Vaccine Hesitancy in Pediatric Primary Care Practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (13) ◽  
pp. 2071-2080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salini Mohanty ◽  
Amy Carroll-Scott ◽  
Marissa Wheeler ◽  
Cecilia Davis-Hayes ◽  
Renee Turchi ◽  
...  

Understanding how pediatric practices handle parental vaccine hesitancy is important as it impacts the efficiency and effectiveness of pediatric practices. In total, 21 semi-structured interviews with pediatric practice staff within a primary care network were conducted between May 2012 and March 2013. Thematic analysis focused on the barriers and challenges of vaccine hesitancy and strategies to reduce the burden at the practice level. Barriers and challenges of vaccine hesitancy included time constraints, administrative challenges, financial challenges and strained patient-provider relationships. Strategies to minimize the burden of vaccine hesitancy included training for vaccine counseling, screening for vaccine hesitancy prior to immunization visits, tailored vaccine counseling, and primary care provider visits for follow-up immunization. Pediatric practices reported many challenges when caring for vaccine-hesitant families. Multiple strategies were identified to reduce the burden of vaccine hesitancy, which future studies should explore to determine how effective they are in increasing vaccine acceptance in pediatric practices.

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1889-1894
Author(s):  
Marcel Konrad ◽  
Jens Bohlken ◽  
Michael A Rapp ◽  
Karel Kostev

ABSTRACTBackground:The goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for diagnosed depression in heart failure (HF) patients in German primary care practices.Methods:This study was a retrospective database analysis in Germany utilizing the Disease Analyzer® Database (IMS Health, Germany). The study population included 132,994 patients between 40 and 90 years of age from 1,072 primary care practices. The observation period was between 2004 and 2013. Follow-up lasted up to five years and ended in April 2015. A total of 66,497 HF patients were selected after applying exclusion criteria. The same number of 66,497 controls were chosen and were matched (1:1) to HF patients on the basis of age, sex, health insurance, depression diagnosis in the past, and follow-up duration after index date.Results:HF was a strong risk factor for diagnosed depression (p < 0.0001). A total of 10.5% of HF patients and 6.3% of matched controls developed depression after one year of follow-up (p < 0.001). Depression was documented in 28.9% of the HF group and 18.2% of the control group after the five-year follow-up (p < 0.001). Cancer, dementia, osteoporosis, stroke, and osteoarthritis were associated with a higher risk of developing depression. Male gender and private health insurance were associated with lower risk of depression.Conclusions:The risk of diagnosed depression is significantly increased in patients with HF compared to patients without HF in primary care practices in Germany.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 3-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie M. Vest ◽  
Victoria M. Hall ◽  
Linda S. Kahn ◽  
Arvela R. Heider ◽  
Nancy Maloney ◽  
...  

Aims The purpose of this qualitative evaluation was to explore the experience of implementing routine telemonitoring (TM) in real-world primary care settings from the perspective of those delivering the intervention; namely the TM staff, and report on lessons learned that could inform future projects of this type. Background Routine TM for high-risk patients within primary care practices may help improve chronic disease control and reduce complications, including unnecessary hospital admissions. However, little is known about how to integrate routine TM in busy primary care practices. A TM pilot for diabetic patients was attempted in six primary care practices as part of the Beacon Community in Western New York. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of three TM agencies (n=8) participating in the pilot. Interviews were conducted over the phone or in person and lasted ~30 min. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Analysis was conducted using immersion-crystallization to identify themes. Findings TM staff revealed several themes related to the experience of delivering TM in real-world primary care: (1) the nurse–patient relationship is central to a successful TM experience, (2) TM is a useful tool for understanding socio-economic context and its impact on patients’ health, (3) TM staff anecdotally report important potential impacts on patient health, and (4) integrating TM into primary care practices needs to be planned carefully. Conclusions This qualitative study identified challenges and unexpected benefits that might inform future efforts. Communication and integration between the TM agency and the practice, including the designation of a point person within the office to coordinate TM and help address the broader contextual needs of patients, are important considerations for future implementation. The role of the TM nurse in developing trust with patients and uncovering the social and economic context within which patients manage their diabetes was an unexpected benefit.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ermengol Coma ◽  
Núria Mora ◽  
Leonardo Méndez ◽  
Mència Benítez ◽  
Eduardo Hermosilla ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To analyse the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and the lockdown measures on the follow-up and control of chronic diseases in primary care. Methods Retrospective study in 288 primary care practices (PCP) of the Catalan Institute of Health. We analysed the results of 34 indicators of the Healthcare quality standard (EQA), comprising different types: treatment (4), follow-up (5), control (10), screening (7), vaccinations (4) and quaternary prevention (4). For each PCP, we calculated each indicator’s percentage of change in February, March and April 2020 respective to the results of the previous month; and used the T-Student test for paired data to compare them with the percentage of change in the same month of the previous year. We defined indicators with a negative effect those with a greater negative change or a lesser positive change in 2020 in comparison to 2019; and indicators with a positive effect those with a greater positive change or a lesser negative change. Results We observed a negative effect on 85% of the EQA indicators in March and 68% in April. 90% of the control indicators had a negative effect, highlighting the control of LDL cholesterol with a reduction of − 2.69% (95%CI − 3.17% to − 2.23%) in March and − 3.41% (95%CI − 3.82% to − 3.01%) in April; and the control of blood pressure with a reduction of − 2.13% (95%CI − 2.34% to − 1.9%) and − 2.59% (95%CI − 2.8% to − 2.37%). The indicators with the greatest negative effect were those of screening, such as the indicator of diabetic foot screening with a negative effect of − 2.86% (95%CI − 3.33% to − 2.39%) and − 4.13% (95%CI − 4.55% to − 3.71%) in March and April, respectively. Only one vaccination indicator, adult Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine, had a negative effect in both months. Finally, among the indicators of quaternary prevention, we observed negative effects in March and April although in that case a lower inadequacy that means better clinical outcome. Conclusions The COVID-19 epidemic and the lockdown measures have significantly reduced the results of the follow-up, control, screening and vaccination indicators for patients in primary care. On the other hand, the indicators for quaternary prevention have been strengthened and their results have improved.


