The Ukrainian primary healthcare programme of preventive and screening recommendations has not been evidence-based. The traditional system of continuous medical education in Ukraine places ...participants in the role of passive listeners. This study explored the effects of an interactive training course on evidence-based prevention and screening of cardiovascular risks, on changes in Ukrainian family doctors' (FDs) and primary care nurses' (PCNs) knowledge and readiness to change practice over time.
Three hundred and seven FDs and PCNs participated in the study. Changes in participants' knowledge were assessed with 20 multiple choice questions, and their readiness to change practice with a five-item questionnaire. These were administered before, immediately after, three and twelve months after training.
The mean pre-course knowledge score was 6.1 (SD 1.8) out of 20, increasing to 14.9 (SD 2.3) immediately afterwards (p<0.001). Three months later it was 10.2 (SD 3.2) and at one year it was 10.4 (SD 3.3), both of which were significantly higher than the pre-training level (p<0.005). The percentage of participants that were highly motivated to change their practice increased from 18.4% before the training to 62.3% immediately afterwards (p<0.001). Three months later, this fell to 40.4%. At 12 months it further reduced to 27.4%, but was still significantly higher than the baseline level (p<0.001).
The interactive training was effective in increasing both participants' knowledge and their readiness to change their clinical practice. The impact of the training diminished over time, but was still evident a year later.
Gangrene and amputation are among most feared complications of diabetes mellitus. Early detection of patients at high risk for foot ulceration can prevent foot complications. Regular foot screening ...(medical history, foot examination and classification into risk groups) was introduced at the out-patient diabetes clinic in Ljubljana in November 1996. We aimed to explore the relationships between the observed variables, check the appropriateness of the risk status classification and of the post-screening decisions.
The data of 11.594 patients, obtained in 18 years, were analysed by multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Most of the observed variables were categorical.
The majority of the screened population was free of foot complications. We demonstrated an increasing frequency and severity of foot problems with an increasing age, as well as the association between the loss of protective sensation and the history of foot ulceration, foot deformity and callus formation, the history of foot ulcer or amputation and acute foot ulceration. A new finding was that the location of foot deformity points was closer to female than male gender, indicating the possible role of fashionable high-heel footwear. The appropriateness of therapeutic decisions was confirmed: the points representing absent foot pulses and referral to vascular specialist were close together, as well as points representing foot deformity and special footwear prescription or callus formation and referral to pedicurist.
MCA was applied to the data on foot pathology in the population attending the out-patient diabetes clinic. The method proved to be a useful statistical tool for analysing the data of screening procedures.
In 1996 the World Health Organization declared intimate partner violence (IPV) the most important public health problem. Meta-analyses in 2013 showed every third female globally had been a victim of ...violence. Experts find screening controversial; family medicine is the preferred environment for identifying victims of violence, but barriers on both sides prevent patients from discussing it with doctors.
In July 2014, a qualitative study was performed through semi-structured interviews with ten family doctors of different ages and gender, working in rural or urban environments. Sound recordings of the interviews were transcribed, and the record verified. The data were interpreted using content analysis. A coding scheme was developed and later verified and analysed by two independent researchers. The text of the interviews was analysed according to the coding scheme.
Two coding schemes were developed: one for screening, and the other for the active detection of IPV. The main themes emerging as barriers to screening were lack of time, staff turnover, inadequate finance, ignorance of a clear definition, poor commitment to screening, obligatory follow-up, risk of deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship, and insincerity on the part of the patient. Additionally, cultural aspects of violence, uncertainty/ helplessness, fear, lack of competence and qualifications, autonomy/negative experience, and passive role/stigma/ fear on the part of the patients were barriers to active detection.
All the participating doctors had had previous experience with active detection of IPV and were aware of its importance. Due to several barriers to screening for violence they preferred active detection.
Introduction. Besides participation in the primary prevention, screening as secondary prevention is an important requirement for primary care services. The effect of this work is influenced by the ...characteristics of individual primary care practices and doctors’ screening habits, as well as by the regulation of screening processes and available financial resources. Between 1999 and 2009, a managed care program was introduced and carried out in Hungary, financed by the government. This financial support and motivation gave the opportunity to increase the number of screenings.
Method. 4,462 patients of 40 primary care practices were screened on the basis of SCORE risk assessment. The results of the screening were compared on the basis of two groups of patients, namely: those who had been pre-screened (pre-screening method) for known risk factors in their medical history (smoking, BMI, age, family cardiovascular history), and those randomly screened. The authors also compared the mortality data of participating primary care practices with the regional and national data.
Results. The average score was significantly higher in the pre-screened group of patients, regardless of whether the risk factors were considered one by one or in combination. Mortality was significantly lower in the participating primary practices than had been expected on the basis of the national mortality data.
Conclusion. This government-financed program was a big step forward to establish a proper screening method within Hungarian primary care. Performing cardiovascular screening of a selected target group is presumably more appropriate than screening within a randomly selected population. Both methods resulted in a visible improvement in regional mortality data, though it is very likely that with pre-screening a more cost-effective selection for screening may be obtained.
