Cross-sectional Study In Primary Care Research Articles

Social support network, mental health and quality of life: a cross-sectional study in primary care.

The objective of this study was to identify the association between emotional distress and social support networks with quality of life in primary care patients. This was a cross-sectional study involving 1,466 patients in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2009/2010. The General Health Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument were used. The Social Support Network Index classified patients with the highest and lowest index as socially integrated or isolated. A bivariate analysis and four multiple linear regressions were conducted for each quality of life outcome. The means scores for the physical, psychological, social relations, and environment domains were, respectively, 64.7; 64.2; 68.5 and 49.1. In the multivariate analysis, the psychological domain was negatively associated with isolation, whereas the social relations and environment domains were positively associated with integration. Integration and isolation proved to be important factors for those in emotional distress as they minimize or maximize negative effects on quality of life.

Alcohol dependence and treatment utilization in Europe - a representative cross-sectional study in primary care.

BackgroundAlcohol dependence (AD) in Europe is prevalent and causes considerable health burden. Recognition by general practitioners (GPs) and provision of or referral to treatment may contribute to reduce this burden. This paper studied AD prevalence in varying European primary care settings and examined who received treatment.MethodsIn a cross-sectional multi-centre study in six European countries, 358 general practitioners assessed 13,003 primary care patients between January 2013 and January 2014, of which 8,476 patients were interviewed, collecting information on socio-demographics, physical and mental problems, and on alcohol use, problems and treatment. AD diagnoses were determined by GPs’ clinical judgement and a standardized interview. A wide definition for AD treatment included individual and group interventions provided by different health professionals. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were employed.ResultsAD was prevalent among patients in European primary health care settings (8.7 %, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 8.1-9.3 %). Treatment rates were low (22.3 % of all AD cases, 95 % CI: 19.4-25.2 %). For both prevalence and treatment utilization, considerable country variations were observed. AD was associated with a number of socio-economic disadvantages (e.g. higher unemployment rate) and higher physical (e.g., liver disease, hypertension) and mental comorbidities (e.g., depression, anxiety). Liver problems, mental distress and daily amount of alcohol used were higher among treated versus untreated male patients with AD.ConclusionA minority of people identified as having AD received treatment, showing heavier drinking patterns and a higher level of co-morbidity. Different types of treatment, depending on severity of AD, should be considered.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12875-015-0308-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Family physician clinical inertia in glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes.

BackgroundMany patients with diabetes do not achieve target values. One of the reasons for this is clinical inertia. The correct explanation of clinical inertia requires a conjunction of patient with physician and health care system factors. Our aim was to determine the rate of clinical inertia in treating diabetes in primary care and association of patient, physician, and health care setting factors with clinical inertia.Material/MethodsThis was a national, multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study in primary care in Croatia. Each family physician (FP) provided professional data and collected clinical data on 15–25 type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients. Clinical inertia was defined as a consultation in which treatment change based on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels was indicated but did not occur.ResultsA total of 449 FPs (response rate 89.8%) collected data on 10275 patients. Mean clinical inertia per FP was 55.6% (SD ±26.17) of consultations. All of the FPs were clinically inert with some patients, and 9% of the FPs were clinically inert with all patients. The main factors associated with clinical inertia were: higher percentage of HbA1c, oral anti-diabetic drug initiated by diabetologist, increased postprandial glycemia and total cholesterol, physical inactivity of patient, and administration of drugs other than oral antidiabetics.ConclusionsClinical inertia in treating patients with T2DM is a serious problem. Patients with worse glycemic control and those whose therapy was initiated by a diabetologist experience more clinical inertia. More research on causes of clinical inertia in treating patients with T2DM should be conducted to help achieve more effective diabetes control.

Perceived quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: a cross-sectional study in primary care on the role of illness perceptions.

