QUALICOPC, a multi-country study evaluating quality, costs and equity in primary care

Contains fulltext : 96249.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The QUALICOPC (Quality and Costs of Primary Care in Europe) study aims to evaluate the performance of primary care systems in Europe in terms of quality, equity and costs. The study will provide an answer to the question what strong primary care systems entail and which effects primary care systems have on the performance of health care systems. QUALICOPC is funded by the European Commission under the "Seventh Framework Programme". In this article the background and design of the QUALICOPC study is described. METHODS/DESIGN: QUALICOPC started in 2010 and will run until 2013. Data will be collected in 31 European countries (27 EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey) and in Australia, Israel and New Zealand. This study uses a three level approach of data collection: the system, practice and patient. Surveys will be held among general practitioners (GPs) and their patients, providing evidence at the process and outcome level of primary care. These surveys aim to gain insight in the professional behaviour of GPs and the expectations and actions of their patients. An important aspect of this study is that each patient's questionnaire can be linked to their own GP's questionnaire. To gather data at the structure or national level, the study will use existing data sources such as the System of Health Accounts and the Primary Health Care Activity Monitor Europe (PHAMEU) database. Analyses of the data will be performed using multilevel models. DISCUSSION: By its design, in which different data sources are combined for comprehensive analyses, QUALICOPC will advance the state of the art in primary care research and contribute to the discussion on the merit of strengthening primary care systems and to evidence based health policy development

Characteristics of general practice care: What do senior citizens value? A qualitative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In view of the increasing number of senior citizens in our society who are likely to consult their GP with age-related health problems, it is important to identify and understand the preferences of this group in relation to the non-medical attributes of GP care. The aim of this study is to improve our understanding about preferences of this group of patients in relation to non-medical attributes of primary health care. This may help to develop strategies to improve the quality of care that senior citizens receive from their GP.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Semi-structured interviews (N = 13) with senior citizens (65-91 years) in a judgement sample were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The analysis was conducted according to qualitative research methodology and the frame work method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Continuity of care providers, i.e. GP and practice nurses, GPs' expertise, trust, free choice of GP and a kind open attitude were highly valued. Accessibility by phone did not meet the expectations of the interviewees. The interviewees had difficulties with the GP out-of-office hours services. Spontaneous home visits were appreciated by some, but rejected by others. They preferred to receive verbal information rather than collecting information from leaflets. Distance to the practice and continuity of caregiver seemed to conflict for respondents.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Preferences change in the process of ageing and growing health problems. GPs and their co-workers should be also aware of the changing needs of the elderly regarding non-medical attributes of GP care. Meeting their needs regarding non-medical attributes of primary health care is important to improve the quality of care.</p

May Measurement Month 2018: a pragmatic global screening campaign to raise awareness of blood pressure by the International Society of Hypertension

Aims Raised blood pressure (BP) is the biggest contributor to mortality and disease burden worldwide and fewer than half of those with hypertension are aware of it. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global campaign set up in 2017, to raise awareness of high BP and as a pragmatic solution to a lack of formal screening worldwide. The 2018 campaign was expanded, aiming to include more participants and countries. Methods and results Eighty-nine countries participated in MMM 2018. Volunteers (≥18 years) were recruited through opportunistic sampling at a variety of screening sites. Each participant had three BP measurements and completed a questionnaire on demographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg, or taking antihypertensive medication. In total, 74.9% of screenees provided three BP readings. Multiple imputation using chained equations was used to impute missing readings. 1 504 963 individuals (mean age 45.3 years; 52.4% female) were screened. After multiple imputation, 502 079 (33.4%) individuals had hypertension, of whom 59.5% were aware of their diagnosis and 55.3% were taking antihypertensive medication. Of those on medication, 60.0% were controlled and of all hypertensives, 33.2% were controlled. We detected 224 285 individuals with untreated hypertension and 111 214 individuals with inadequately treated (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg) hypertension. Conclusion May Measurement Month expanded significantly compared with 2017, including more participants in more countries. The campaign identified over 335 000 adults with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. In the absence of systematic screening programmes, MMM was effective at raising awareness at least among these individuals at risk

Abstracts of Publications and Research, Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, College of Tropical Agriculture; VI. Agronomy

One in a series of six reports detailing all the published research of faculty in the department, as well as graduate student MS theses and PhD dissertations, between 1960 and 1974

Some agronomic observations in Desmodium species: seed weights

Najbardziej znanymi organizacjami samorządu gospodarczego są izby przemysłowo-handlowe. Mają one określony przez ustawę zakres zadań, które wykonywane są samodzielnie i niezawiśle od innych podmiotów administracji publicznej. Zakres tych zadań jest miarą decentralizacji administracji państwa w sferze gospodarczej; jest też wyrazem zaufania państwa do obligatoryjnie zorganizowanego w izbach czynnika obywatelskiego, a także przekonania, że jest on w sprawach gospodarki lokalnej bardziej kompetentny od urzędników administracji rządowej. Dzięki samorządowi gospodarczemu społeczność przedsiębiorców ze zbiorowości indywidualnych, rozproszonych jednostek staje się zorganizowaną zbiorowością publicznoprawną, czyli wspólnotą samorządową, wyposażoną we władztwo administracyjne. Charakteryzując pozycję ustrojową i zakres zadań samorządu gospodarczego wielce zasadne jest odwołanie się do doświadczeń państw Unii Europejskiej, gdzie od lat izby przemysłowo-handlowe są ważnym reprezentantem interesów środowiska przedsiębiorców.The most popular form of economic self-government are chambers of commerce and industry. The scope of their tasks is stipulated by act of law and they perform these tasks freely and independently from other bodies o f public administration. The scope o f their tasks provides a measure of the extent to which the state administration is decentralized in the economic realm and expresses the state’s trust in the civic power, as well as the conviction that in the matters of local economy citizens are more competent than government officials. Thanks to economic self government the community of entrepreneurs is transformed from individual, scattered entities into an organized body governed by public law, or a sovereign community with administrative powers. When describing the political position and the scope of tasks of economic self-government it is more than justified to refer to the EU’s experience, where chambers of commerce and industry have been a significant representation of entrepreneurial interests for many years