2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (664) ◽  
pp. e764-e774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine Pawa ◽  
John Robson ◽  
Sally Hull

BackgroundPrimary care practices are increasingly working in larger groups. In 2009, all 36 primary care practices in the London borough of Tower Hamlets were grouped geographically into eight managed practice networks to improve the quality of care they delivered. Quantitative evaluation has shown improved clinical outcomes.AimTo provide insight into the process of network implementation, including the aims, facilitating factors, and barriers, from both the clinical and managerial perspectives.Design and settingA qualitative study of network implementation in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, which serves a socially disadvantaged and ethnically diverse population.MethodNineteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with doctors, nurses, and managers, and were informed by existing literature on integrated care and GP networks. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and thematic analysis used to analyse emerging themes.ResultsInterviewees agreed that networks improved clinical care and reduced variation in practice performance. Network implementation was facilitated by the balance struck between ‘a given structure’ and network autonomy to adopt local solutions. Improved use of data, including patient recall and peer performance indicators, were viewed as critical key factors. Targeted investment provided the necessary resources to achieve this. Barriers to implementing networks included differences in practice culture, a reluctance to share data, and increased workload.ConclusionCommissioners and providers were positive about the implementation of GP networks as a way to improve the quality of clinical care in Tower Hamlets. The issues that arose may be of relevance to other areas implementing similar quality improvement programmes at scale.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 687-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin P. Turner ◽  
Claude Richard ◽  
Marie-Thérèse Lussier ◽  
Marie-Eve Lavoie ◽  
Barbara Farrell ◽  
...  

Background: Little is known about the initiation, style and content of patient and healthcare provider communication around deprescribing. We report the findings from a content analysis of audio-recorded discussions of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and benzodiazepine deprescribing in primary care. Methods: Participants were healthcare providers ( n = 13) from primary care practices ( n = 3) and patients aged ⩾65 ( n = 24) who were chronic users of PPIs or benzodiazepines. The EMPOWER educational brochures were distributed prior to ( n = 15) or after ( n = 9) the patient’s usual healthcare provider appointment. Conversations were audio-recorded and coded using MEDICODE to analyze who initiated different themes, whether they followed a monologue or dialogue style, and to what extent the thematic content addressed issues pertaining to: ‘dosage/instructions,’ ‘medication action and efficacy,’ ‘risk/adverse effects,’ ‘attitudes/emotions,’ ‘adherence’ and ‘follow up.’ Descriptive analysis of the conversations was performed with comparison between patients who received the EMPOWER brochure before or after their appointments. Results: Patients were mostly women (67%) with a mean age of 74 ± 6 years. For PPI users, prior education resulted in a greater proportion of themes initiated by patients (44% versus 17%) and maintaining dialogue-style conversations (48% versus 28%). Among benzodiazepine users, conversation initiation (52% versus 47%) and conversation style was similar between both groups. The content of deprescribing conversations for PPIs revealed that patients and their healthcare providers focused less on ‘dosage/instructions,’ and more on the ‘medication action and efficacy’ and the necessity for ‘follow up.’ Conversations about stopping benzodiazepines were more likely to stagnate on the ‘if’ rather than the ‘how.’ Conclusion: The initiation, style and content of the conversations varied between PPI and benzodiazepine users, suggesting that healthcare providers will need to tailor deprescribing conversations accordingly.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke M. van der Zande ◽  
Melanie Dembinsky ◽  
Giovanni Aresi ◽  
Tjeerd P. van Staa

Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is high on the UK public health policy agenda, and poses challenges to patient safety and the provision of health services. Widespread prescribing of antibiotics is thought to increase AMR, and mostly takes place in primary medical care. However, prescribing rates vary substantially between general practices. The aim of this study was to understand contextual factors related to general practitioners’ (GPs) antibiotic prescribing behaviour in low, high, and around the mean (medium) prescribing primary care practices. Methods Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 41 GPs working in North-West England. Participants were purposively sampled from practices with low, medium, and high antibiotic prescribing rates adjusted for the number and characteristics of patients registered in a practice. The interviews were analysed thematically. Results This study found that optimizing antibiotic prescribing creates tensions for GPs, particularly in doctor-patient communication during a consultation. GPs balanced patient expectations and their own decision-making in their communication. When not prescribing antibiotics, GPs reported the need for supportive mechanisms, such as regular practice meetings, within the practice, and in the wider healthcare system (e.g. longer consultation times). In low prescribing practices, GPs reported that increasing dialogue with colleagues, having consistent patterns of prescribing within the practice, supportive practice policies, and enough resources such as consultation time were important supports when not prescribing antibiotics. Conclusions Insight into GPs’ negotiations with patient and public health demands, and consistent and supportive practice-level policies can help support prudent antibiotic prescribing among primary care practices.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Johnston ◽  
William Hogg ◽  
Sabrina T. Wong ◽  
Fred Burge ◽  
Sandra Peterson

BACKGROUND A growing number of health care practices are adopting software systems that link with their existing electronic medical records (EMRs) to generate outgoing phone calls, emails, or text notifications to patients for appointment reminders or practice updates. While practices are adopting this software technology for service notifications to patients, its use for collection of patient-reported measures is still nascent. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the mode preferences, response rates, and mode effect for a practice-based automated patient survey (APS) using phone and email modalities to patients of primary care practices. METHODS This cross-sectional study analysed responses and respondent demographics for a short, fully automated, telephone or email patient survey sent to individuals within 72 hours of a visit to their regular primary care practice. Each survey consisted of five questions drawn from a larger study’s patient survey which all respondents completed in the waiting room at the time of their visit. APS responses were linked to self-reported sociodemographic information provided on the waiting room survey including age, sex, reported income, and health status. RESULTS 871 patients from 87 primary care practices in British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, Canada agreed to the APS and 470 patients (45%) completed all five questions on the automated survey. Email administration of the follow up survey was preferred over phone-based administration, except amongst patients aged 75 years and older. Overall, response rates for those who selected an emailed survey (61%) were higher than those who received the phone-survey (38%). This held true irrespective of the age, sex, or chronic disease status of individuals. Response rates were also higher for email compared to phone surveys for all income groups except the lowest income quintile which had similar response rates for phone and email modes. We observed moderate agreement between waiting-room survey responses and those obtained in the follow-up automated survey. However, overall agreement in responses was poor for two questions relating to care-coordination. CONCLUSIONS An automated practice-based patient experience survey achieved significantly different response rates between phone and email and increased response rates for email as income group rose. Potential mode effects for the different survey modalities may limit multi-modal survey approaches. An automated minimal burden patient survey could facilitate the integration of patient reported outcomes into care planning and service organisation, supporting the move of our primary care practices towards a more responsive, patient-centred, continual learning system. However, practices must be attentive to furthering inequities in healthcare by underrepresenting the experience of certain groups in decision-making based on the reach of different survey modes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 272-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Qiao ◽  
Kristina Johnsson ◽  
Susan Grandy ◽  
Karel Kostev

Background: The aim was to investigate real-world treatment outcomes and tolerability of GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes in Germany. Methods: Patients from 323 primary care practices who started any GLP-1RA therapy (89 Byetta, 108 Bydureon, 347 Victoza patients) between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2013 (index date) were analyzed retrospectively (Disease Analyzer database, Germany). Changes from baseline in HbA1c, weight, and hypoglycemia were evaluated in 3 follow-up periods of 0-6, 7-12, and 13-18 months. Results: A total of 544 diabetes patients (mean age: 57.9 years; men: 54%) were eligible for the study. Mean (SD) HbA1c (%) decreased from 8.3 (1.4) at baseline to 7.4 (1.2) in 6 months, 7.6 (1.3) in 7-12 months and 7.6 (1.4) in 13-18 months, respectively ( P < .001 for all), while the proportion of patients with HbA1c <7% increased from 15% at baseline to 38%, 36% and 35% in the corresponding periods ( P < .0001 for all). Multivariate-adjusted beta coefficients corresponding to changes in HbA1c (%) from baseline were –.52, –.44, and –.44, respectively, in the follow-up periods for baseline HbA1c (%) ( P < .0001 for all). The prevalence of hypoglycemia at baseline was 0.7%; this did not change significantly after treatment. Conclusions: In clinical practice, GLP-1RA treatment was associated with improved glycemic control without increased hypoglycemia for up to 18 months. The higher the baseline HbA1c, the greater the HbA1c reduction recorded.


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