scholarly journals The accuracy, completeness and timeliness of discharge medication information and implementing medication reconciliation: A cross-sectional survey of general practitioners

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 854-858
Author(s):  
Sharon Latimer ◽  
Jayne Hewitt ◽  
Trudy Teasdale ◽  
Carl de Wet ◽  
Brigid M Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Discharge ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Medication Reconciliation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Medication Information ◽  
Discharge Medication

Background and objectives General practitioners (GPs) require accurate medication information to care for recently discharged hospital patients. Pre-discharge medication reconciliation improves the accuracy of patient medication lists that GPs receive. This study aimed to explore GPs’ perceptions of the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of hospital discharge medication information, and how they undertake medication reconciliation. Methods Using a cross-sectional online survey, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a convenience sample of GPs practising across the Gold Coast, Australia. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results Twelve GPs were recruited. Patient hospital discharge medication information was mostly accurate and complete, but delays in receiving this information affected the ability of GPs to undertake medication reconciliation. Discussion Receiving accurate and timely patient discharge medication information can reduce errors. Optimising the communication of medication information to GPs may improve patient safety.

scholarly journals Medical cannabis use in the Australian community following introduction of legal access: The 2018-2019 Online Cross-Sectional Cannabis as Medicine Survey (CAMS-18)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Lintzeris ◽  
Llewellyn Mills ◽  
Anastasia Suraev ◽  
Maria Bravo ◽  
Thomas Arkell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Medical Cannabis ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Plant Matter

Abstract Background: In 2016 the Australian federal government passed legislation enabling a range of cannabis-based products to be prescribed to patients by registered healthcare professionals. An online survey conducted immediately prior to these legislative changes found that the vast majority of respondents at the time were illicitly sourcing cannabis plant matter, smoking was the preferred route of administration, and mental health, chronic pain, and sleep conditions were the most frequently cited reasons for medical cannabis use. This manuscript reports the results of a follow-up survey conducted in 2018-2019, the Cannabis As Medicine Survey (CAMS-18). The goal of this second questionnaire was to examine patterns of use and consumer perspectives regarding medical cannabis use in Australia, two years after the introduction of legal access pathways. Methods: Anonymous online cross-sectional survey with convenience sample, recruited mainly through online media between September 2018 and March 2019. Participants were adults (18 years or over) residing in Australia who reported using a cannabis product for self-identified therapeutic reasons during the preceding 12 months. The survey measured consumer characteristics; indications and patterns of medical cannabis use; routes and frequency of administration; perceived benefits and harms; experiences and preferred models of access to medical cannabis. Results: Data were available for 1388 respondents. The main categories of condition being treated with medical cannabis were pain (36.4%), mental health (32.8%), sleep (9.2%), neurological (5.2%) and cancer (3.8%). Respondents reported using medical cannabis on 15.8 (11.2) days in the past 28, by inhaled (71.4%) or oral (26.5%) routes and spending AUD$82.27 ($101.27) per week. There were high levels of self-reported effectiveness, but also high rates of side effects. There was uncertainty regarding the composition of illicit cannabinoid products and concerns regarding their possible contamination. Few respondents (2.7%) had accessed legally prescribed medical cannabis, with the main perceived barriers being cost, disinterest from the medical profession, and stigma regarding cannabis use. Conclusions: Chronic pain, mental health and sleep remain the main clinical conditions for which consumers report using medical cannabis. Despite two years of legal availability, most consumers in Australia reported accessing illicit cannabis products, with uncertainty regarding the quality or composition of cannabis products.

scholarly journals Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of US Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 9189
Author(s):  
Elyse R. Grossman ◽  
Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon ◽  
Susan Sonnenschein
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Drinking Behaviors ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Linear Regressions

