BMC Family Practice最新文献

{"title":"Review: application of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) in primary care - a systematic synthesis on validity, descriptive and comparative results, and variance across organisational units","authors":"Anne Estrup Olesen, Marie Haase Juhl, Ellen Tveter Deilkås, Solvejg Kristensen","doi":"10.1186/s12875-024-02273-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02273-z","url":null,"abstract":"Patient safety research has focused mostly on the hospital and acute care setting whereas assessments of patient safety climate in primary health care settings are warranted. Valid questionnaires as e.g., the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) may capture staff perceptions of patient safety climate but until now, an overview of the use of SAQ in primary care has not been systematically presented. Thus, the aim of this systematic review is to present an overview of SAQ used in primary care. Methods The electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, Cinahl, PsycInfo and Web of Science were used to find studies that used any version of SAQ in primary care. Studies were excluded if only abstract or poster was available, as the information in abstract and posters was deemed insufficient. Commentaries and nonempirical studies (e.g., study protocols) were excluded. Only English manuscripts were included. Results A total of 43 studies were included and 40 of them fell into four categories: 1) validation analysis, 2) descriptive analysis, 3) variance assessment and 4) intervention evaluation and were included in further analyses. Some studies fell into more than one of the four categories. Seventeen studies aimed to validate different versions of SAQ in a variety of settings and providers. Twenty-five studies from fourteen different countries reported descriptive findings of different versions of SAQ in a variety of settings. Most studies were conducted in primary health care centres, out-of-hours clinics, nursing homes and general practice focusing on greatly varying populations. One study was conducted in home care. Three studies investigated variance of SAQ scores. Only five studies used SAQ to assess the effects of interventions/events. These studies evaluated the effect of electronic medical record implementation, a comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program or COVID-19. Conclusion The synthesis demonstrated that SAQ is valid for use in primary care, but it is important to adapt and validate the questionnaire to the specific setting and participants under investigation. Moreover, differences in SAQ factor scores were related to a variety of descriptive factors, that should be considered in future studies More studies, especially variance and intervention studies, are warranted in primary care. Trial registration This systematic review was not registered in any register.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139554361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Barriers and facilitators to depression care among Latino men in a primary care setting: a qualitative study","authors":"Nathan Swetlitz, Ladson Hinton, Morgan Rivera, Mishen Liu, Anna Claire Fernandez, Maria E Garcia","doi":"10.1186/s12875-024-02275-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02275-x","url":null,"abstract":"In the United States, Latinos face a wide array of cultural and structural barriers to accessing and utilizing mental health care. Latino men specifically are at high risk of receiving inadequate mental health care, possibly due to additional obstacles they experience that are related to masculinity. Among men more generally, greater adherence to emotional control and self-reliance is associated with higher depression severity and less depression help-seeking. Men experience more stigma toward depression and help-seeking and are less likely to be diagnosed with depression than women. However, Latino men’s barriers and facilitators to depression care remain largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to examine barriers and facilitators to depression care that are related to masculinity among English- and Spanish-speaking Latino men in a primary care setting. We used convenience and purposive sampling to recruit primary care patients who self-identified as Latino men, spoke English or Spanish, and screened positive for depressive symptoms on the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 or had a history of depression. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between December 2020 and August 2021. The interview guide examined views and experiences of depression, masculinity, and barriers and facilitators to engaging in depression care. Utilizing consensual qualitative research and thematic analysis informed by modified grounded theory, barriers and facilitators to depression care were identified. We interviewed thirteen participants who varied in English proficiency, education, income, and country of origin. Barriers and facilitators were placed into three domains—Self-Recognition of Depression, Seeking Help for Depression, and Depression Diagnosis and Treatment. Participants described aspects of masculinity as barriers (emotional control and pressure to provide), facilitators (honesty, courage, collaboration, practicality, and responsibility), or both (self-reliance and autonomy). Masculinity influences barriers and facilitators for depression care among Latino men at the levels of self-recognition, seeking help, and diagnosis and treatment. Clinicians may promote Latino men’s engagement in depression care by understanding patients’ values and framing depression care as affirming masculinity. Providing education to primary care physicians and other healthcare professionals on gender and depression and addressing structural barriers are essential to providing access to all who need depression care.