Family practice
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Primary care is the cornerstone of the health care system and increasingly countries are developing indicators for assessing quality in primary care practices. The 'Quality Tool', developed in Ontario, Canada, provides a framework for assessing practices and consists of indicators and criteria. The purpose of this study was to validate the indicators and simplify the Quality Tool. ⋯ The study resulted in a set of 81 validated primary care indicators. The validation of the indicators provided a strong foundation for the next version of the Quality Tool and may be used for quality assessment in primary care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Is C-reactive protein testing useful to predict outcome in patients with acute bronchitis?
A recent clinical trial could not find differences between anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and placebo in shortening the duration of symptoms in acute bronchitis. ⋯ Among patients with uncomplicated acute bronchitis and discoloured sputum, the CRP concentrations at presentation are not helpful for predicting symptom resolution.
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To understand how the results of laboratory tests are communicated to patients in primary care and perceptions on how the process may be improved. ⋯ Communication of test results is a complex yet core primary care activity necessitating flexibility by both patients and staff. Dealing with the results from increasing numbers of tests is resource intensive and pressure on practice staff can be eased by greater utilization of electronic communication. Current systems appear vulnerable with no routine method of tracing delayed or missing results. Instead, practices only become aware of missing results following queries from patients. The creation of a test communication protocol for dissemination among patients and staff would help ensure both groups are aware of their roles and responsibilities.