Emerging but limited evidence suggests that alcohol consumption has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed: (1) whether drinking behaviors changed during the pandemic; and, (2) how those changes were impacted by COVID-19-related stress. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with a convenience sample of U.S. adults over 21 years in May 2020. We conducted adjusted linear regressions to assess COVID-19 stress and alcohol consumption, adjusting for gender, race, ethnicity, age, and household income. A total of 832 responded: 84% female, 85% White, and 72% ages 26–49. Participants reported consuming 26.8 alcohol drinks on 12.2 of the past 30 days. One-third of participants (34.1%) reported binge drinking and 7.0% reported extreme binge drinking. Participants who experienced COVID-19-related stress (versus not) reported consuming more drinks (β = 4.7; CI (0.2, 9.1); p = 0.040) and a greater number of days drinking (β = 2.4; CI (0.6, 4.1); p = 0.007). Additionally, 60% reported increased drinking but 13% reported decreased drinking, compared to pre-COVID-19. Reasons for increased drinking included increased stress (45.7%), increased alcohol availability (34.4%), and boredom (30.1%). Participants who reported being stressed by the pandemic consumed more drinks over a greater number of days, which raises concerns from both an individual and public health perspective.

scholarly journals Suitability of Video Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Cross-sectional Survey Among Norwegian General Practitioners

10.2196/26433 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. e26433
Author(s):  
Tor Magne Johnsen ◽  
Børge Lønnebakke Norberg ◽  
Eli Kristiansen ◽  
Paolo Zanaboni ◽  
Bjarne Austad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Care Planning ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Relational Continuity

Background The COVID-19 pandemic imposed an acute, sharp rise in the use of video consultations (VCs) by general practitioners (GPs) in Norway. Objective This study aims to document GPs’ experiences with the large-scale uptake of VCs in the natural experiment context of the pandemic. Methods A nationwide, cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Norwegian GPs during the pandemic lockdown (April 14-May 3, 2020). Each respondent was asked to evaluate up to 10 VCs. Basic demographic characteristics of the GPs and their practices were collected. The associations between GPs’ perceived suitability of the VCs, the nature of the patients’ main problems, prior knowledge of the patients (relational continuity), and follow-up of previously presented problems (episodic continuity) were explored using descriptive statistics, diagrams, and chi-square tests. Results In total, 1237 GPs (26% of the target group) responded to the survey. Among these, 1000 GPs offered VCs, and 855 GPs evaluated a total of 3484 VCs. Most GPs who offered VCs (1000/1237; 81%) had no experience with VCs before the pandemic. Overall, 51% (1766/3476) of the evaluated VCs were considered to have similar or even better suitability to assess the main reason for contact, compared to face-to-face consultations. In the presence of relational continuity, VCs were considered equal to or better than face-to-face consultations in 57% (1011/1785) of cases, as opposed to 32% (87/274) when the patient was unknown. The suitability rate for follow-up consultations (episodic continuity) was 61% (1165/1919), compared to 35% (544/1556) for new patient problems. Suitability varied considerably across clinical contact reasons. VCs were found most suitable for anxiety and life stress, depression, and administrative purposes, as well as for longstanding or complex problems that normally require multiple follow-up consultations. The GPs estimate that they will conduct about 20% of their consultations by video in a future, nonpandemic setting. Conclusions Our study of VCs performed in general practice during the pandemic lockdown indicates a clear future role for VCs in nonpandemic settings. The strong and consistent association between continuity of care and GPs’ perceptions of the suitability of VCs is a new and important finding with considerable relevance for future primary health care planning.