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139509363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does health literacy influence health-related lifestyle behaviors among specialists of health management? A cross-sectional study","authors":"Shunsuke Kinoshita, Nobutaka Hirooka, Takeru Kusano, Kohei Saito, Ryutaro Aoyagi","doi":"10.1186/s12875-024-02263-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02263-1","url":null,"abstract":"Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as health-related lifestyle diseases, are the leading cause of mortality and societal and economic burdens. Poor lifestyle behaviors, which are modifiable to improve health, can cause diseases, including NCDs. Health literacy has been recognized as an important determinant of health, and studies have shown that higher health literacy is associated with better health outcomes and positive health-related behaviors. However, few studies have investigated the association between health literacy and health-related lifestyle behaviors to understand the mechanistic link between them. Thus, this study investigated the extent to which health literacy at different levels influences health-related lifestyle behaviors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Japanese health management specialists (N = 1,920). Functional, critical, and communicative health literacy were measured. Lifestyle behaviors (exercise, diet and nutrition, sleep, rest, smoking, and alcohol intake), in line with the Japanese National Health Promotion Program, were assessed and calculated into a total cumulative score of health-related lifestyle behaviors. Moreover, we analyzed the associations between the three levels of health literacy and lifestyle behaviors using regression analyses by adjusting for socio-psycho-demographic factors. Multiple linear regression analyses showed a significant association between the Japanese version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire and total health-related lifestyle scores (standardized β = 0.160, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.136) after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Similarly, the association between communicative and critical health literacy and the total health-related lifestyle scores was significant (standardized β = 0.122, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.125). The analysis indicated that individuals who had higher level of health literacy (critical and communicative) than functional health literacy (Japanese version of the Newest Vital Sign score) had higher health-related lifestyle behaviors. A higher level of health literacy is associated with health-related lifestyle behaviors. Health literacy can be a target for interventions to achieve the national goal of lifestyle-related disease prevention and control.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139509367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COVID-19 adaptations to a training and support programme to improve primary care response to domestic abuse: a mixed methods rapid study","authors":"Lucy Downes, Estela Capelas Barbosa","doi":"10.1186/s12875-023-02203-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-023-02203-5","url":null,"abstract":"Increased incidence and/or reporting of domestic abuse (DA) accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. National lockdowns and enforced social isolation necessitated new ways of supporting victims of DA remotely. Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) is a programme to improve the response to domestic abuse in general practice, providing training for general practice teams and support for patients affected by DA, which has previously been proven effective and cost-effective [1–3]. The COVID-19 pandemic required the adaptation of the programme to online training and remote support. This study is mixed methods rapid research, which aimed to gather evidence around the relevance, desirability and acceptability of IRIS operating remotely. Quantitative IRIS referral data were triangulated with data from four surveys and 15 interviews. Participants were local IRIS teams, IRIS-trained clinicians, and victim-survivors supported by IRIS services. The study was designed using the Lean Impact approach, allowing quick evaluation of innovation and the impact of social interventions. We carried out a framework analysis of the interviews, which is a qualitative methodology widely used in policy and applied research that enables research teams to move from descriptive accounts to a conceptual explanation of findings [4, 5]. We found that the adaptation to online training and support of IRIS was acceptable and desirable. Most clinicians felt confident addressing DA over the phone and online, although most were more confident face-to-face. While referrals to IRIS services initially declined in March 2020, numbers of referrals increased to pre-pandemic levels by July 2020. Patients felt well supported remotely, although patients who had previously experienced face-to-face support preferred it. Technology was the most frequently mentioned barrier to the change from face-to-face training and support to online training and remote support. This study contributes to practice by asserting the desirability and acceptability of training clinicians to be able to identify, ask about DA and refer to the IRIS programme during telephone/online consultations. This is of relevance to health and public health commissioners when making commissioning decisions to improve the general practice response to domestic abuse.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139409470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Communication and coordination of care for people living with HIV: a qualitative study of the patient perspective","authors":"Sherridan Warner, Daniel Cheung, Ashleigh Condon, Juliet Cunningham, Jodie Bailie, Ariane Minc, Simone Herbert, Natalie Edmiston","doi":"10.1186/s12875-023-02243-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-023-02243-x","url":null,"abstract":"There is growing consensus that primary health care (PHC) providers have an important role in providing holistic, preventative care for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV). In regional Australia, HIV care is primarily delivered through specialist services, thus adequate coordination and communication between specialist and PHC professionals is crucial. This study aimed to explore patient experiences of the coordination of care and health care professional communication for PLHIV in regional Australia. Semi-structured interviews with PLHIV in a regional area of Australia were conducted in March to April 2022. Interviews were conducted via video conferencing, face-to-face, or via telephone call. Interviews were audio-recorded and manually transcribed. Transcripts were coded inductively and thematic analysis was conducted to explore perspectives on communication and coordination. Thirteen participants were interviewed. Most participants were male, aged 50–70, were diagnosed with HIV more than ten years ago, and had been living in regional Australia long-term. Through qualitative analysis, themes emerged in the following areas: (1) Patient perception of care