ◽  
Medical Visits ◽  
Medical Quality

Background:Early referral of patients with suspicion of progression to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is of paramount importance in disease prognosis. We had previously described a time delay of 28 months between symptom onset and evaluation by a rheumatologist, and a mean wait time of 9.5 weeks for referral to a secondary-level public hospital (1). The availability of specialized interdisciplinary evaluation of patients in a third-level of care raises the possibility of shortening this time gap, as well as describing patient and physician decisions amidst the referral to a Rheumatology center.Objectives:Describe the diagnosis profile of patients with hand arthralgia and time of referral to Rheumatology in a Family Medicine clinic.Methods:A cohort study was conducted in 110 patients from October 2018 to December 2020 in a Family Medicine clinic within the tertiary-care University Hospital “Dr. Jose Eleuterio Gonzalez” in Monterrey, Mexico. Patients with hand arthralgia as their chief complaint were recruited. An observational, descriptive compilation of patient history was retrieved prospectively through medical records. Variables included time of inclusion, number of medical visits until referral and definitive diagnosis. Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to test the association between time of diagnosis and clinical variables of interest.Results:Assessed variables are shown in Table 1. Out of 110 patients with hand arthralgia, a quarter received a final diagnosis within 3 medical visits. Less than half of patients were referred, and only a third attended the referral indication. It takes 39.3 days from the first medical visit to be referred, and 69 days and 2.89 consultations to receive a definitive diagnosis. Around half of patients will have a definitive diagnosis, osteoarthritis being the most common. The log-rank test for categoric variables including a positive squeeze test or ≥4 criteria of clinically suspect arthralgia did not show a significant association for time of referral and definitive diagnosis (data not shown).Table 1.Diagnostic and referral characteristics of patients with hand arthralgia attending a Family medicine clinicPatients recruited in a Family Medicine clinicn = 110Female, n (%)90 (81.8)Age in years, mean ± SD49.69 ± 14.90RF, ACPA, or hand radiography request, n (%)100 (90.9)Diagnosis in Family MedicineDiagnosed patients after 1 medical visit, cumulative n (%)5 (4.6)Diagnosed patients after 2 medical visits, cumulative n (%)22 (20.0)Diagnosed patients after 3 medical visits, cumulative n (%)26 (23.6)Referral to Rheumatology for diagnostic doubt or clinical follow-upPatients referred to a Rheumatology clinic, n (%)49 (44.5)Patients attending Rheumatology referral, n (%)34 (30.9)Time for referral, days ± SD39.37 ± 38.64Global definitive diagnosisPatients with a definitive diagnosis, n (%)51 (46.4)Osteoarthritis diagnosis, n (%)23 (20.9)Rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, n (%)13 (11.8)Overlap syndrome diagnosis, n (%)5 (4.5)Time for definitive diagnosis, days ± SD68.96 ± 106.57Number of consultations for definitive diagnosis, mean ± SD2.86 ± 1.05RF, rheumatoid factor; ACPA, anticitrullinated protein antibodies; SD, standard deviation.Conclusion:Patients with hand arthralgia evaluated in a tertiary-care Rheumatology center receive a timely referral in one month and a definitive diagnosis after 3 medical visits in around two months.References:[1]Vega-Morales, D., Covarrubias-Castañeda, Y., Arana-Guajardo, A. C., & Esquivel-Valerio, J. A. (2016). Time Delay to Rheumatology Consultation: Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnostic Concordance Between Primary Care Physician and Rheumatologist. American journal of medical quality: the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality, 31(6), 603.Graphs:Disclosure of Interests:None declared

scholarly journals Group Medical Visit Training in Family Medicine Residency:

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Strickland ◽  
Joanne C. Sandberg ◽  
Stephen W. Davis ◽  
Sally P. Weaver
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Program Directors ◽  
Resident Training ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Medical Visit ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Family Medicine Residency ◽  
Group Medical Visits ◽  
Medical Visits ◽  
The Status

Background and Objectives: Group medical visits (GMV) have been shown to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction and are included as a new tool in the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). The capacity for and interest in developing GMV skills in family medicine residency have not been assessed. This study aims to describe the extent of existing training in GMV as well as attitudes toward and barriers to this training. Methods: The Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) sent a survey in the fall of 2015 to all US family medicine residency program directors (PDs) containing questions about the status of GMV training for their residents. Results: The survey response rate was 53%. Fifty-nine percent of program director respondents report access to GMV and 61% note some form of training in this model of care. Seventy-nine percent of respondents indicate that GMV training is important for residents. Multiple barriers exist to optimizing GMV as part of current family medicine training. Conclusions: A majority of family medicine PD respondents report both access to and curriculum for GMV. While program directors endorse this practice model as an important element in resident training, they acknowledge challenges that may limit its availability. Opportunities to better understand and overcome barriers may increase programs’ capacity to deliver GMV skills.

