Structure and duration of consultations in Estonian family practice

Duration of the consultation is dependent on patient-related factors as well as on factors related to the health care system. Video-recording allows direct evaluation of the consultation and is acceptable to patients. Length of time of consultation is dependent on the patient's age and on the number and nature of the problems, but is not influenced by gender. Objective - &#114 To study the influence of age, gender and the nature of the patient's problems on length of time of consultation in the practices of newly trained family doctors in a recently reconstructed health care system. Design &#114 - &#114 Video-recordings of consultations with consecutive patients in family practice were studied for duration of consultation in relation to age, gender and nature of the problem(s). Setting &#114 - &#114 Primary health care. Subjects &#114 - &#114 405 consecutive consultations were video-taped in the practices of 27 family doctors. Main outcome measures &#114 - &#114 Length of time of consultation and its segments was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The problems were classified according to the ICPC. Results &#114 - &#114 The average consultation lasted 9.0 min ( &#45 4.9). Physical examination was 2.0 min ( &#45 1.9) and was performed in 79% of all consultations. Respiratory and circulatory problems were the most common. More than one reason for the encounter was given in one-fourth of cases. Consultation time was longer for older age groups and for patients with psychological problems. Conclusion &#114 - &#114 Video-recording allows consultations to be evaluated directly and is acceptable to patients. The high participation rate of patients in our study can be explained by the individual approach and by the family doctor system. The period of consultation was dependent on patient age and on the number and nature of the problems, but was not influenced by gender.     

医院感染防控绩效评价体系构建研究

目的建立契合医院感染防控实际的绩效评价体系,用于科学评价医院感染防控工作。方法应用头脑风暴法、文献荟萃法等建立指标池,通过咨询专家组完成指标的筛选、层次构建、评价和权重计算。结果成功构建医院感染防控绩效评价体系,包含一级指标3个、二级指标17个、三级指标27个。咨询信度Cronbach's α系数为0.901,内容效度指数为 0.800～1.000。结论构建的医院感染防控绩效评价体系可对医院感染管理工作进行科学、客观地评价。     

The profile of patients with chronic kidney disease who regularly present at an Australian general practice

Background:

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common, serious and mostly asymptomatic condition that places considerable burden on the Australian healthcare system. Yet there is limited information on the patients with CKD who present to Australian primary care services, which represent the gateway to specialized care.

Methods:

Data pertaining to 31,897 patients who presented to a general practice in Western Australia, from 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2014 (inclusive), were extracted for review. Data included attendance records, comorbidities, diagnoses, and demographic details. Binary logistic regression was used to compare patients diagnosed with CKD by the consulting general practitioner with those without this diagnosis.

Results:

Of the 8629 patients who regularly attended the practice, 184 (2%) were diagnosed with CKD (mean age: 77.7 years; male: 57.1%). The stage of CKD was recorded in only 8.4% of cases. Patients with CKD averaged 11 more consultations in the past 18 months (mean difference 10.8, 95% CI [9.3, 12.3], p?<?.001). They were also more likely to: be male; be ex-smokers; be widowed; and to have a carer. Their most common comorbidities included acute infections, cerebrovascular or ischemic heart disease, osteopenia or osteoporosis, and cancer; 8.7% had died within the previous year.

Conclusions:

Despite the prevalence of CKD, only one in five cases were recorded within this large practice. This reveals lost opportunities to monitor and manage patients with this chronic and common disease. Although this represents an important finding, this study is limited by the reliance on practice records, some of which were incomplete. Nevertheless, this study reveals two key findings. First, this disease is under-diagnosed and/or under-recorded. Second, patients with CKD have other, potentially unrelated, problems that may warrant attention.     

安宁疗护咨询在危重症患者中的应用进展

ICU与安宁疗护的结合,有助于提高ICU患者的生命质量,减少过度医疗。ICU安宁疗护咨询是以ICU临终患者和家属为中心,由安宁疗护咨询者提供有关症状控制、医疗决策制订和安宁疗护转诊信息的共享照护实践,是整合安宁疗护和ICU护理的有效途径。该文对ICU安宁疗护咨询的概念和内容、实施效果及障碍进行综述,为国内ICU开展安宁疗护咨询提供参考。