scholarly journals Impact of changes to national guidelines on hypertension related workload

2020 ◽  
pp. bjgp21X714281
Author(s):  
Sarah Lay-Flurrie ◽  
James Sheppard ◽  
Richard J Stevens ◽  
Christian Mallen ◽  
Carl Heneghan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Clinical Practice Research Datalink ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Nice Guidelines ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
General Practices ◽  
The Impact

Background: In 2011, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommended the routine use of out-of-office blood pressure (BP) monitoring for the diagnosis of hypertension. These changes were predicted to reduce unnecessary treatment costs and workload associated with misdiagnosis. Aim: To assess the impact of guideline change on rates of hypertension-related consultation in general practice. Design and Setting: Cohort study in adults registered with English general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 1/4/2006 and 31/3/2017. Method: The primary outcome was the rate of face-to-face, telephone and visit consultations related to hypertension with a GP or nurse. Age and sex standardized rates were analysed using interrupted time-series analysis. Results: In 3,937,191 adults (median follow-up = 4.2 years) there were 12,253,836 hypertension related consultations. The rate of hypertension related consultation was 71.0 per 100 person-years (95% CI 67.8 to 74.2) in April 2006, which remained flat prior to 2011. The introduction of the NICE hypertension guideline in 2011 was associated with a change in yearly trend (change in trend = -3.60 per 100 person-years, 95% CI -5.12 to -2.09). The rate of consultation subsequently decreased to 59.2 per 100 person-years (95% CI 56.5 to 61.8) in March 2017. These changes occurred around the time of diagnosis and persisted when accounting for wider trends in all consultations. Conclusion: Hypertension-related workload has declined in the last decade, in association with guideline changes. This is due to changes in workload at the time of diagnosis, rather than reductions in misdiagnosis.

scholarly journals Sepsis Recording in Primary Care Electronic Health Records, Linked Hospital Episodes and Mortality Records: Population-based Cohort Study in England

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Rezel-Potts ◽  
Martin C. Gulliford ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Clinical Practice Research Datalink ◽  
Recent Period ◽  
General Practices ◽  
Different Sources

AbstractObjectivesSepsis is a growing concern for health systems, but the epidemiology of sepsis is poorly characterised. We evaluated sepsis recording across primary care electronic records, hospital episodes and mortality registrations.Methods and FindingsCohort study including 378 general practices in England from Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD database from 2002 to 2017 with 36,209,676 patient-years of follow-up with linked Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality registrations. Incident sepsis episodes were identified for each source. Concurrent records from different sources were identified and age-standardised and age-specific incidence rates compared. Logistic regression analysis evaluated associations of gender, age-group, fifth of deprivation and period of diagnosis with concurrent sepsis recording.There were 20,206 first episodes of sepsis from primary care, 20,278 from HES and 13,972 from ONS. There were 4,117 (20%) first HES sepsis events and 2,438 (17%) mortality records concurrent with incident primary care sepsis records within 30 days. Concurrent HES and primary care records of sepsis within 30 days before or after first diagnosis were higher at younger or older ages and for patients with the most recent period of diagnosis with those diagnosed during 2007:2011 less likely to have a concurrent HES record given CPRD compared to those diagnosed during 2012 to 2017 (odd ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.60 to 0.70). At age 85 and older, primary care incidence was 5.22 per 1,000 patient years (95% CI 1.75 to 11.97) in men and 3.55 (0.87 to 9.58) in women which increased to 10.09 (4.86 to 18.51) for men and 7.22 (2.96 to 14.72) for women after inclusion of all three sources.ConclusionExplicit recording of sepsis is inconsistent across healthcare sectors with a high proportion of non-concurrent records. Incidence estimates are higher when linked data are analysed.

scholarly journals Sepsis recording in primary care electronic health records, linked hospital episodes and mortality records: Population-based cohort study in England

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244764
Author(s):  
Emma Rezel-Potts ◽  
Martin C. Gulliford ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Clinical Practice Research Datalink ◽  
Recent Period ◽  
General Practices ◽  
Different Sources