BackgroundPrevious research has shown that in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients, it is important to consider not only physical functioning and complaints but also psychological factors, such as illness perceptions, to explain differences in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). The objective of this study is to analyse the extent to which the specific dimensions of illness perceptions according to the Common Sense Model (corrected for airflow limitation, dyspnoea and comorbidities) contribute to HRQoL.MethodIn a cross-sectional study in primary care, 90 COPD patients completed questionnaires: The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale, the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) and the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ). Analyses were performed with multiple linear regression.ResultsWhen corrected for confounders (airflow limitation, dyspnoea and comorbidities), identity (β = .42) and comprehensibility (β = -.16) were associated with HRQoL (CCQ). Identity, comprehensibility and dyspnoea explained 56% of the variation in HRQoL (R2 = .56). Consequences (β = -.50) and treatment control (β = .20) were associated with HRQoL (the CRQ’s physical domain). They explained 59% of the variation in the CRQ physical (R2 = .59) domain. Treatment control (β = .19) and emotional response (β = -.33) were associated with the CRQ emotional domain.ConclusionsPatients who experience fewer symptoms attributed to COPD, who have a better understanding of the disease, who experience less impact of COPD in daily life, who experience better treatment control and who have less of an emotional response have better HRQoL. This study indicates that the HRQoL of COPD patients is associated with illness perceptions as well as with the severity of dyspnoea as experienced by patients. Airflow limitation measures or comorbidities do not add to the explanation of HRQoL. The results of this study provide starting points for the development of interventions focusing on illness perceptions to support COPD patients in their disease management and to improve HRQoL.

The effect of physical activity and body mass index on menopausal symptoms in Turkish women: a cross-sectional study in primary care

BackgroundConsidering the fact that, due to recent evidence, many women no longer prefer hormone replacement therapy, it is especially important to develop intervention options to alleviate menopausal symptoms. Although there is conflicting evidence concerning effectiveness, there is an indication that physical activity and weight control may be useful for alleviating symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of physical activity and body mass index on menopausal symptoms among menopausal women in Turkey.Methods305 women between the ages of 45 and 60 who visited the health center for various reasons were recruited into this cross-sectional study. Menopausal women, who visited one of five family physicians working in the same area, were included in the analyses. The Menopause Rating Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire and a generic medical and socio-demographic information questionnaire were used.ResultsWomen who were physically active had lower total menopausal (p < 0.001), somato-vegetative (p = 0.004), psychological (p = 0.002), and urogenital (p < 0.001) symptom scores than women who were less active. No differences in vasomotor symptoms were recorded related to physical activity level; significant differences were found for most menopausal symptoms, including sleep (p = 0.009) and sexual (p = 0.043) problems, joint and muscular discomfort (p < 0.001) and vaginal dryness (p = 0.016). BMI was not associated with total menopausal symptoms and with the subscales, excluding depressive mood (p = 0.009). A significant increasing trend in the rate of depressive mood was observed from normal through overweight to obese participants. The mean scores of the total menopausal symptoms were lower among the participants who were well educated, currently working and without chronic diseases.ConclusionsPhysical activity may play an important role in alleviating menopausal symptoms. As part of preventive medicine, primary care physicians should also stress lifestyle changes, including physical activity, to manage menopausal symptoms.

The association of gout with sleep disorders: a cross-sectional study in primary care

BackgroundBoth gout and sleep apnoea are associated with the metabolic syndrome. Hyperuricaemia is also prevalent in sleep apnoea syndrome. The objective of this study was to examine the association between gout and sleep apnoea and other sleep disorders.MethodsData were taken from a validated database of general practice records from nine practices in the UK between 2001 and 2008. People consulting for gout were identified via Read codes and each matched with four controls for age, gender, practice and year of gout consultation. Sleep problems and confounding comorbidities were also identified via Read codes. Medications were identified through a linked database of prescription records. The association between gout and sleep disorders was assessed using a logistic regression model, adjusting for ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and diuretic use.Results1689 individuals with gout were identified and each successfully matched to four controls. Amongst those with gout, the prevalence of any sleep problem was 4.9%, sleep problems other than sleep apnoea 4.2%, and sleep apnoea 0.7%, compared to 3.5%, 3.2% and 0.3% respectively in controls. Gout was associated with any sleep problem (odds ratio (OR) 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11, 1.87), sleep problems other than sleep apnoea (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.03, 1.80), and sleep apnoea (OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.01, 4.39). On multivariable analysis, gout remained significantly associated with any sleep problem (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.06, 1.81) and sleep problems other than sleep apnoea (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.03, 1.82), however the association with sleep apnoea was attenuated (OR 1.48, 95% CI 0.70, 3.14).ConclusionsGout and sleep problems appear to be associated and clinicians should be aware of the co-existence of these two conditions. Larger prospective epidemiological studies are required to explore causality.

