scholarly journals Awareness of the role of general practitioners in primary care among outpatient populations: evidence from a cross-sectional survey of tertiary hospitals in China

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e020605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojun Liu ◽  
Anran Tan ◽  
Samuel D Towne Jr ◽  
Zhaoxun Hou ◽  
Zongfu Mao
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
The Status ◽  
Tertiary Hospitals

ObjectiveGeneral practitioners (GPs) are highly underutilised in China with many patients going directly to hospitals when seeking routine care. Multiple countries around the world have successfully used GPs in routine care, and as such, China may benefit from the use of GPs. This study examines the status of, and factors associated with, knowledge related to GPs among outpatient populations from China’s tertiary hospitals.DesignThis is a cross-sectional survey study.Study setting and participantsThe questionnaires were completed by 565 outpatients from four tertiary hospitals in China during 2016. Convenience sampling on different floors and throughout the outpatient building was carried out.Primary outcome measuresWe used the logistic regression models to identify GP-related knowledge among different populations.ResultsOverall, 50.27% of respondents said they had never heard of GPs. This was also true among females (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.57, 95% CI 1.43 to 2.71), older adults (AOR46–65=1.61, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.98; AOR>65=2.01, 95% CI 1.62 to 3.59), those with lower education level (AORBachelor’s degree=0.61, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.81; AOR≥Master’s degree=0.49, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.76), rural residents (AOR=1.51, 95% CI 1.35 to 2.82) and those with chronic disease (AORwithout chronic disease=0.61, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.71). What is more, less than one-in-ten (9.03%) outpatients were able to accurately describe what a GP was, with less than 30% accurately describing a GP among those receiving GPs’ services.ConclusionsOutpatients who could have received less costly health services from GPs in primary medical institutions were more likely to choose costlier specialist physicians in tertiary hospitals, which is likely linked to limited knowledge about GPs. Policy makers should invest in outreach efforts to improve public awareness of GPs, while at the same time conducting continued surveillance of these efforts to evaluate progress towards this goal.

scholarly journals Public Awareness of Sepsis Compared to Acute Myocardial Infarction and Stroke in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Questionnaire Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nourah Al-Orainan ◽  
Adel Mohamed EL-Shabasy ◽  
Khawlah Alamin Al-Shanqiti ◽  
Rawan Awad Al-Harbi ◽  
Hadeel Rajeh Alnashri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Data Entry ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Early Presentation ◽  
Correct Definition

BACKGROUND Sepsis is a state of organ dysfunction caused by an impaired host response to infection. It is one of the leading causes of death globally. Sepsis, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and stroke share the primary management requirement of rapid intervention. This could be achieved through early presentation to the hospital, which demands previous knowledge of the disease to ensure better outcomes. OBJECTIVE Our study aimed to assess the level of public awareness of sepsis compared with AMI and stroke. METHODS This was a cross-sectional survey study performed in June and July 2018, with 1354 participants from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, aged ≥18 years. Data entry was performed using Microsoft Excel and statistical analysis including chi-square tests and multilogistic regression was performed using SPSS software. RESULTS A total of 1354 participants were included. Only 56.72% (768/1354) had heard of the term “sepsis” and 48.44% (372/768) of these participants were able to correctly identify it. In addition, 88.33% (1196/1354) had heard the term “myocardial infarction” and 64.63% (773/1196) knew the correct definition of that condition. Stroke was recognized by 81.46% (1103/1354) of participants and 59.20% (653/1103) of these participants correctly identified the condition. The difference between those who had heard of these diseases and those who knew the correct definition significantly differed from the values for awareness of sepsis and its definition. CONCLUSIONS We found that public awareness and knowledge of sepsis are poor amongst the population of Jeddah compared with the awareness and knowledge of AMI and stroke. This lack of knowledge may pose a serious obstruction to the prompt management needed to limit fatal outcomes.

scholarly journals General Practitioners' Propensity to Cooperate With Other Health Professionals in the Management of Patients With Multimorbidity and Polypharmacy: A Cross-sectional Study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helene Carrier ◽  
Anna Zaytseva ◽  
Aurélie Bocquier ◽  
Patrick Villani ◽  
Martin Fortin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Hierarchical Cluster ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Professional Characteristics ◽  
Interprofessional Cooperation ◽  
Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster Analysis