Background Sepsis is a growing concern for health systems, but the epidemiology of sepsis is poorly characterised. We evaluated sepsis recording across primary care electronic records, hospital episodes and mortality registrations. Methods and findings Cohort study including 378 general practices in England from Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD database from 2002–2017 with 36,209,676 patient-years of follow-up with linked Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality registrations. Incident sepsis episodes were identified for each source. Concurrent records from different sources were identified and age-standardised and age-specific incidence rates compared. Logistic regression analysis evaluated associations of gender, age-group, fifth of deprivation and period of diagnosis with concurrent sepsis recording. There were 20,206 first episodes of sepsis from primary care, 20,278 from HES and 13,972 from ONS. There were 4,117 (20%) first HES sepsis events and 2,438 (17%) mortality records concurrent with incident primary care sepsis records within 30 days. Concurrent HES and primary care records of sepsis within 30 days before or after first diagnosis were higher at younger or older ages and for patients with the most recent period of diagnosis. Those diagnosed during 2007:2011 were less likely to have a concurrent HES record given CPRD compared to those diagnosed during 2012–2017 (odd ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.60–0.70). At age 85 and older, primary care incidence was 5.22 per 1,000 patient years (95% CI 1.75–11.97) in men and 3.55 (0.87–9.58) in women which increased to 10.09 (4.86–18.51) for men and 7.22 (2.96–14.72) for women after inclusion of all three sources. Conclusion Explicit recording of ‘sepsis’ is inconsistent across healthcare sectors with a high proportion of non-concurrent records. Incidence estimates are higher when linked data are analysed.

scholarly journals Impact of the SIGN head injury guidelines and NHS 4-hour emergency target on hospital admissions for head injury in Scotland: an interrupted times series

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e022279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Marincowitz ◽  
Fiona E Lecky ◽  
Eleanor Morris ◽  
Victoria Allgar ◽  
Trevor A Sheldon
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Head Injury ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Ct Imaging ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesHead injury is a common reason for emergency department (ED) attendance. Around 1% of patients have life-threatening injuries, while 80% of patients are discharged. National guidelines (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN)) were introduced in Scotland with the aim of achieving early identification of those with acute intracranial lesions yet safely reducing hospital admissions.This study aims to assess the impact of these guidelines and any effect the national 4-hour ED performance target had on hospital admissions for head injury.SettingAll Scottish hospitals between April 1998 and March 2016.ParticipantsPatients admitted to hospital for head injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnosed by CT imaging identified using administrative Scottish Information Services Division data. There are 275 hospitals in Scotland. In 2015/2016, there were 571 221 emergency hospital admissions in Scotland.InterventionsThe SIGN head injury guidelines introduced in 2000 and 2009. The 4-hour ED target introduced in 2004.OutcomesThe monthly rate of hospital admissions for head injury and traumatic brain injury.Study designAn interrupted time series analysis.ResultsThe first guideline was associated with a reduction in monthly admissions of 0.14 (95% CI 0.09 to 4.83) per 100 000 population. The 4-hour target was associated with a monthly increase in admissions of 0.13 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.20) per 100 000 population. The second guideline reduced monthly admissions by 0.09 (95% CI−0.13 to −0.05) per 100 000 population. These effects varied between age groups.The guidelines were associated with increased admissions for patients with injuries identified by CT imaging—guideline 1: 0.06 (95% CI 0.004 to 0.12); guideline 2: 0.05 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.06) per 100 000 population.ConclusionIncreased CT imaging of head injured patients recommended by SIGN guidelines reduced hospital admissions. The 4-hour ED target and the increased identification of TBI by CT imaging acted to undermine this effect.

scholarly journals Consultation patterns and frequent attenders in UK primary care from 2000 to 2019: a retrospective cohort analysis of consultation events across 845 general practices

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e054666
Author(s):  
Evangelos Kontopantelis ◽  
Maria Panagioti ◽  
Tracey Farragher ◽  
Luke A Munford ◽  
Rosa Parisi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Cohort Analysis ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Clinical Practice Research Datalink ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Frequent Attenders ◽  
General Practices ◽  
Rate Ratios ◽  
Over Time

ObjectiveTo describe the distribution of consultations at the practice level and examine whether increases are uniform or driven by people who consult more frequently.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingUK general practice data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD database.Participants1 699 709 314 consultation events from 12 330 545 patients, in 845 general practices (1 April 2000 to 31 March 2019).MethodsConsultation information was aggregated by financial year into: all consultations/all staff; all consultations/general practitioners (GPs); face-to-face consultations/all staff; face-to-face consultations/GPs. Patients with a number of consultations above the 90th centile, within each year, were classified as frequent attenders. Negative binomial regressions examined the association between available practice characteristics and consultation distribution.ResultsAmong frequent attenders, all consultations by GPs increased from a median (25th and 75th centile) of 13 (10 and 16) to 21 (18 and 25) and all consultations by all staff increased from 27 (23–30) to 60 (51–69) over the study period. Approximately four out of ten consultations of any type concerned frequent attenders and the proportion of consultations attributed to them increased over time, particularly for face-to-face consultations with GPs, from a median of 38.0% (35.9%–40.3%) in 2000–2001 to 43.0% (40.6%–46.4%) in 2018–2019. Regression analyses indicated decreasing trends over time for face-to-face consultations and increasing trends for all consultation types, for both GPs and all staff. Frequent attenders consulted approximately five times more than the rest of the practice population, on average, with adjusted incidence rate ratios ranging between 4.992 (95% CI 4.917 to 5.068) for face-to-face consultations with all staff and 5.603 (95% CI 5.560 to 5.647) for all consultations with GPs.ConclusionsFrequent attenders progressively contributed to increased workload in general practices across the UK from 2000 to 2019. Important knowledge gaps remain in terms of the demographic, social and health characteristics of frequent attenders and how UK general practices can be prepared to meet the needs of these patients.

