Universal access to essential health services is a global commitment; however, it remains a major challenge in low-income countries. Primary health care (PHC) is widely recognized as the most effective platform for delivering basic health interventions and essential public health functions. Assessing the capacity and performance of PHC provides critical information on the state...
Difficulties in recruiting general practitioners (GPs) to clinical practice guideline panels (CPGPs) have been noted. However, little is known about the specific nature of these challenges. Our objective was to investigate (1) GPs’ insights on the importance of their involvement in clinical practice guideline development and (2) the most essential facilitators and barriers...
The family doctor contract service has emerged as a crucial model for managing chronic diseases. This study aims to examine the association between family doctor service contract and follow-up management and control among patients with hypertension and diabetes in a remote multi-ethnic province of China. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2023 Hainan Health...
The growing prevalence of multimorbidity and frailty, driven by an ageing population and changing health trends, is placing significant pressure on healthcare systems. Frailty assessments provide valuable insights into patient vulnerability, allowing for early interventions to prevent functional decline and reduce hospitalisations. Despite their importance, standardised frailty...
Obesity, a growing problem worldwide and locally, is a risk factor for many chronic conditions. Weight loss has been shown to improve health outcomes and weight management programmes are effective in achieving weight loss. However, the effectiveness and sustainability of weight management programmes are variable. The six-month, seven-touch-point Weight Management Programme...
Globally osteoarthritis is a leading cause of pain and disability. General practitioners (GPs) have a critical role in the management of osteoarthritis in primary care, yet they also face numerous barriers to referral of people with osteoarthritis to osteoarthritis management programs that provide evidence based first line care (exercise, education, and weight management.) Thus...
The importance of primary care research in informing clinical practice and policy is well demonstrated. In the Singapore setting, the majority of research occurs in public institutions called polyclinics as opposed to the private general practice setting where approximately 80% of primary care clinical service provision takes place. There is a need to increase research in the...
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and hypercholesterolemia is one relevant risk factor. There are two established guidelines for the management of high cholesterol in general practice in Germany, one of these is from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). This analysis examines whether treatment modalities and clinical outcomes in German...
Antibiotics are often prescribed without a C-Reactive Protein (CRP) level, an inflammatory marker used to guide treatment decisions, due to delays in obtaining laboratory results. We evaluated a novel point of care testing (POCT) device that measures CRP within minutes using a small capillary blood sample obtained via finger prick, in community healthcare settings. Patients in...
Social needs - such as housing, income, food security, and social connectedness - have a significant effect on health and wellbeing. One way to address social needs is through social prescribing, which involves screening for unmet needs (e.g., during healthcare appointments) and providing referrals to social and community services. For social prescribing to be effective, it must...
Coping mechanisms help individuals face adversity, remain stable over time, and can be generalized to various circumstances. Two types are typically distinguished: the active style, aimed at resolving problems, and the passive style, focused on emotional regulation. We hypothesized that passive coping of the primary caregiver (hereafter, primary caregiver [PC]) would affect the...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being recognized as a transformative force in healthcare, showing significant promise in supporting healthcare professionals. AI has many applications in healthcare, including providing real-time decision support, diagnosing diseases, and advancing personalized medicine. However, clinical trials and further research are needed to...
The German rehabilitation system has some peculiar features, such as the predominance of inpatient medical rehabilitation. Most patients receive inpatient rehabilitation due to chronic illnesses like chronic backpain or psychosomatic diseases. General practitioners play a special role in the German healthcare system as they are often the first point of contact for health issues...
Dementia care presents significant challenges for caregivers and healthcare providers. Understanding these challenges, particularly in the context of cultural diversity, is essential for improving care quality. This study examines caregiving experiences among three groups—caregivers without migration background, caregivers with migration background, and general practitioners (GPs...
The aim of this study was to assess acceptance, feasibility and further need of development of the intervention Health and Life in Balance (HLB) for improving patient capacity for older people with multimorbidity. A convergent mixed-methods non-randomised pilot study in one intervention (IU) and one control primary care unit (CU) in Region Stockholm, Sweden. General practitioners...
The Swedish Child Healthcare services (CHS) includes team-based visits. Team-based visits are defined as physical meetings where different professionals, including the child and his or her parents, participate at the same time at the same place. This study aimed to explore healthcare professionals’ experiences of these visits to better understand the opportunities and...
Home visiting programs offer a way of delivering child health services to families that need them the most, based on socioeconomic and psychosocial conditions. Following evaluations of the implementation of a successful multiprofessional home visiting program in the Stockholm region, an extended version, Together for a safe start, was tested in four municipalities in the middle...
Pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs), often prescribed for the treatment of COPD and asthma have a high global warming potential (GWP) compared to dry powder inhalers (DPIs) and soft-mist inhalers. Despite calls to switch from high to DPIs or soft-mist inhalers, prescriptions of pMDIs have increased in recent years. Understanding healthcare providers
Informal carers often experience compromised mental and physical wellbeing due to their caring responsibilities. While social prescribing shows promise in supporting various populations, evidence for its effectiveness in supporting carers is limited. This study assessed the impact of a social prescribing program on health-related quality of life and other wellbeing measures among...
In Malaysia, diabetes in pregnancy poses a significant challenge. If uncontrolled, it leads to unfavourable maternal and foetal outcomes. Preconception care offers healthcare providers and women with diabetes an opportunity to minimise risk factors before pregnancy. However, the utilisation of this service in the public health clinics remains limited. This study aimed to explore...
Self-efficacy emerges as a crucial element that impacts engagement in self-care behaviors among patients with type 2 diabetes. There is a lack of studies examining management self-efficacy and quality of life among patients with type 2 diabetes in Palestine. Thus, this study examined these variables among this cohort. A cross-sectional study and a convenience sample of 397...
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited genetic disorder that represents a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This disease, characterized by an amino acid substitution in the beta-globin chain, requires early management to reduce serious complications and improve patients’ quality of life. This study...
The World Health Organization and German treatment guidelines emphasise integrating physical activity (PA) advice into primary care of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). However, this is often inadequately implemented in German general practice. A key barrier may be healthcare professionals’ limited knowledge and skills in providing effective and efficient PA guidance...
Antibiotic resistance causes 700,000 deaths annually worldwide. In France, diagnostic uncertainty in consultations leads to inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics, which increases antibiotic resistance. Capillary C-reactive protein (CRP) machines can provide a CRP measurement in primary care in two minutes and can help general practitioners in their prescribing decisions. The...