Enhancing response rates in physician surveys: the limited utility of electronic options

Objective. To evaluate the utility of offering physicians electronic options as alternatives to completing mail questionnaires. Data Source. A survey of colorectal cancer screening practices of Alabama primary care physicians, conducted May–June 2010. Study Design. In the follow‐up to a mail questionnaire, physicians were offered options of completing surveys by telephone, fax, email, or online. Data Collection Method. Detailed records were kept on the timing and mode of completion of surveys. Principal Findings. Eighty‐eight percent of surveys were returned by mail, 10 percent were returned by fax, and only 2 percent were completed online; none were completed by telephone or email. Conclusions. Offering fax options increases response rates, but providing other electronic options does not.     

Effect of sampling frames on response rates in the WHO MONICA risk factor surveys

Sample surveys are used to investigate occurrence and determinants of diseases in populations. Their reliability is influenced by quality of sampling frame and response rate. We investigated relationship between sampling frame type and response rates and assessed their impact on non-response bias, using data from the WHO MONICA Project, where 37 centres in 20 countries conducted sample surveys, employing the best locally available sampling frame. Sampling frames fell into three categories: Population registers (PR), electoral registers (ER), and health care registers (HR). Response rate (rrs) was factored into components reflecting quality of sampling frame (contact rate cr) and characterizing willingness of sample members to participate (enrolment rate er). The mean quality score for the sampling frames was 92 for PR, 87 for HR and 85 for ER; they contributed on average 23, 20, and 26 to the respective non-response rates. For all frame types and both sexes the lowest quality score occurred in the age group 35–44, suggesting a reduced ability to track migration of a highly mobile population group. The patterns in the age/sex distribution of er indicate at least for males in PR and females in HR a potential for non-response bias. Estimation of non-response bias through an abbreviated questionnaire failed because of low item response. We found that contact rate characterizes sampling frame quality. For all frame types it had a major influence on response rate. It is likely that low er and low cr cause different kind of bias, requiring different measures to minimize their effects.for the WHO MONICA Project** Sites and key personnel of the WHO MONICA Project are found at http://www.ktl.fi/publications/monica/rr_sframe/appendix.htm     

To support and not to cure: general practitioner management of loneliness

Loneliness is associated with numerous detrimental effects on physical health, mental health, cognition and lifestyle. Older adults are one of the groups at highest risk of loneliness, and indeed about 46% of older adults in England feel lonely. Those experiencing loneliness visit their general practitioner (GP) more frequently than those who are not, which has the capacity to put a strain on GPs and primary care waiting lists and costs. This study's aim was to explore GPs' views and experiences of loneliness within their older adult patients, and to understand GPs' awareness and feelings of agency within this. Nineteen UK GPs were recruited using purposive sampling and snowballing techniques. Individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted either in person or over the telephone. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four overarching themes were identified from the data: Whose responsibility is it anyway?, Pandora's box of shame; Keeping distance; and Community responsibility. Themes emphasise that GPs tend to hold a medicalised and individualistic view of loneliness. This intensifies stigma which in turn creates barriers to raising the topic. GPs felt powerless in their ability to fix the ‘problem’ and tended to believe that the solution had to lie in the community, the individual or in social care rather than in primary care. The findings are discussed in the context of literature on GP management of other social problems which give rise to similar issues concerning the restrictions of the medical model and the need for joined‐up approaches in which the GP is one part of a wider social support structure. It is suggested that it might be useful for training and support for GPs to address management of social problems jointly rather than training specific to loneliness which GPs tend to see as peripheral to their core remit.     