scholarly journals The economic burden of infections following intramedullary nailing for a tibial shaft fracture in England

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e035404
Author(s):  
Thibaut Galvain ◽  
Abhishek Chitnis ◽  
Konstantina Paparouni ◽  
Cindy Tong ◽  
Chantal E Holy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intramedullary Nailing ◽  
Healthcare Costs ◽  
Shaft Fracture ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Clinical Practice Research Datalink ◽  
Tibial Shaft Fracture ◽  
Tibial Shaft ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesDetermine the impact of infections on direct costs and healthcare resource use in England for patients undergoing intramedullary nailing (IMN) for tibial shaft fractures.DesignNon-concurrent cohort based on retrospectively collected data with 2-year follow-up.SettingEngland.ParticipantsThe study population included adult patients (≥18 years) in England with a diagnosis of tibial shaft fracture (International Classification of Diseases-10, S822) in the inpatient setting between May 2003 and June 2017 followed by a procedure for IMN for tibial shaft fracture within 30 days. Patient data were derived from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink linked to National Health Service Hospital Episode Statistics datasets.Primary independent variableInfection.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was total inpatient costs from index stay admission through 1 year of follow-up. Secondary outcome included cumulative total healthcare costs, and resource utilisation at 30 days, 90 days, 1 year and 2 years.ResultsOverall, 805 patients met the inclusion criteria. At index inpatient stay, 3.7% had a post-IMN infection, rising to 11.7% at 1 year. One-year inpatient costs were 80% higher for patients with infection (p<0.001). Total costs were estimated to be £14 756 (95% CI £13 123 to £16 593) for patients with infection versus £8279 (95% CI £7946 to £8626). Length of stay (LOS), readmission and reoperation were the key drivers of healthcare costs (all p<0.001). After adjustment, LOS was higher by 109% (95% CI 62% to 169%), from 10.5 days to 21.9 days, for patients with infection. The odds of being readmitted or requiring reoperation were higher by 5.18 times (95% CI 3.01 to 9.13) and 2.47 times (95% CI 1.48 to 4.09), respectively, for patients with infection versus those without infection.ConclusionsPost-IMN infection significantly increases inpatient costs, LOS, readmissions and reoperations associated with tibial fracture fixation. Healthcare burden could be reduced through novel surgical site infection prevention strategies.

scholarly journals Sub-optimal cholesterol response to initiation of statins and future risk of cardiovascular disease

Heart ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (13) ◽  
pp. 975-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph Kwame Akyea ◽  
Joe Kai ◽  
Nadeem Qureshi ◽  
Barbara Iyen ◽  
Stephen F Weng
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Statin Therapy ◽  
Competing Risks ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Clinical Practice Research Datalink ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Future Risk

ObjectiveTo assess low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) response in patients after initiation of statins, and future risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).MethodsProspective cohort study of 165 411 primary care patients, from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, who were free of CVD before statin initiation, and had at least one pre-treatment LDL-C within 12 months before, and one post-treatment LDL-C within 24 months after, statin initiation. Based on current national guidelines, <40% reduction in baseline LDL-C within 24 months was classified as a sub-optimal statin response. Cox proportional regression and competing-risks survival regression models were used to determine adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and sub-HRs for incident CVD outcomes for LDL-C response to statins.Results84 609 (51.2%) patients had a sub-optimal LDL-C response to initiated statin therapy within 24 months. During 1 077 299 person-years of follow-up (median follow-up 6.2 years), there were 22 798 CVD events (12 142 in sub-optimal responders and 10 656 in optimal responders). In sub-optimal responders, compared with optimal responders, the HR for incident CVD was 1.17 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.20) and 1.22 (95% CI 1.19 to 1.25) after adjusting for age and baseline untreated LDL-C. Considering competing risks resulted in lower but similar sub-HRs for both unadjusted (1.13, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.16) and adjusted (1.19, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.23) cumulative incidence function of CVD.ConclusionsOptimal lowering of LDL-C is not achieved within 2 years in over half of patients in the general population initiated on statin therapy, and these patients will experience significantly increased risk of future CVD.

scholarly journals Standing order use in general practice: the views of medicine, nursing and pharmacy stakeholder organisations