Abstract Background. Cooperation between general practitioners (GPs) and other health professionals appears to help reduce the risk of adverse events linked to polypharmacy for patients with multimorbidity. We investigated the existence of different GP profiles according to their opinions and behaviors about such cooperation and studied the association between these profiles and the GPs’ characteristics and deprescribing behaviors.Methods. Between May and July 2016, we performed a cross-sectional survey in a panel of French GPsabout their management of patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy, focusing specifically on their opinions of healthcare professionals’ roles and interprofessional cooperation. We used an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis to identify GP profiles and then multivariable logistic regression models to study their associations with these doctors' characteristics and deprescribing behaviors.Results. We identified four profiles of GPs according to their cooperation propensities: GPs from the “intensive” profile (14%) were favorable to cooperating with various health professionals, including delegating some prescribing tasks to pharmacists; GPs from the "moderate" profile (47%) had favorable opinions about health professionals’ roles, except for this specific task delegation; GPs from the "selective" profile (27%) tended to work only with physicians; GPs from the "low cooperation" profile (12%) didn’t appeared interested in cooperation. These profiles were associated with different professional characteristics.Conclusions. Current health policies encourage interprofessional cooperation for the management of patients with multimorbidity. Our study provides information for understanding disparities among GPs regarding working with other professionals who deal with their patients and suggests possible ways to improve cooperation.

scholarly journals Patient handover in a European border region: Cross-sectional survey study among healthcare workers to explore the status quo, potential risks, and solutions

2021 ◽  
pp. 205343452110094
Author(s):  
Mara EJ Bouwmans ◽  
Juliëtte A Beuken ◽  
Daniëlle ML Verstegen ◽  
Laura van Kersbergen ◽  
Diana HJM Dolmans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Status ◽  
Patient Handover

Introduction While the popularity of international care is rising, the complexity of international care compromises patient safety. To identify risks and propose solutions to improve international care, this study explores experiences of healthcare workers with international handovers in a European border region. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used to reach out to 3000 healthcare workers, working for hospitals or emergency services in three neighboring countries in the Meuse-Rhine Euregion. In total, 846 healthcare workers completed the survey with 35 closed- and open-ended questions about experiences with international patient handover. Results One-third of respondents had been involved in international handover in the previous month. The handovers occurred in planned and acute care settings and were supported by numerous, yet varying standardized procedures. Healthcare workers were trained for this in some, but not all settings. Respondents mentioned 408 risks and proposed 373 solutions, which were inductively analyzed. Six identified themes classify the level on which risks and accompanying solutions can be found: awareness, professional competencies, communication between professionals, loss of information, facilities and support, and organizational structure. Discussion This study gives insight in international patient handovers in a European border region. Among the biggest risks experienced are procedural differences, sharing patient information, unfamiliarity with foreign healthcare systems, and not knowing roles and responsibilities of peers working across the border. Standardization of procedures, harmonization of systems, and the possibility for healthcare workers to get to know each other will contribute to reach common ground and move towards optimized and patient-safer cross-border care.

scholarly journals Ultrasonography in assessing suspected bone fractures: a cross-sectional survey amongst German general practitioners

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordian Lukas Schmid ◽  
Beatrice Kühnast ◽  
Marcus Heise ◽  
Tobias Deutsch ◽  
Thomas Frese
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Bone Fractures ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Fracture Diagnosis ◽  
Outpatient Settings ◽  
Rule Out

Abstract Background: Over the last two decades, ultrasonography (US) has been shown to be an accurate tool for the diagnosis of suspected bone fractures; however, the integration of this application of US into routine care and outpatient settings needs to be explored. In this study, we surveyed German general practitioners (GPs) to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and utilization of US for the diagnosis of suspected fractures. Methods: Notification of the study, a self-designed questionnaire, and a reminder were mailed to 600 randomly selected GPs in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Results: The response rate was 47.7% ( n = 286), and respondents did not differ from the population of all GPs in respect to sex and practice type. Among GPs surveyed, 48.6% used an US device in their practice. On average, GPs diagnosed six patients with suspected fractures per month, yet only 39.3% knew about the possibility of ultrasonographic fracture diagnosis, and only 4.3% of GPs using US applied it for this purpose. Among participants, 71.9% believed that US is inferior to conventional X-rays for the diagnosis of bony injuries. Users of US were better informed of and more commonly used US for fracture diagnosis compared to non-users. Conclusion: The need to rule out possible fractures frequently arises in general practice, and US devices are broadly available. Further efforts are needed to improve the knowledge and attitudes of GPs regarding the accuracy of US for fracture diagnosis. Multicenter controlled trials could explore the safety, usefulness, and effectiveness of this still seldom used diagnostic approach for suspected fractures.