Self-reported Sexually Transmitted Infections and Healthcare in Slovenia: Findings from the Second National Survey of Sexual Lifestyles,Attitudes and Health, 2016-2017

IntroductionObjectives were to estimate the lifetime prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and describe STIs healthcare.MethodsData was collected in the period 2016-2017 from a probability sample of the general population, 18-49 years old, at respondents’ homes by a combination of face-to-face interviews and self-administration of more sensitive questions. Statistical methods for complex survey data were used to account for stratification, clustered sampling, and weighting.ResultsApproximately every tenth sexually experienced individual reported to have had genitourinary symptoms suggestive of STIs, but only a minority of them reported to have had those respective STIs diagnosed. The proportion of sexually experienced individuals that reported to have ever been diagnosed with an STI (excluding trichomoniasis, pubic lice for men and women, and pelvic inflammatory disease, vaginal thrush, bacterial vaginosis for women) was 2.4% for men and 6.7% for women (p<0.001). Independent risk factors associated with self-reported STIs in women included at least 10 lifetime sexual partners and having been forced into sex. The majority of the last STI episodes in women were treated by gynaecologists accessible at the primary healthcare level and in men by a dermatovenerologist, after referral by a general practitioner. Approximately half of STI patients were counselled for safer sex and majority reported to have notified their sexual contacts.ConclusionsOur estimates for lifetime prevalence of self-reported STIs in a probability sample of Slovenian sexually experienced men and women, 18-49 years old, indicate a substantial national burden of STIs. The results will inform national STI prevention and control policies and strategies.     

A rural/urban comparison of the roles of the general practitioner in colorectal cancer management

Objective: To identify and compare the roles of urban, rural and remote general practitioners (GPs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) management. Design: Semistructured interviews exploring GP views of their role in CRC management. Setting: Urban, rural and remote general practices in north Queensland. Participants: Fifteen GPs in urban, rural and remote practice. Main outcome measures: Self‐reported roles in the management of CRC patients and factors influencing these roles. Results: All GPs, regardless of location of practice, played a role in diagnosis, referral, postoperative care, psychosocial counselling, follow up and palliative care. Involvement in treatment of CRC patients was only performed by remote GPs. In general, rural and remote GPs played greater roles in care coordination, clinical and psychosocial care. Rural and remote GPs were more heavily involved throughout the entire illness progression when compared with their urban counterparts. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that rural and remote GPs in north Queensland play a greater role than urban GPs in the management of CRC. In order to maintain and enhance the roles of rural and remote GPs in CRC care, appropriate guidelines and remuneration should be provided. Palliative care support might also be useful to rural and remote GPs.     

Occupational therapy in hospital based care in the Netherlands: a comparison of occupational therapy in general care (nursing homes,rehabilitation centres and general hospitals) and psychiatric care

Objective: to investigate (1) whether differences in occupational therapy practice exist between general and psychiatric care and (2) whether differences in occupational therapy practice exist between general care settings. The four most common settings where occupational therapists work in the Netherlands (nursing homes, rehabilitation centres, general hospitals and psychiatric hospitals) were studied. Method: a total of 143 therapists, working in 49 occupational therapy departments, participated in this study. They collected data on 1051 patients. For each patient a standard registration form, based on the International Classification of Impairments Disabilities and Handicaps (ICIDH) was filled out. This form contained information about (i) patient characteristics (ii) occupational therapy diagnosis and treatment goals in terms of ICIDH and (iii) treatment characteristics. Results and conclusions: occupational therapy treatment goals and interventions showed clear differences between psychiatric and general care settings. The differences in occupational therapy practice across general care settings were small. Copyright © 1996 Whurr Publishers Ltd.     

浙江省乡村医生社会保障现状调查

目的分析影响浙江省乡村医生社保情况的重要因素,探讨解决浙江省乡村医生社会保障问题的对策。方法采取分层随机调查,结合问卷调查与个案访谈、文献分析等方法对浙江省乡村医生参保情况进行调查,收集数据并进行统计学处理。结果 429位被调查乡村医生未参保比例为23%,其中参保情况在乡村医生的学历水平、职称及工资水平上差异有统计学意义（P〉0.05）。结论浙江省乡村医生未参保比例较高,社保费用的缴纳方式、乡村医生的工资水平是重要影响因素。     

Insight in the diagnosis and treatment of coeliac disease in general practice: A survey and case vignette study among 106 general practitioners