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robyn Taylor ◽  
Eileen McKinlay ◽  
Caroline Morris
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
General Practitioner ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Standing Order ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
General Practices ◽  
Pharmacy Data ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Standing orders are used by many general practices in New Zealand. They allow a practice nurse to assess patients and administer and/or supply medicines without needing intervention from a general practitioner. AIM To explore organisational strategic stakeholders’ views of standing order use in general practice nationally. METHODS Eight semi-structured, qualitative, face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants representing key primary care stakeholder organisations from nursing, medicine and pharmacy. Data were analysed using a qualitative inductive thematic approach. RESULTS Three key themes emerged: a lack of understanding around standing order use in general practice, legal and professional concerns, and the impact on workforce and clinical practice. Standing orders were perceived to extend nursing practice and seen as a useful tool in enabling patients to access medicines in a safe and timely manner. DISCUSSION The variability in understanding of the definition and use of standing orders appears to relate to a lack of leadership in this area. Leadership should facilitate the required development of standardised resources and quality assurance measures to aid implementation. If these aspects are addressed, then standing orders will continue to be a useful tool in general practice and enable patients to have access to health care and, if necessary, to medicines without seeing a general practitioner.

scholarly journals Does admission prevalence change after reconfiguration of inpatient services? An interrupted time series analysis of the impact of reconfiguration in five centres

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Martin ◽  
Edwin Amalraj Raja ◽  
Steve Turner
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Emergency Admission ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
Emergency Admissions ◽  
Series Analysis ◽  
Inpatient Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Admission Prevalence

Abstract Background Service reconfiguration of inpatient services in a hospital includes complete and partial closure of all emergency inpatient facilities. The “natural experiment” of service reconfiguration may give insight into drivers for emergency admissions to hospital. This study addressed the question does the prevalence of emergency admission to hospital for children change after reconfiguration of inpatient services? Methods There were five service reconfigurations in Scottish hospitals between 2004 and 2018 where emergency admissions to one “reconfigured” hospital were halted (permanently or temporarily) and directed to a second “adjacent” hospital. The number of emergency admissions (standardised to /1000 children in the regional population) per month to the “reconfigured” and “adjacent” hospitals was obtained for five years prior to reconfiguration and up to five years afterwards. An interrupted time series analysis considered the association between reconfiguration and admissions across pairs comprised of “reconfigured” and “adjacent” hospitals, with adjustment for seasonality and an overall rising trend in admissions. Results Of the five episodes of reconfiguration, two were immediate closure, two involved closure only to overnight admissions and one with overnight closure for a period and then closure. In “reconfigured” hospitals there was an average fall of 117 admissions/month [95% CI 78, 156] in the year after reconfiguration compared to the year before, and in “adjacent” hospitals admissions rose by 82/month [32, 131]. Across paired reconfigured and adjacent hospitals, in the months post reconfiguration, the overall number of admissions to one hospital pair slowed, in another pair admissions accelerated, and admission prevalence was unchanged in three pairs. After reconfiguration in one hospital, there was a rise in admissions to a third hospital which was closer than the named “adjacent” hospital. Conclusions There are diverse outcomes for the number of emergency admissions post reconfiguration of inpatient facilities. Factors including resources placed in the community after local reconfiguration, distance to the “adjacent” hospital and local deprivation may be important drivers for admission pathways after reconfiguration. Policy makers considering reconfiguration might consider a number of factors which may be important determinants of admissions post reconfiguration.

Recession and risk of suicide in Denmark during the 2009 global financial crisis: an ecological register-based study

2021 ◽  
pp. 140349482110132
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Konieczna ◽  
Sarah Grube Jakobsen ◽  
Christina Petrea Larsen ◽  
Erik Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
Series Analysis ◽  
Prevention Programmes ◽  
The Impact

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyse the potential impact from the financial crisis (onset in 2009) on suicide rates in Denmark. The hypothesis is that the global financial crisis raised unemployment which leads to raising the suicide rate in Denmark and that the impact is most prominent in men. Method: This study used an ecological study design, including register data from 2001 until 2016 on unemployment, suicide, gender and calendar time which was analysed using Poisson regression models and interrupted time series analysis. Results: The correlation between unemployment and suicide rates was positive in the period and statistically significant for all, but at a moderate level. A dichotomised version of time (calendar year) showed a significant reduction in the suicide rate for women (incidence rate ratio 0.87, P=0.002). Interrupted time series analysis showed a significant decreasing trend for the overall suicide rate and for men in the pre-recession period, which in both cases stagnated after the onset of recession in 2009. The difference between the genders’ suicide rate changed significantly at the onset of recession, as the rate for men increased and the rate for women decreased. Discussion: The Danish social welfare model might have prevented social disintegration and suicide among unemployed, and suicide prevention programmes might have prevented deaths among unemployed and mentally ill individuals. Conclusions: We found some indications for gender-specific differences from the impact of the financial crises on the suicide rate. We recommend that men should be specifically targeted for appropriate prevention programmes during periods of economic downturn.

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