Family practice
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Validation of self-reported help-seeking, and measurement of the patient interval, for cancer symptoms: an observational study to inform methodological challenges in symptomatic presentation research.
To improve earlier presentation with potential symptoms of cancer, accurate data are needed on how people respond to these symptoms. It is currently unclear how self-reported medical help-seeking for symptoms associated with cancer by people from the community correspond to what is recorded in their general practice records, or how well the patient interval (time from symptom onset to first presentation to a health-professional) can be estimated from patient records. ⋯ Patient self-report of help-seeking for symptoms potentially associated with cancer offer a reasonably accurate method to research responses to these symptoms. Incomplete patient interval data suggest routine general practice records are unreliable for measuring this important part of the patient's symptom journey.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effectiveness of randomized controlled trial of a mobile app to promote healthy lifestyle in obese and overweight patients.
Health advice is useful for establishing behavioural changes, but such changes tend not to last. It would therefore be good to identify mechanisms for reinforcing advice and one option is the use of information and communication technologies. Given the limited evidence on the effectiveness of such technologies, we decided to conduct a clinical trial to assess the efficacy of a mobile application (app) for supporting the provision health advice for weight loss. ⋯ NCT02308176.
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Multicenter Study
Disability and quality of life in heart failure patients: a cross-sectional study.
Although both hospitalization and mortality due to heart failure (HF) have been widely studied, less is known about the impact of HF on disability and quality of life. ⋯ HF patients in primary care show an important degree of disability and an acceptable quality of life.
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Primary health care use increases when cancer is diagnosed. This increase continues after cancer treatment. More generalist care is suggested to improve survivorship care. It is unknown to what extent cancer-related symptoms are currently presented in primary care in this survivorship phase. ⋯ Colon cancer survivors contact their GP frequently also for reasons related to cancer. Currently, a formal role for GPs in survivorship care is lacking, but nevertheless GPs provide a substantial amount of care. Working agreements between primary and secondary care are necessary to formalize the GP's role in order to improve the quality of survivorship care.
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Multicenter Study
Primary care providers' responses to pregnancy intention screening challenges: community-based participatory research at an urban community health centre.
Incorporating pregnancy intention screening into primary care to address unmet preconception and contraception needs may improve delivery of family planning services. A notable research gap exists regarding providers' experiences conducting this screening in primary care. ⋯ Opportunities exist for health centres to address pregnancy intention screening challenges, such as implementing routine screening and waiting room tools to foster provider and patient agency and sharing best practices with providers across departments by facilitating comprehensive training and periodic check-ins. Exploring providers' experiences may assist health centres in improving pregnancy intention screening in the primary care setting.