Assessing the competence of general practitioners in diagnosing generalized anxiety disorder using standardized patients

Summary. The competence of general practitioners (GPs) in diagnosing anxiety neurosis was assessed using standardized patients (SPs) unknown to the doctors. Out of a computer-generated random sample of 100 general practitioners in Kuala Lumpur, 42 volunteered to participate in the study. The results showed that the GPs can be divided into three groups: group A made the correct diagnosis and informed the SPs about their condition (11.9%); group B prescribed tranquillizers and did not inform the SPs of the actual diagnosis but instead said that they were either normal or were suffering from some stress (28.6%); and group C made various diagnoses of physical disorder or did not detect any abnormality at all (59.5%). Thus about 40% of the doctors considered an emotion-related disorder and only 12% of the doctors were confident enough to make and inform the patient of the actual diagnosis. Group A significantly ( P < 0.001) asked higher numbers of relevant questions in the signs and symptoms section of the history than the other two groups. No differences between the three groups were observed in the other two sections of history-taking (personality, family, social and precipitating factors), in the general and specific physical examination and interpersonal skills. Generally, with the exception of the interpersonal skills section, the doctors performed less than 40% of the expected tasks in every section. The study highlighted the lack of competence in making a definite diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Among those who apparently made the diagnosis (group B) or made the diagnosis with certainty (group A), there was no demonstration of appropriate treatment behaviour with respect to pharmacological intervention. One of the contributory factors could be inadequate knowledge about the signs and symptoms of the illness as well as current knowledge about the disorder.     

The role of the cranial CT scan in municipal hospitals.

House officer predictions of lesions and CT scan diagnosis were compared for accuracy in a municipal and community hospital setting. The input of the CT scan into initial patient care was also evaluated. In the municipal hospital, house officers made fewer most-correct diagnoses, and the CT scan more often established the correct diagnosis (P less than .03) and altered therapy (P less than .02). Results suggest that municipal hospital patients could benefit from accessible CT scanners.     

基层医生开展首诊意愿的驱动因素与形成机制研究

目的基于知信行与期望理论,探究、构建及验证基层医生开展首诊意愿的驱动因素理论模型与形成机制。方法运用随机整群抽样方法,于2019年4—5月,对杭州市20家基层医疗卫生服务机构的医生进行问卷调查,调查内容包括基层医生的首诊认知水平、首诊能力自评、政策制度评价、首诊工作期望、工作满意度等。采用描述性统计、多重线性回归、结构方程模型分析等方法,探究基层医生首诊意愿的驱动因素与形成机制。结果基层医生开展首诊意愿率为76.4%(308/403);首诊工作正面期望(β=0.309)、首诊认知水平(β=0.216)、政策制度评价(β=0.184)、首诊能力自评(β=0.170),均直接影响基层医生开展首诊意愿;5类驱动因素对首诊意愿的影响总效应依次为首诊认知水平(0.536)、政策制度评价(0.494)、首诊能力自评(0.436)、首诊工作正面期望(0.186)、工作满意度(0.146)。结论首诊认知、首诊能力、政策制度、正向期望分别是驱动基层医生开展首诊意愿的重要前提、关键动力、有力保障、激发力量。建议政府及医疗机构进一步提高基层医生首诊认知水平,系统提升首诊服务能力,协同完善财政投入、医保报销、转诊制度等政策引导措施,建立健全基层医生职业发展、绩效考核、薪酬福利等激励措施。     

某三甲医院医患双方分级诊疗认知度分析

目的了解医患双方对分级诊疗的认知情况,探讨影响患者就医意愿及医患双方对分级诊疗认知度的因素。方法采用偶遇法进行方便抽样,对滨州市某三甲医院的183名患者和92名医务人员,分别采用问卷和无结构式访谈的形式展开调查,根据logistic回归,分析影响医患双方对分级诊疗认知的因素。结果被调查对象中,38.2%的患者表示了解分级诊疗制度,44.1%的患者患病时选择基层医院首诊,学历越高的患者对分级诊疗的认知度越高(P<0.001),且了解分级诊疗制度的患者更倾向于选择基层医院首诊;70.6%的医务人员表示了解分级诊疗制度,但不同岗位的医务人员对分级诊疗的认知存在差异,临床医生对分级诊疗的认知度更高(P<0.001)。结论医患双方对分级诊疗的认知度均有待提高,患者选择基层首诊意愿也偏低。应对医患双方加强分级诊疗宣传力度,提高医患双方认知度,同时加大对基层医疗机构的投入,积极改善基层诊疗环境,全面提高基层服务能力,吸引患者选择基层首诊。     

