Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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Technological changes will have a large influence on medical practice. This article discusses the influences of technology and innovation on the role of general practitioners. ⋯ The tasks of general practitioners as well as the role allocation between medical generalists and specialists may change profoundly. We predict that innovation will lead to a situation where general practitioners will increasingly have to face the challenge of acting as intermediaries. They will have to integrate various information sources for their patients. At the same time, they may increasingly contribute to biomedical research.
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The diversity of the population worldwide suggests a great need for cross-culturally validated research instruments or scales. Researchers and clinicians must have access to reliable and valid measures of concepts of interest in their own cultures and languages to conduct cross-cultural research and/or provide quality patient care. Although there are well-established methodological approaches for translating, adapting and validating instruments or scales for use in cross-cultural health care research, a great variation in the use of these approaches continues to prevail in the health care literature. Therefore, the objectives of this scholarly paper were to review published recommendations of cross-cultural validation of instruments and scales, and to propose and present a clear and user-friendly guideline for the translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for cross-cultural health care research. ⋯ Translation, adaptation and validation of instruments or scales for cross-cultural research is very time-consuming and requires careful planning and the adoption of rigorous methodological approaches to derive a reliable and valid measure of the concept of interest in the target population.
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A national guideline was proposed to enable shared care in hearing complaints and therefore to change patient flows. In this study the effect of this guideline is evaluated. ⋯ The present study emphasizes the importance of designing evidence-based guidelines for shared care.
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European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness is working towards the goal of shifting the emphasis of care for people with metal illness from the treatment of the symptoms to a more holistic approach of treating the whole person - in other words 'person-centred care'. It is also working with the Geneva conference on person-centred medicine and various interested groupings and organizations to ensure that the role of the family is fully recognized and supported. ⋯ Early reports from the various initiatives are positive. But they also indicate that there is still much work to be done in order for the concept to become a reality across the majority of European countries.
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In previous work we described a modified version of goal scaling, which enabled patients to identify a meaningful change in their condition within important areas of their lives affected by low back pain. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between goal attainment scores and disability, general health and global change in condition, with particular reference to minimal important change. ⋯ The modified version of Goal Attainment Scaling used here may provide useful additional information about both the problems associated with, and the progress of patients who consult with low back pain in Primary Care.