Knowledge of General Practitioners Regarding Some Fundamental Aspects of H. Pylori Infection in a Developing Country

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 3037-3039
Author(s):  
Nasrullah Aamer ◽  
Waseem Raja Memon ◽  
Shahzad Memon ◽  
Muhammad Zarrar ◽  
Nazia Arain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Important Public Health Problem ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Ulcer Disease ◽  
Survey Knowledge ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
H Pylori

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge of Pakistani GPs regarding various aspects of H. pylori. Methodology: This cross-sectional survey was carried out all over Pakistan from July to December 2019. Close-ended questionnaires were distributed to a convenience sample of 150 GPs and were requested to answer questions on demographics, importance, diagnosis, treatment and complications of H. pylori. The analysis of the data was done by SPSS version 20.0. Results: The mean age of all GPs was 42.6±8.2 years and females were in majority 53.8%. Most of the respondents 73.1% were graduates, 56.3% worked in clinics and 43.7% in Hospitals. Regarding the knowledge of various aspects of H. pylori, 45.4% to 58% positive responses were obtained to different questions. lowest score 45.4% was obtained regarding the question of whether H. pylori constitutes an important public health problem and highest score 58% on the question regarding the infectious nature of peptic ulcer disease. There was little correlation between demographic and professional features of GPs and knowledge about H. pylori. Conclusion: It was observed that the knowledge of most Pakistani GPs is only modest about H. pylori. There is a need of increasing awareness and educating GPs about this important pathogen. Key Words: general practitioners, H. pylori, questionnaire, survey, knowledge.

scholarly journals How big is your bubble? Characteristics of self-isolating household units (‘bubbles’) during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 period in New Zealand: a cross-sectional survey

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e042464
Author(s):  
Nethmi Kearns ◽  
Nick Shortt ◽  
Ciléin Kearns ◽  
Allie Eathorne ◽  
Mark Holliday ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Bubble Sizes

ObjectiveTo characterise the self-isolating household units (bubbles) during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand.Design, setting and participantsIn this cross-sectional study, an online survey was distributed to a convenience sample via Facebook advertising and the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand’s social media platforms and mailing list. Respondents were able to share a link to the survey via their own social media platforms and by email. Results were collected over 6 days during Alert Level 4 from respondents living in New Zealand, aged 16 years and over.Main outcomes measuresThe primary outcome was the mean size of a self-isolating household unit or bubble. Secondary outcomes included the mean number of households in each bubble, the proportion of bubbles containing essential workers and/or vulnerable people, and the mean number of times the home was left each week.Results14 876 surveys were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) bubble size was 3.58 (4.63) people, with mean (SD) number of households 1.26 (0.77). The proportion of bubbles containing one or more essential workers, or one or more vulnerable persons was 45.3% and 42.1%, respectively. The mean number of times individual bubble members left their home in the previous week was 12.9 (12.4). Bubbles that contained at least one vulnerable individual had fewer outings over the previous week compared with bubbles that did not contain a vulnerable person. The bubble sizes were similar by respondent ethnicity.ConclusionIn this New Zealand convenience sample, bubble sizes were small, mostly limited to one household, and a high proportion contained essential workers and/or vulnerable people. Understanding these characteristics from a country which achieved a low COVID-19 infection rate may help inform public health interventions during this and future pandemics.

scholarly journals Perspectives of Canadian and American Cat Owners on Provision of Uncontrolled Outdoor Access for Owned Domestic Cats

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. L. Tan ◽  
Sarah Jajou ◽  
Anastasia C. Stellato ◽  
Lee Niel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Attitudes And Practices

While uncontrolled outdoor access can increase opportunities for cat physical and mental stimulation, it can also increase risks of injury and illness, and result in predation of wild birds and small animals. In Canada and the United States, it is often recommended to keep cats indoors, but many owners still provide some level of outdoor access. The objectives of this study were to use a cross-sectional survey to explore the attitudes and practices of cat owners in Canada and the United States toward outdoor access and to identify factors that influence the provision of uncontrolled outdoor access. A convenience sample of cat owners (N = 7,838) were recruited to complete an online survey, and a mixed logistic regression model was used to examine associations between cat and owner-related factors, and uncontrolled outdoor access for cats, with province/state included as a random effect. In total, 57% of owners kept their cats indoors, and 43% provided some form of outdoor access, with 21% of total owners providing uncontrolled outdoor access. Provision of uncontrolled outdoor access was associated with factors related to cat characteristics (e.g., sex, breed, presence of health, and behavioral issues), the home environment (e.g., living with other pets, types of enrichment provided), owner perspectives on outdoor access (e.g., level of agreement with potential benefits and consequence of outdoor access), and owner demographics (e.g., gender, education, area of residence). For cats with uncontrolled outdoor access, few owners reported their cats having a collar or a microchip, suggesting a need to increase education about precautionary measures to protect the welfare of outdoor cats. Results reveal how owners are caring for their cats in terms of providing outdoor access and generate hypotheses for future research to examine the influence of the owner-pet bond and educational programs on owner practices around providing outdoor access.