BackgroundCoeliac disease (CD) is a highly prevalent (∼1%) disease that allegedly remains undiagnosed in over 80% of the cases because of atypical symptoms or silent disease. Currently, it is unknown how GPs deal with (suspected) CD.ObjectivesThis study aimed to better understand the diagnostic approach and the clinical reasoning process of GPs concerning CD and concurrently address diagnostic pitfalls.MethodsA questionnaire with case vignettes to assess the knowledge, diagnostic reasoning pattern and practice for CD by GPs was developed. It was sent through academic GP research networks (encompassing over 1500 GPs) in two large cities and to smaller practices in rural areas. The questionnaire was composed of seven background questions, 13 questions related to four case vignettes and six additional CD-related questionsResultsResponses were received from 106 GPs. Knowledge on risk factors for CD and appropriate testing of at-risk populations was limited. Twenty-two percent would diagnose CD in adults exclusively based on serology, without histopathological confirmation. In total, 99% would refer a newly diagnosed patient to a dietitian to initiate a gluten-free diet (GFD). In the absence of symptoms, only 33% would initiate a GFD.ConclusionThe results of this study have given us insight into the diagnostic process of GPs encountering patient with gluten-related complaints. Multiple serology test is available and used, while a positive serology test is not always followed up by a gastroduodenal biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Most GPs would refer a symptomatic CD patient to a dietician for a GFD.     

A comparison of GPs and nurses in their approach to psychological disturbance in primary care consultations

It has frequently been reported that GPs fail to diagnose many of the psychological problems that present to them. It also appears that practice nurses working in primary care also show similar diagnostic 'failings'. This study extends these observations by reporting the psychiatric diagnostic practices of GPs and nurses working in the same settings of six general practices. After each consultation the health professional involved assessed the degree of psychological morbidity and the amount of time they had spent attending to this problem. The health professionals' assessment was compared with the score from a General Health Questionnaire completed by the patient. Analysis of 1646 consultations revealed that GPs saw patients with more psychological problems than nurses. Nurses, however, spent significantly more time dealing with their psychological workload than their GP colleagues, after allowing for the fact that they saw fewer patients in this category. This observation raises the question of whether this use of scarce time resource in the consultation is appropriate.     

Health surveys in the workplace: comparison of postal, email and World Wide Web methods

Health surveys in the workplace are an important part of epidemiology, needs assessment and health promotion. Since the workplace is changing rapidly with the use of computer networks, we examined the feasibility, validity and cost of health surveys using e-mail and the World Wide Web (WWW). Five hundred systematically sampled university staff in a convenience sample of 10 English universities were surveyed using either e-mail alone, e-mail plus a WWW form or postal questionnaire. Response rates, speed of response, validity and costs were examined. The postal survey obtained the best response rate: 72% as compared with 34% for e-mail alone and 19% for the WWW, but it was also the most expensive at 92p per reply, with 35p for e-mail, and 41p for the WWW. Most of the electronic responses were made within five days. In 1997, the increased response rate justified the higher cost of postal questionnaires. e-mail and WWW surveys are easy, quick and inexpensive to administer, and despite low response rates may be useful for pilot studies. The rapid changes in the spread and use of information technology means we have to keep reassessing the methods we use for health surveys in the workplace.     

Good practice in the conduct and reporting of survey research.

Survey research is sometimes regarded as an easy research approach. However, as with any other research approach and method, it is easy to conduct a survey of poor quality rather than one of high quality and real value. This paper provides a checklist of good practice in the conduct and reporting of survey research. Its purpose is to assist the novice researcher to produce survey work to a high standard, meaning a standard at which the results will be regarded as credible. The paper first provides an overview of the approach and then guides the reader step-by-step through the processes of data collection, data analysis, and reporting. It is not intended to provide a manual of how to conduct a survey, but rather to identify common pitfalls and oversights to be avoided by researchers if their work is to be valid and credible.     