scholarly journals Public Awareness of Sepsis Compared to Acute Myocardial Infarction and Stroke in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Questionnaire Study

10.2196/16195 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e16195
Author(s):  
Nourah Al-Orainan ◽  
Adel Mohamed EL-Shabasy ◽  
Khawlah Alamin Al-Shanqiti ◽  
Rawan Awad Al-Harbi ◽  
Hadeel Rajeh Alnashri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Data Entry ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Early Presentation ◽  
Correct Definition

Background Sepsis is a state of organ dysfunction caused by an impaired host response to infection. It is one of the leading causes of death globally. Sepsis, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and stroke share the primary management requirement of rapid intervention. This could be achieved through early presentation to the hospital, which demands previous knowledge of the disease to ensure better outcomes. Objective Our study aimed to assess the level of public awareness of sepsis compared with AMI and stroke. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study performed in June and July 2018, with 1354 participants from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, aged ≥18 years. Data entry was performed using Microsoft Excel and statistical analysis including chi-square tests and multilogistic regression was performed using SPSS software. Results A total of 1354 participants were included. Only 56.72% (768/1354) had heard of the term “sepsis” and 48.44% (372/768) of these participants were able to correctly identify it. In addition, 88.33% (1196/1354) had heard the term “myocardial infarction” and 64.63% (773/1196) knew the correct definition of that condition. Stroke was recognized by 81.46% (1103/1354) of participants and 59.20% (653/1103) of these participants correctly identified the condition. The difference between those who had heard of these diseases and those who knew the correct definition significantly differed from the values for awareness of sepsis and its definition. Conclusions We found that public awareness and knowledge of sepsis are poor amongst the population of Jeddah compared with the awareness and knowledge of AMI and stroke. This lack of knowledge may pose a serious obstruction to the prompt management needed to limit fatal outcomes.

scholarly journals The Influence of Clinical Nurses' Empathy on their Death Competence: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiahao Wang ◽  
Zhengying Chen ◽  
Yiting Liu ◽  
Xiaoli Liao ◽  
Liuxin Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regression Model ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
General Information ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Clinical Nurses ◽  
Hierarchical Regression Model ◽  
The Status

Abstract BackgroundEmpathy and death competence are important competences for clinical nurses. However, there is no clear consensus about what impact empathy has on death competency. Our study aimed to understand the status of the empathy and death competence of clinical nurses in China and to explore the effect of empathy on their competence.MethodsFor a survey conducted from May–June 2021, 1415 clinical nurses were selected by convenience sampling as the research objects. The Coping with Death Scale, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy—Health Professionals and a general information questionnaire designed by the researchers were used to investigate the status of the empathy and death competence of clinical nurses. The relationship between empathy and death competence was analysed by Pearson correlation, and the influence of the empathy of clinical nurses on their death competence was analysed by a hierarchical regression model.ResultPearson correlation analysis revealed that death competence was positively correlated with each dimension of empathy. Hierarchical regression model analysis revealed that after controlling for the influence of general information, nurses' empathy had a significant influence on their death competence, and this independently explained 5.8% of the variance in death competence.ConclusionsThe death competence of the clinical nurses in this sample was moderate to low level. Emotional nursing and transposition thinking are important influencing factors of death competence. Nursing managers should improve the empathy of clinical nurses to promote their death competence.