scholarly journals Community education and health promotion activities of naturopathic practitioners: results of an international cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amie Steel ◽  
Iva Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Patient Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Community Education ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Background Health promotion and patient education are crucial to improved population health and are also among the core principles that define naturopathy. Yet, the activities of naturopathic practitioners (NPs) with regards to health promotion and community education have not been widely studied. Methods A cross-sectional online survey of an international convenience sample of NPs was conducted through disseminating a 15-item questionnaire prepared in five languages. Correlates of most frequently mentioned NP activities were studied. Results The survey was completed by 813 NPs representing all world regions. Almost all participants (98%) reported at least one health promotion activity. Most reported were information sheets and handouts (92.7%) or social and professional network communications (91.8%) and information talks presented to community members (84.9%). The majority of NPs (79.5%) indicated that the ‘health issues individuals in NPs’ community have said they need help with’ were a ‘very important’ consideration when they designed health promotion activities. NP characteristics associated with the likelihood of engaging in specific health promotion activities varied between activities but include gender, time since first qualification, factors considered to identify need when designing an activity, and stakeholder involvement in activity design. Conclusions Health promotion is a key activity of the global naturopathic profession. There are a wide range of patient education tools utilized by NPs.

scholarly journals Suitability of Video Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Cross-sectional Survey Among Norwegian General Practitioners (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tor Magne Johnsen ◽  
Børge Lønnebakke Norberg ◽  
Eli Kristiansen ◽  
Paolo Zanaboni ◽  
Bjarne Austad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioners ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Care Planning ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Relational Continuity

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic imposed an acute, sharp rise in the use of video consultations (VCs) by general practitioners (GPs) in Norway. OBJECTIVE This study aims to document GPs’ experiences with the large-scale uptake of VCs in the natural experiment context of the pandemic. METHODS A nationwide, cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Norwegian GPs during the pandemic lockdown (April 14-May 3, 2020). Each respondent was asked to evaluate up to 10 VCs. Basic demographic characteristics of the GPs and their practices were collected. The associations between GPs’ perceived suitability of the VCs, the nature of the patients’ main problems, prior knowledge of the patients (relational continuity), and follow-up of previously presented problems (episodic continuity) were explored using descriptive statistics, diagrams, and chi-square tests. RESULTS In total, 1237 GPs (26% of the target group) responded to the survey. Among these, 1000 GPs offered VCs, and 855 GPs evaluated a total of 3484 VCs. Most GPs who offered VCs (1000/1237; 81%) had no experience with VCs before the pandemic. Overall, 51% (1766/3476) of the evaluated VCs were considered to have similar or even better suitability to assess the main reason for contact, compared to face-to-face consultations. In the presence of relational continuity, VCs were considered equal to or better than face-to-face consultations in 57% (1011/1785) of cases, as opposed to 32% (87/274) when the patient was unknown. The suitability rate for follow-up consultations (episodic continuity) was 61% (1165/1919), compared to 35% (544/1556) for new patient problems. Suitability varied considerably across clinical contact reasons. VCs were found most suitable for anxiety and life stress, depression, and administrative purposes, as well as for longstanding or complex problems that normally require multiple follow-up consultations. The GPs estimate that they will conduct about 20% of their consultations by video in a future, nonpandemic setting. CONCLUSIONS Our study of VCs performed in general practice during the pandemic lockdown indicates a clear future role for VCs in nonpandemic settings. The strong and consistent association between continuity of care and GPs’ perceptions of the suitability of VCs is a new and important finding with considerable relevance for future primary health care planning.