2008 — 2013年我国医疗机构检测发现艾滋病病例情况分析

  目的  了解贵州省性病门诊就诊者艾滋病相关行为特征和艾滋病病毒（HIV）感染现况,分析HIV感染的影响因素。  方法  采用横断面研究设计,于2018年4 — 8月对以性病症状为主诉到皮肤性病科室就诊的患者进行问卷调查,并对其进行HIV抗体检测。  结果  共纳入2 455名研究对象,艾滋病相关知识知晓率为60.0 %。HIV抗体阳性检出率为1.1 %（26/2 455）。就诊者中发生临时性行为、曾被诊断患有性病的比例较高,在发生高危性行为时安全套的使用率较低。贵州省9个市/州中,地区分布有差异（χ² = 14.76,P = 0.034）。六盘水市的性病门诊就诊者HIV抗体阳性检出率为2.9 %（13/442),高于其他市/州。多因素logistic回归分析表明,离异或丧偶、发生过男男性行为、艾滋病知识知晓率低和曾患性病与HIV感染有显著关联（P < 0.05）。  结论  贵州省性病门诊就诊者HIV抗体阳性检出率较高,应对离异或丧偶、发生过男男性行为、艾滋病知识知晓率低和曾患性病的性病门诊就诊者采取针对性的干预措施。     

A comparison of prevalence estimates for selected health indicators and chronic diseases or conditions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the National Health Interview Survey, and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2008

Objective

To compare the prevalence estimates of selected health indicators and chronic diseases or conditions among three national health surveys in the United States.

Methods

Data from adults aged 18 years or older who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 2007 and 2008 (n = 807,524), the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in 2007 and 2008 (n = 44,262), and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 2007 and 2008 (n = 5871) were analyzed.

Results

The prevalence estimates of current smoking, obesity, hypertension, and no health insurance were similar across the three surveys, with absolute differences ranging from 0.7% to 3.9% (relative differences: 2.3% to 20.2%). The prevalence estimate of poor or fair health from BRFSS was similar to that from NHANES, but higher than that from NHIS. The prevalence estimates of diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke were similar across the three surveys, with absolute differences ranging from 0.0% to 0.8% (relative differences: 0.2% to 17.1%).

Conclusion

While the BRFSS continues to provide invaluable health information at state and local level, it is reassuring to observe consistency in the prevalence estimates of key health indicators of similar caliber between BRFSS and other national surveys.     

Solidarity or dissonance? A systematic review of pharmacist and GP views on community pharmacy services in the UK

There has been a strong policy emphasis over the past decade on optimising patient‐centred care and reducing general practitioners’ (GPs’) workload by extending community pharmacy services and collaboration between pharmacists and GPs. Our aim was to review current evidence of pharmacists’ and GPs’ views of extended community pharmacy services and pharmacists’ roles in the United Kingdom (UK). A systematic review was undertaken looking at UK studies investigating pharmacists’ and/or GPs’ views of community pharmacy services or roles from 2005 to 2017. A range of databases were searched including EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA), PsycINFO, Science Direct and The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). In addition, reference lists of included studies were screened and grey literature was searched. Following the application of inclusion/exclusion criteria, the quality of papers was critically analysed, findings were extracted into a grid and subjected to narrative synthesis following thematic analysis. The search strategy yielded a total of 4,066 unique papers from which 60 were included. Forty‐seven papers covered pharmacists’ views, nine combined both pharmacists’ and GPs’ views and four covered GPs’ views. Study designs included interviews (n = 31, 52%), questionnaire surveys (n = 17, 28%) and focus groups (n = 7, 12%). Three main themes emerged from the data: “attitudes towards services/roles”, “community pharmacy organisations” and “external influences”. Pharmacists and GPs perceived a number of barriers to successful implementation and integration of pharmacy services. Moreover, collaboration between pharmacists and GPs remains poor despite the introduction of extended services. Overall, extending community pharmacy services require quality‐driven incentives and joint working between community pharmacists and GPs to achieve better integration within the patient's primary care pathway.     