Uvod. Poleg primarne preventive je presejanje kot sekundarna preventiva pomemben člen pri storitvah osnovnega zdravstvenega varstva. Na uspešnost tovrstnega dela vplivajo značilnosti posameznih splošnih ambulant varstva in pripravljenost zdravnikov za izvajanje presejalnih pregledov kot tudi ureditev procesov presejanja in razpoložljivih finančnih virov. Med leti 1999 in 2009 je bil v Madžarski uveden in izpeljan program vodene oskrbe, ki ga je financirala vlada. Ta finančna podpora in spodbuda je omogočila priložnost za povečanje števila presejalnih pregledov.
Metode. 4462 pacientov iz 40 splošnih ambulant je bilo vključenih v presejalni pregled v sklopu ocene tveganja SCORE. Rezultate presejanja se je primerjalo na podlagi dveh skupin pacientov, in sicer tistih, ki so bili predhodno presejani (metoda predhodnega presejanja) za znane dejavnike tveganja v njihovi zdravstveni anamnezi (kajenje, indeks telesne mase, starost, zgodovina srčno-žilnih obolenj) ter tistih, ki so bili presejani naključno. Avtorji so primerjali tudi podatke sodelujočih splošnih ambulant o smrtnosti z regionalnimi in nacionalnimi podatki.
Rezultati. Povprečen rezultat je bil bistveno višji v predhodno presejani skupini pacientov, ne glede na to, ali so bili dejavniki tveganja upoštevani posamično ali v kombinaciji. Smrtnost je bila bistveno nižja pri sodelujočih splošnih ambulantah, kot je bilo pričakovati na podlagi nacionalnih podatkov o smrtnosti.
Zaključek. Ta program, ki ga je financirala država, je pomenil velik korak naprej k ustanovitvi ustrezne metode presejanja znotraj madžarskega sistema osnovne zdravstvene oskrbe. Izvajanje presejanja za ogroženost srčnožilnega sistema pri izbrani skupini je očitno bolj primerno od naključnih pregledov. Obe metodi sta vidno prispevali k izboljšanju regionalnih podatkov o smrtnosti, čeprav je precej verjetno, da se s predhodnim presejanjem doseže bolj stroškovno učinkovita izbira presejanj.
Background. There is now compelling evidence that screening for colorectal cancer may result in significantly reduced mortality. Screening tests for colorectal cancer are not systematically performed ...in Bulgaria.
Aim. This article explores the effect of an educational intervention on the willingness of patients to participate in the screening for colorectal cancer with the immunochemical faecal occult blood test in the home setting.
Materials and methods. A before-after design study of the effects of educational intervention comprising distribution of a brochure and one-to-one discussion with a GP. A self-administered, original questionnaire was administered before and after the intervention to 600 randomly selected patients in 40 general practices (15 patients per practice) in Plovdiv district.
Results. The intervention led to an increase with >20% of the patient’s knowledge of the importance of the test and on how to carry out the test. Statistical analysis indicated that there was an increase in knowledge after the educational intervention about the usefulness of the test (24.8% in males, 18.3% in females) and its performance (22.7% in males, 25.4% in females).
Conclusion. The educational intervention has significantly influenced the patient’s awareness about the test’s usefulness and its self-administration. It improved the awareness by providing an easy access to information, thus fostering the active involvement of the patients. A strength of the intervention was the patient-centered approach in providing additional information through one-to-one discussions, and it ensured a higher quality of the preventive screening in the general practice.
Uvod. Sedaj obstajajo prepričljivi dokazi, da presejanje za raka debelega črevesa in danke lahko bistveno zniža stopnjo smrtnosti. Presejalni testi za raka debelega črevesa in danke se v Bolgariji ne izvajajo sistematično.
Cilj. Članek raziskuje učinek izobraževalnega ukrepa na pripravljenost pacientov za presejanje za raka debelega črevesa in danke z imunokemičnim testom na domu za določanje okultne krvi v blatu.
Metode. Študija “prej in potem” učinka izobraževalnega ukrepa, ki vključuje razdeljevanje brošure in osebni pogovor s splošnim zdravnikom. Prvotni vprašalnik je bil pred in po ukrepu razdeljen 600 naključno izbranim pacientom in 40 splošnim ambulantam (15 pacientov na ambulanto) v okraju Plovdiv.
Rezultati. Ukrep je prinesel več kot 20 % povečanje zavedanja pacientov o pomenu testa in o načinu njegove izvedbe. Statistična analiza je pokazala, da po izobraževalnem ukrepu obstaja porast znanja o uporabnosti testa (24,8 % pri moških, 18,3 pri ženskah) in njegovem delovanju (22,7 % pri moških, 25,4 % pri ženskah).
Zaključek. Izobraževalni ukrep je bistveno vplival na pacientovo zavedanje o uporabnosti testa in njegovi izvedbi. Povečal je zavedanje z zagotavljanjem enostavnega dostopa do informacij in s tem spodbudil aktivno udeležbo pacientov. Ukrep je bil uspešen zaradi pristopa, usmerjenega k pacientu, pri zagotavljanju dodatnih informacij prek osebnih pogovorov in je prinesel višjo kakovost preventivnega presejanja v splošnih ambulantah.
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