scholarly journals Medical cannabis use in the Australian community following introduction of legal access: The 2018-2019 Online Cross-Sectional Cannabis as Medicine Survey (CAMS-18)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Lintzeris ◽  
Llewellyn Mills ◽  
Anastasia Suraev ◽  
Maria Bravo ◽  
Thomas Arkell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Medical Cannabis ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Plant Matter

Abstract Background : In 2016 the Australian federal government passed legislation enabling a range of cannabis-based products to be prescribed to patients by registered healthcare professionals. An online survey conducted immediately prior to these legislative changes found that the vast majority of respondents at the time were illicitly sourcing cannabis plant matter, smoking was the preferred route of administration, and mental health, chronic pain, and sleep conditions were the most frequently cited reasons for medical cannabis use. This manuscript reports the results of a follow-up survey conducted in 2018-2019, the Cannabis As Medicine Survey (CAMS-18). The goal of this second questionnaire was to examine patterns of use and consumer perspectives regarding medical cannabis use in Australia, two years after the introduction of legal access pathways. Methods : Anonymous online cross-sectional survey with convenience sample, recruited mainly through online media between September 2018 and March 2019. Participants were adults (18 years or over) residing in Australia who reported using a cannabis product for self-identified therapeutic reasons during the preceding 12 months. The survey measured consumer characteristics; indications and patterns of medical cannabis use; routes and frequency of administration; perceived benefits and harms; experiences and preferred models of access to medical cannabis. Results : Data were available for 1388 respondents. The main categories of condition being treated with medical cannabis were pain (36.4%), mental health (32.8%), sleep (9.2%), neurological (5.2%) and cancer (3.8%). Respondents reported using medical cannabis on 15.8 (11.2) days in the past 28, by inhaled (71.4%) or oral (26.5%) routes and spending AUD$82.27 ($101.27) per week. There were high levels of self-reported effectiveness, but also high rates of side effects. There was uncertainty regarding the composition of illicit cannabinoid products and concerns regarding their possible contamination. Few respondents (2.7%) had accessed legally prescribed medical cannabis, with the main perceived barriers being cost, dis-interest from the medical profession, and stigma regarding cannabis use. Conclusions : Chronic pain, mental health and sleep remain the main clinical conditions for which consumers report using medical cannabis. Despite two years of legal availability, most consumers in Australia reported accessing illicit cannabis products, with uncertainty regarding the quality or composition of cannabis products.

Testing the Strain Theory of Suicide – The Moderating Role of Social Support

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Lew ◽  
Ksenia Chistopolskaya ◽  
Yanzheng Liu ◽  
Mansor Abu Talib ◽  
Olga Mitina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Strains ◽  
Moderating Role

Abstract. Background: According to the strain theory of suicide, strains, resulting from conflicting and competing pressures in an individual's life, are hypothesized to precede suicide. But social support is an important factor that can mitigate strains and lessen their input in suicidal behavior. Aims: This study was designed to assess the moderating role of social support in the relation between strain and suicidality. Methods: A sample of 1,051 employees were recruited in Beijing, the capital of China, through an online survey. Moderation analysis was performed using SPSS PROCESS Macro. Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and strains were assessed with the Psychological Strains Scale. Results: Psychological strains are a good predictor of suicidality, and social support, a basic need for each human being, moderates and decreases the effects of psychological strains on suicidality. Limitations: The cross-sectional survey limited the extent to which conclusions about causal relationships can be drawn. Furthermore, the results may not be generalized to the whole of China because of its diversity. Conclusion: Social support has a tendency to mitigate the effects of psychological strains on suicidality.

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