coordination; (2) Patient understanding of modality of communication; (3) Positive attitudes towards communication between healthcare professionals; and (4) Concerns for information sharing between healthcare professionals. Many participants highlighted lack of clarity around care coordination as a key issue in their healthcare, with some citing themselves as the primary care coordinator. Participants identified that coordination and communication between PHC professionals and specialist services are essential in the delivery of their health care, but some were hesitant for this to occur. Hesitancy was entrenched in some patients’ distrust of healthcare due to previous experiences of confidentiality breaches and stigma. This study identifies the need for clarity in coordination between health care professionals to deliver safe and effective HIV care, which may occur through care plans. Patient support for communication between healthcare providers may be strengthened by ensuring trust in the people and systems involved. Eliminating stigma in healthcare as well as building more trustworthy electronic-based communication technologies are essential components to trust-building between PLHIV and healthcare systems.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139409477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What helps patients access web-based services in primary care? Free-text analysis of patient responses to the Di-Facto questionnaire","authors":"Nada Khan, Emma Pitchforth, Rachel Winder, Gary Abel, Christopher E. Clark, Emma Cockcroft, John Campbell","doi":"10.1186/s12875-023-02257-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-023-02257-5","url":null,"abstract":"The National Health Service (NHS) and general practice are increasingly adopting digital services. These services can impact both positively and negatively upon patient experiences, and access to digital services is not equal amongst all groups. Within a wider project examining digital facilitation (the Di-Facto study) our team conducted a patient survey amongst English primary care practices aiming to investigate patient views of what supports uptake and use of web-based services. This paper reports on the analysis of the free-text responses from the patient survey. The Di-Facto patient survey was distributed to practices in eight clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England between 2021–2022. We examined free-text responses to two questions relating to access to primary care web-based and support for web-based services. We used qualitative reflexive thematic analysis based on a six-stage process to analyse responses. Of the 3051 patients who responded to the Di-Facto survey, 2246 provided a free-text response. We present our findings in two major themes: systems and structures and their impact on use of web-based services, and ‘what works for me’, a description of how respondents described what worked, or did not work in terms of their interactions with web-based services. Respondents described how the technology, such as poor practice website design, confusion over multiple digital apps, data security and concerns about eConsultation offerings impacted on use of web-based services. Respondents described practice level barriers, such as a lack of or inconsistent provision, which prevented optimal use of web-based services. Respondents described personal and technical barriers that impacted on their use of digital services, and described which web-based services worked well for them. Respondents felt that web-based services were not a replacement for face-to-face interactions with a doctor. This analysis of free-text responses from a large patient survey highlights the system, practice, and person level barriers and facilitators to use of digital services in primary care. With an increasing push towards digital solutions in NHS primary care, practices should consider the design, rollout and communication of their web-based services to support patient access.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139409505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of poor glycaemic control and proteinuria in patients with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective analysis of general practice records in Ireland","authors":"Maria Sullivan, Raymond O’Connor, Ailish Hannigan","doi":"10.1186/s12875-023-02252-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-023-02252-w","url":null,"abstract":"Analysis of general practice records can address the information gap on the epidemiology of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Ireland, informing practice and the development of interventions in primary care. The aim of this study was to identify patients with poor glycaemic control, risk factors for complications and evidence of end organ damage in a large multi-practice study and to profile their characteristics. Patients with T2DM were identified using disease coding in Health One practice management software in 41 general practices. Patients’ demographics and clinical data were extracted. Rates of poor glycaemic control (glycated haemoglobin > 58 mmol/mol) and albumin creatinine ratio > 3 mg/mmol were calculated. A multilevel logistic regression analysis using both patient and practice variables was conducted. Data was collected from 3188 patients of whom 29% (95% CI 28 to 31%) had poor glycaemic control, which was associated with younger age, higher BMI and higher total cholesterol. Only 42% of patients (n = 1332) had albumin creatinine ratio measured with 42% (95% CI 40 to 45%) of these having values > 3 mg/mmol. Older age groups, men, those with hypertension, eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 and poor glycaemic control were most associated with higher values of albumin creatinine ratio. Analysing this large multi-practice dataset gives important information on the prevalence and characteristics of diabetic patients who are most at risk of poor outcomes. It highlights that recording of some data could be improved.