Change in health status and mortality as indicators of outcomes: comparison between the Medicare Advantage Program and the Veterans Health Administration

Background

Comparing health outcomes with adequate methodology is central to performance assessments of health care systems. We compared the Medicare Advantage Program (MAP) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) with regard to changes in health status and mortality.

Methods

We used the Death-Master-File for vital status and the Short-Form 36 to determine physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) health at baseline and at 2 years. We compared the probability of being alive with the same or better (than would be expected by chance) PCS (or MCS) at 2 years and mortality, while adjusting for case-mix. Given the geographic variations in MAP enrollment, we did a regional sub-analysis.

Results

There were no significant differences in the probability of being alive with the same or better PCS except for the South (VHA 65.8% vs. MAP 62.5%, P = .0014). VHA patients had a slightly higher probability than MAP patients of being alive with the same or better MCS (71.8% vs. 70.1%, P = .002) but no significant regional variations. The hazard ratios for mortality in the MAP were higher than in the VHA across all regions.

Conclusion

With the use of appropriate methodology, we found small differences in 2-year health outcomes that favor the VHA.

     

Prevention of latex allergy among health care workers and in the general population: latex protein content in devices commonly used in hospitals and general practice

Background: In this study the latex protein content in devices commonly used in hospitals and general practice were investigated. The main aim was to acquire information for preventing latex allergy in health care workers and in the general population. Methods: About 22 different types of medical devices and 23 devices commonly used in general practice were examined evaluating the total allergenic potency by a modified RAST-inhibition assay and quantitative determination of single allergens (Hev b1, Hev b5 and Hev b6.02) by using commercial ELISA kit. Results: A high level of inhibition was found in medical devices, such as elastic bandage (81.57%), tourniquet (74.09%), Foley urinary catheter (68.35%), Penrose drainage (67.25%) and taping (39.6%), and in common devices, such as rubber inner-sole (84.20%), toy balloon (78.62%), latex mattress (74.27%), household rubber gloves (49.10%), working gloves (38.25%), inflatable floating mattress (32.10%). Concentrations of latex extractable proteins and Hev b1, Hev b5 and Hev b6.02 antigens were high in some medical and general devices. Conclusions: Latex exposure sources were found in hospitals and the home. These findings, though only preliminary and far from conclusive, could enable sensitized persons to avoid risky exposures and prevent allergic reactions. From the point of view of prevention, the time may come when every natural rubber object could be systematically labelled as “containing latex” together with the warning that “this item may cause allergic reactions in sensitized subjects.”     

Lung cancer: An exploration of patient and general practitioner perspectives on the realities of care in rural Western Australia

Objective: This study investigates if the pattern of diagnostic testing for suspected lung cancer, stage at diagnosis, patterns of specialist referral and treatment options offered to people in rural Western Australia are similar to those in the metropolitan area. It then explores the barriers to quality care in rural areas as perceived by GPs and patients. Methods: There was a review of GP records to obtain clinical and referral information and an in‐depth interview with patients and GPs concerning their perspectives of the quality of care. Results/Discussion: We selected age and sex‐matched samples of 22 rural and 21 metropolitan patients. Rural patients had more symptoms and took longer to consult their GPs, leading to later diagnosis and fewer treatment options. They experienced longer waits for specialist consultation and underwent less diagnostic testing. The GPs always referred lung cancer patients to a specialist, usually a respiratory physician. Teaching hospitals were preferred because of their comprehensive facilities and multidisciplinary teams. Rural GPs reported distance, time and availability of appointments as barriers; they also raised concerns about late confirmation of diagnosis. Rural and metropolitan patients were equally satisfied with their quality of care, but rural patients desired more information and better communication between hospital and GPs. Facilities for rural patients at some metropolitan hospitals were criticised. In conclusion, rural patients received a different care pattern from metropolitan patients and they and their GPs raised concerns about the equity and quality of lung cancer care.