Prevalence and associated factors of stress in the Malaysian Police Force

ObjectiveThis study aims to determine the prevalence of stress and the associated socio-demographic and work factors among police personnel in Metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted in two randomly selected police districts in Kuala Lumpur from 2009 to 2011. A total of 579 police officers from 11 police stations and two headquarters participated in this study. The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress questionnaire was used. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were carried out to examine the effect of socio-demographic and work factors on stress.ResultsThe overall prevalence of stress was 38.8% (95% CI 34.2, 43.6) with 5.9% (3.9, 8.8), 14.9% (11.6, 18.8) and 18.0% (14.5, 22.2) for severe, moderate and mild stress, respectively. Inspectors were more likely to suffer from severe stress (aOR 10.68, 95% CI 3.51, 32.53) compared to junior officers. Those who complained that their salaries were not commensurate with their jobs were more likely to suffer from moderate levels of stress (aOR 2.73, 95% CI 1.43, 5.22) compared to those who were happy with their salaries.ConclusionsThis study strengthens findings that police job is stressful. Special attention needs to be paid to Inspector-level ranks and the remuneration structure of police officers to address this issue.     

Inappropriate admissions: thoughts of patients and referring doctors

Research on inappropriate hospital admissions has tended to neglect the views of the referring doctors and the patients. In this study, the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol was applied to a random sample of 102 emergency medical admissions. The patients and doctors were then presented with a list of possible alternatives to admission that might have been used at the point of referral. Case notes were available for 88 patients. As judged by these, 28% of admissions were inappropriate, the commonest reason being the potential for treatment or tests to have been performed as outpatient procedures; next commonest was the possibility of lower level care. The response rate to the questionnaires was about two-thirds, for both doctors and patients. Of the general practitioners and casualty doctors who responded, 60% specified alternatives to admission that they would have considered, and the equivalent figure for patients was 70%. For both groups the major preferences were same-day outpatient assessment and admission to a community hospital. Referring doctors and patients, in this survey, favoured alternatives to acute medical care in proportions much higher than that of supposedly inappropriate admission.     

The medical care of patients with primary care home nursing is complex and influenced by non-medical factors: a comprehensive retrospective study from a suburban area in Sweden

Background

The reduced number of hospital beds and an ageing population have resulted in growing demands for home nursing. We know very little about the comprehensive care of these patients. The objectives were to identify the care, in addition to primary health care, of patients with primary-care home nursing to give a comprehensive view of their care and to investigate how personal, social and functional factors influence the use of specialised medical care.

Methods

One-third (158) of all patients receiving primary-care home nursing in an area were sampled, and 73 % (116) were included. Their care from October 1995 until October 1996 was investigated by sending questionnaires to district nurses and home-help providers and by collecting retrospective data from primary-care records and official statistics. We used non-parametric statistical methods, i.e. medians and minimum - maximum, χ2, and the Mann-Whitney test, since the data were not normally distributed. Conditional logistic regression was used to study whether personal, social or functional factors influenced the chance (expressed as odds ratio) that study patients had made visits to or had received inpatient care from specialised medical care during the study year.

Results

56 % of the patients had been hospitalised. 73 % had made outpatient visits to specialised medical care. The care took place at 14 different hospitals, and more than 22 specialities were involved, but local care predominated. Almost all patients visited doctors, usually in both primary and specialised medical care. Patients who saw doctors in specialised care had more help from all other categories of care. Patients who received help from their families made more visits to specialised medical care and patients with severe ADL dependence made fewer visits.

Conclusions

The care of patients with primary-care home nursing is complex. Apart from home nursing, all patients also made outpatient visits to doctors, usually in both primary and specialised medical care. Many different caregivers and professions were involved. Reduced functional capacity decreased and help from family members increased the chance of having received outpatient specialised medical care. This raises questions concerning the medical care for patients with both medical and functional problems.     

Physicians' and patients' attitudes toward manual medicine: implications for continuing medical education

INTRODUCTION: Manual medicine (MM) is a physical modality infrequently used in primary care clinics. This study examines primary care physicians' experience with and attitudes toward the use of MM in the primary care setting, as well as patients' experience with and attitudes toward MM. METHODS: Surveys were distributed to a convenience sample of physicians (54.3% response rate) attending a 1-week primary care continuing medical education (CME) conference in Kentucky. Similar surveys were also mailed to a random sample of primary care patients (35.3% response rate) living in a service region in which most conference attendees practiced. RESULTS: Similar responses were obtained from physicians and patients. A majority (81% and 76%, respectively) of physicians and patients felt that MM was safe, and over half (56% of physicians and 59% of patients) felt that MM should be available in the primary care setting. Although less than half (40%) of the physicians reported any educational exposure to MM and less than one-quarter (20%) have administered MM in their practice, most (71%) respondents endorsed desiring more instruction in MM. The majority of those seeking additional educational exposure (56%) were willing to pay for MM training that included CME credit. DISCUSSION: This survey suggests that primary care physicians feel that there is currently insufficient education in MM. The majority of physicians and patients feel that MM is beneficial, safe, and appropriate for use in a primary care setting. Thus, there may be a rising demand for quality instruction in MM from physical medicine doctors and other licensed therapists who currently practice MM.