Scandinavian journal of primary health care
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Dec 2013
ReviewBarriers and facilitators for general practitioners to engage in advance care planning: a systematic review.
The aim of this systematic review is to identify the perceived factors hindering or facilitating GPs in engaging in advance care planning (ACP) with their patients about care at the end of life. ⋯ Initiation of ACP in general practice may be improved by targeting the GPs' skills, attitudes, and beliefs but changes in health care organization and financing could also contribute.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Dec 2013
Partners of cancer patients consult their GPs significantly more often with both somatic and psychosocial problems.
Partners of cancer patients experience psychological distress and impaired physical health around and after the diagnosis of cancer. It is unknown whether these problems are presented to the general practitioner (GP). This study aimed to establish partners' GP use around the diagnosis of cancer. ⋯ GP use of partners of cancer patients is increased 6-24 months after diagnosis, but health problems vary between cancer types. GPs should be alert for somatic and psychosocial problems in partners of cancer patients.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Dec 2013
Comparative StudySick-leave decisions for patients with severe subjective health complaints presenting in primary care: a cross-sectional study in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
The primary objective of this study was to explore whether general practitioners (GPs) in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark make similar or different decisions regarding sick leave for patients with severe subjective health complaints (SHC). The secondary objective was to investigate if patient diagnoses, the reasons attributed for patient complaints, and GP demographics could explain variations in sick leave decisions. ⋯ Sick-leave decisions made by GPs in the three countries were relatively similar. However, Swedish GPs were more reluctant to grant sick leave for patients with "psychological" diagnoses. Assessments regarding health-related factors were more important than diagnoses in sick-leave decisions. Specialist training may be of importance for sick-leave decisions.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Dec 2013
Long-term follow-up of patients with elevated serum calcium concentrations in Swedish primary care.
To follow up patients with elevated calcium concentrations after 10 years. ⋯ This study underscores the importance of investigating patients with increased calcium concentrations suggesting that most of these patients--88% in our study--will turn out to have an underlying disease associated with hypercalcaemia during a 10-year follow-up period. Elevated calcium concentrations had a different disease pattern in men and women, with men showing increased cancer mortality in this study.