Small talk as work talk: Enacting the patient-centered approach in nurse-practitioner-patient visits

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Staci Defibaugh
Keyword(s):  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Nurse Practitioner ◽  
Medical Visit ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Small Talk ◽  
Medical Visits ◽  
Relational Work ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Patient Relationships

Small talk in medical visits has received ample attention; however, small talk that occurs at the close of a medical visit has not been explored. Small talk, with its focus on relational work, is an important aspect of medical care, particularly so considering the current focus in the US on the patient-centered approach and the desire to construct positive provider– patient relationships, which have been shown to contribute to higher patient satisfaction and better health outcomes. Therefore, even small talk that is unrelated to the transactional aspect of the medical visit in fact serves an important function. In this article, I analyze small talk exchanges between nurse practitioners (NPs) and their patients which occur after the transactional work of the visit is completed. I focus on two exchanges which highlight different interactional goals. I argue that these examples illustrate a willingness on the part of all participants to extend the visit solely for the purpose of constructing positive provider–patient relationships. Furthermore, because exchanges occur after the ‘work’ of the visit has been completed, they have the potential to construct positive relationships that extend beyond the individual visit.

RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION OF PATIENTS WHO APPLIED TO THE AMBULATORY OF GENERAL PRACTICE - FAMILY MEDICINE

2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 938-941
Author(s):  
Оlexander Ye. Kononov ◽  
Liliana V. Klymenko ◽  
Ganna V. Batsiura ◽  
Larysa F. Matiukha ◽  
Olha V. Protsiuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Medical Documentation ◽  
Aged Patients ◽  
Family Doctors ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Medicine Clinic ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
The Family

Introduction: In today’s realities of health care reform in Ukraine family doctors play a leading role. The aim of our work was to analyze the medical cards of patients who applied for medical care to the family medicine clinic. Materials and methods: It was analyzed outpatient medical cards of 87 patients who applied to the family medicine clinic in the Khotov village, Kyiv region. The study included people aged 18 to 60 years, which corresponded to the groups of young and middle ages according to the WHO classification. Review: Our findings indicate the prevalence of functional changes among young people: somatoform dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system - 9 (37,5%) and the development of organic manifestations at middle-aged patients: arterial hypertension - 32 (62,7%) and coronary artery disease - 17 (33,3%). Conclusions: This study is important for determining the risk groups, early diagnosis and prevention of diseases.

scholarly journals Diabetes Risk Factors and Testing in a Family Medicine Clinic

2006 ◽  
Vol 163 (suppl_11) ◽  
pp. S185-S185
Author(s):  
F.J Dallo ◽  
S.C Weller ◽  
A.R Cass
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Diabetes Risk ◽  
Diabetes Risk Factors ◽  
Medicine Clinic

Response to the Determine your Nutritional Health Checklist at a Family Medicine Clinic

1995 ◽  
Vol 95 (9) ◽  
pp. A29
Author(s):  
S.A. Reiter ◽  
D.W. Lillich ◽  
J.P. Thurlow ◽  
D.N. Rasmann ◽  
M. Gottleib
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Medicine Clinic ◽  
Nutritional Health

scholarly journals Effect of diabetes self-management education on glycaemic control among type 2 diabetic patients at a family medicine clinic in Kenya: A randomised controlled trial

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine W. Gathu ◽  
Jacob Shabani ◽  
Nancy Kunyiha ◽  
Riaz Ratansi
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Medicine Clinic ◽  
The Family

Background: Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is a key component of diabetes care aimed at delaying complications. Unlike usual care, DSME is a more structured educational approach provided by trained, certified diabetes educators (CDE). In Kenya, many diabetic patients are yet to receive this integral component of care. At the family medicine clinic of the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Nairobi, the case is no different; most patients lack education by CDE.Aim: This study sought to assess effects of DSME in comparison to usual diabetes care by family physicians.Setting: Family Medicine Clinic, AKUH, Nairobi.Methods: Non-blinded randomised clinical trial among sub-optimally controlled (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 8%) type 2 diabetes patients. The intervention was DSME by CDE plus usual care versus usual care from family physicians. Primary outcome was mean difference in HbA1c after six months of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included blood pressure and body mass index.Results: A total of 220 diabetes patients were screened out of which 140 met the eligibility criteria and were randomised. Around 96 patients (69%) completed the study; 55 (79%) in the DSME group and 41 (59%) in the usual care group. The baseline mean age and HbA1c of all patients were 48.8 (standard deviation [SD]: 9.8) years and 9.9% (SD: 1.76%), respectively. After a 6-month follow-up, no significant difference was noted in the primary outcome (HbA1c) between the two groups, with a mean difference of 0.37 (95% confidence interval: -0.45 to 1.19; p = 0.37). DSME also made no remarkable change in any of the secondary outcome measures.Conclusion: From this study, short-term biomedical benefits of a structured educational approach seemed to be limited. This suggested that offering a short, intensified education programme might have limited additional benefit above and beyond the family physicians’ comprehensive approach in managing chronic conditions like diabetes.

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