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139409529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors contributing to the variation in antibiotic prescribing among primary health care physicians: a systematic review","authors":"Gashaw Enbiyale Kasse, Judy Humphries, Suzanne M. Cosh, Md Shahidul Islam","doi":"10.1186/s12875-023-02223-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-023-02223-1","url":null,"abstract":"Antibiotic resistance is growing globally. The practice of health professionals when prescribing antibiotics in primary health care settings significantly impacts antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic prescription is a complex process influenced by various internal and external factors. This systematic review aims to summarize the available evidence regarding factors contributing to the variation in antibiotic prescribing among physicians in primary healthcare settings. This systematic review was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines. We included qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies that examined factors influencing prescription practice and variability among primary healthcare physicians. We excluded editorials, opinions, systematic reviews and studies published in languages other than English. We searched studies from electronic databases: PubMed, ProQuest Health and Medicine, Web Science, and Scopus. The quality of the included studies was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (Version 2018). Narrative synthesis was employed to synthesize the result and incorporate quantitative studies. Of the 1816 identified studies, 49 studies spanning 2000–2023 were eligible for review. The factors influencing antibiotic prescription practice and variability were grouped into physician-related, patient-related, and healthcare system-related factors. Clinical guidelines, previous patient experience, physician experience, colleagues’ prescribing practice, pharmaceutical pressure, time pressure, and financial considerations were found to be influencing factors of antibiotic prescribing practice. In addition, individual practice patterns, practice volume, and relationship with patients were also other factors for the variability of antibiotic prescription, especially for intra-physician prescription variability. Antibiotic prescription practice in primary health care is a complex practice, influenced by a combination of different factors and this may account for the variation. To address the factors that influence the variability of antibiotic prescription (intra- and inter-physician), interventions should aim to reduce diagnostic uncertainty and provide continuous medical education and training to promote patient-centred care.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139079666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Primary care physicians working in rural areas provide a broader scope of practice: a cross-sectional study","authors":"Makoto Kaneko, Tomoya Higuchi, Ryuichi Ohta","doi":"10.1186/s12875-023-02250-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-023-02250-y","url":null,"abstract":"Scope of practice (SoP) is an important factor for primary care physicians (PCPs). One of the strong determinants of SoP is rurality. Although Japan has several rural areas, the SoP in rural areas and the effect of rurality on SoP have not been investigated. This study aimed to describe SoP in Japanese primary care settings and examine the association between rurality and SoP. This cross-sectional study included PCPs in Japan. The participants were randomly sampled from the mailing list of the Japan Primary Care Association. The Scope of Practice Inventory (SPI) and Scope of Practice for Primary Care (SP4PC) were used as indicators of SoP. The Rurality Index for Japan (RIJ) was used for rurality. This study compared the number of items of SPI (total score, inpatient care, urgent care and ambulatory care) and SP4PC experienced by > 80% of all PCPs in the most urban (RIJ:1–10) and rural areas (RIJ: 91–100). A multivariable linear regression analysis was also performed to examine the relationship between the RIJ and SPI/SP4PC. Of 1,000 potential participants, 299 physicians responded to the survey (response rate: 29.9%). PCPs in the most rural areas experienced a greater number of items in the inpatientl/urgent care domains of the SPI and SP4PC than those in the most urban areas. The RIJ was the only common factor for a broader SoP in both the SPI and SP4C models. The coefficients of SoP were 0.09 (95% confidence interval: 0.03–0.16) in the SPI model and 0.017 (0.005–0.03) in the SP4PC model. Rurality was considerably associated with SoP. The findings of this study will be helpful in understanding the SoP on rural and urban areas.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139079614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patterns of knee osteoarthritis management in general practice: a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records","authors":"Ilgin G. Arslan, A. C. van Berkel, J. Damen, P. Bindels, M. de Wilde, S. M.A. Bierma-Zeinstra, D. Schiphof","doi":"10.1186/s12875-023-02198-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-023-02198-z","url":null,"abstract":"This study determined patterns of knee osteoarthritis (OA) management by general practitioners (GPs) using routine healthcare data from Dutch general practices from 2011 to 2019. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Integrated Primary Care Information database between 2011 and 2019. Electronic health records (EHRs) of n = 750 randomly selected knee OA patients (with either codified or narrative diagnosis) were reviewed against eligibility criteria and n = 503 patients were included. Recorded information was extracted on GPs’ management from six months before to three years after diagnosis and patterns of management were analysed. An X-ray referral was the most widely recorded management modality (63.2%). The next most widely recorded management modalities were a referral to secondary care (56.1%) and medication prescription or advice (48.3%). Records of recommendation of/referral to other primary care practitioners (e.g. physiotherapists) were found in only one third of the patients. Advice to lose weight was least common (1.2%). Records of medication prescriptions or recommendation of/referral to other primary care practitioners were found more frequently in patients with an X-ray referral compared to patients without, while records of secondary care referrals were found less frequently. Records of an X-ray referral were often found in narratively diagnosed knee OA patients before GPs recorded a code for knee OA in their EHR. These findings emphasize the importance of better implementing non-surgical management of knee OA in general practice and on initiatives for reducing the overuse of X-rays for diagnosing knee OA in general practice.","PeriodicalId":9019,"journal":{"name":"BMC Family Practice","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139079615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}