scholarly journals The use of ultrasound in primary care: Longitudinal billing and cross-sectional survey study in Switzerland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dima Touhami ◽  
Christoph Merlo ◽  
Joachim Hohmann ◽  
Stefan Essig
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Billing Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Clinical Indications ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Background Ultrasound imaging is utilized in Swiss primary care; however, little is known regarding the extent to which it is performed. With this study, we aim to (1) provide an overview of ultrasound use by general practitioners (GPs), and (2) determine the clinical indications of ultrasound in Swiss general practice.Methods This is a quantitative study, analyzing fifteen years of billing data from 213 GPs in Central Switzerland, and cross-sectional survey data completed by 61 GPs attending 26 certification and refresher courses offered by the Swiss Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (SGUM).Results According to billing data, 49% of the GPs used ultrasound and provided 130,245 exams to 67,180 patients between 2004 and 2018. Over the years, ultrasound use became more frequent among GPs. Male GPs provide more ultrasound exams than female GPs. Patients that are female, ≥65 years, and multi-morbid had more ultrasound exams compared to males, patients <65 years, and those with only one morbidity, respectively. GPs provided a mean of 129 ultrasound exams per physician-year. Abdominal ultrasound comprised almost 69% of all exams. According to survey data, indications covered many organ systems and clinical conditions, with abdominal indications being most frequent among them.Conclusions The use of ultrasound is high among general practitioners and it covers a wide range of clinical indications. Ultrasound is utilized primarily in the diagnosis of clinical indications of the abdomen, and more often for female than male patients.

scholarly journals The characteristics of the vulnerable Chinese gay men with depression and anxiety: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1
Keyword(s):  
Gay Men ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
The Status

Background and objective: Depression and anxiety are the most common mental disorders for human health, especially for gay men. This study aimed to assess the status and characteristics of Chinese gay men who were vulnerable to depression, anxiety, or the comorbidity of the two disorders. Material and methods: A total of 367 samples from a cross-sectional survey conducted between November and December 2017 were included. The Chinese version of SCL-90-R was used to measure the levels of anxiety and depression. The unadjusted associations of demographic characteristics with anxiety, depression, and comorbidity were evaluated by chi-square test. The most predictive factors of the respondents' depression, anxiety and the comorbidity were identified using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: The prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and comorbidity were 36.51%, 27.79%, and 26.16%, respectively among gay men. Age, being the only child at home, personal monthly income, sexual orientation disclosure status, and source of participants were related to the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and comorbidity (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Depression and/or anxiety are highly prevalent among Chinese gay men. Prevention strategies should be developed to target the related factors in the gay men population to thwart or slow down the situation. It is also crucial for social and family members to increase the acceptance of Chinese gay men.

scholarly journals Acceptance of Telerheumatology by Rheumatologists and General Practitioners in Germany: Nationwide Cross-sectional Survey Study

10.2196/23742 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. e23742
Author(s):  
Felix Muehlensiepen ◽  
Johannes Knitza ◽  
Wenke Marquardt ◽  
Jennifer Engler ◽  
Axel Hueber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Musculoskeletal Diseases ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Structural Framework ◽  
Full Capacity ◽  
Economic Analyses

Background The worldwide burden of musculoskeletal diseases is increasing. The number of newly registered rheumatologists has stagnated. Primary care, which takes up a key role in early detection of rheumatic disease, is working at full capacity. COVID-19 and its containment impede rheumatological treatment. Telemedicine in rheumatology (telerheumatology) could support rheumatologists and general practitioners. Objective The goal of this study was to investigate acceptance and preferences related to the use of telerheumatology care among German rheumatologists and general practitioners. Methods A nationwide, cross-sectional, self-completed, paper-based survey on telerheumatology care was conducted among outpatient rheumatologists and general practitioners during the pre-COVID-19 period. Results A total of 73.3% (349/476) of survey participants rated their knowledge of telemedicine as unsatisfactory, poor, or very poor. The majority of survey participants (358/480, 74.6%) answered that they do not currently use telemedicine, although 62.3% (291/467) would like to. Barriers to the implementation of telemedicine include the purchase of technology equipment (182/292, 62.3%), administration (181/292, 62.0%), and poor reimbursement (156/292, 53.4%). A total of 69.6% (117/168) of the surveyed physicians reckoned that telemedicine could be used in rheumatology. Surveyed physicians would prefer to use telemedicine to communicate directly with other physicians (370/455, 81.3%) than to communicate with patients (213/455, 46.8%). Among treatment phases, 64.4% (291/452) of participants would choose to use telemedicine during follow-up. Half of the participants would choose telecounseling as a specific approach to improve rheumatology care (91/170, 53.5%). Conclusions Before COVID-19 appeared, our results indicated generally low use but high acceptance of the implementation of telerheumatology among physicians. Participants indicated that the lack of a structural framework was a barrier to the effective implementation of telerheumatology. Training courses should be introduced to address the limited knowledge on the part of physicians in the use of telemedicine. More research into telerheumatology is required. This includes large-scale randomized controlled trials, economic analyses, and the exploration of user preferences.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document