Shifting from glucose diagnosis to the new HbA1c diagnosis reduces the capability of the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) to screen for glucose abnormalities within a real-life primary healthcare preventive strategy

BackgroundTo investigate differences in the performance of the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) as a screening tool for glucose abnormalities after shifting from glucose-based diagnostic criteria to the proposed new hemoglobin (Hb)A1c-based criteria.MethodsA cross-sectional primary-care study was conducted as the first part of an active real-life lifestyle intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes within a high-risk Spanish Mediterranean population. Individuals without diabetes aged 45-75 years (n = 3,120) were screened using the FINDRISC. Where feasible, a subsequent 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test and HbA1c test were also carried out (n = 1,712). The performance of the risk score was calculated by applying the area under the curve (AUC) for the receiver operating characteristic, using three sets of criteria (2-hour glucose, fasting glucose, HbA1c) and three diagnostic categories (normal, pre-diabetes, diabetes).ResultsDefining diabetes by a single HbA1c measurement resulted in a significantly lower diabetes prevalence (3.6%) compared with diabetes defined by 2-hour plasma glucose (9.2%), but was not significantly lower than that obtained using fasting plasma glucose (3.1%). The FINDRISC at a cut-off of 14 had a reasonably high ability to predict diabetes using the diagnostic criteria of 2-hour or fasting glucose (AUC = 0.71) or all glucose abnormalities (AUC = 0.67 and 0.69, respectively). When HbA1c was used as the primary diagnostic criterion, the AUC for diabetes detection dropped to 0.67 (5.6% reduction in comparison with either 2-hour or fasting glucose) and fell to 0.55 for detection of all glucose abnormalities (17.9% and 20.3% reduction, respectively), with a relevant decrease in sensitivity of the risk score.ConclusionsA shift from glucose-based diagnosis to HbA1c-based diagnosis substantially reduces the ability of the FINDRISC to screen for glucose abnormalities when applied in this real-life primary-care preventive strategy.

Daily activities and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: psychological determinants: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are confronted with reduced daily activities (DA) and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) caused by dyspnea and systemic effects such as skeletal muscle dysfunction and co-morbidities. To understand the complexity of living with COPD, it is important to understand which factors, in addition to physical functioning, are associated with DA and HRQoL. In this study, we explored the extent to which the combination of illness perceptions, proactive coping, and depressive symptoms contribute to DA and HRQoL in COPD patients.MethodIn a cross-sectional study in primary care, 90 COPD patients (GOLD I-III) completed questionnaires: the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Utrecht Proactive Coping Competence scale, the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, the Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, the Functional Performance Inventory (FPI), and the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ). The analyses were performed with multiple linear regression analyses.ResultsMore adequate and positive illness perceptions (β = .61, p < .001) and less depressive symptoms (β = .21, p = .010) were associated with better HRQoL (CCQ). Significant relations between psychological factors and DA were not found.ConclusionThe results of this study demonstrate that psychological factors are related to HRQoL, but not to DA. These results contribute to understanding the complexity of living with COPD and provide starting points for the development of interventions focusing on psychological factors to support COPD patients in disease management.

Orthostatic hypotension, diabetes, and falling in older patients: a cross-sectional study

Although orthostatic hypotension (OH) is more prevalent in old age, and in patients with diabetes, the prevalence of OH in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is unknown. To establish the prevalence of OH, and its association with falling, in home-dwelling older participants with and without type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional study in primary care in the Netherlands. A total of 352 patients with type 2 diabetes, and 211 without participated in this study. OH was defined as a fall in blood pressure of at least 20 mmHg systolic or 10 mmHg diastolic after either 1 or 3 minutes in an upright position. Feelings of dizziness, light-headedness, or faintness during the standing period were documented as orthostatic complaints. Fall risk was assessed with a validated risk profile instrument. The prevalence of OH was 28% (95% CI = 24% to 33%) and 18% (95% CI = 13% to 23%) in participants with and without type 2 diabetes, respectively. OH was not related to falling, while the presence of orthostatic complaints in itself was associated with both previous fall incidents as well as a high fall risk, even after adjustment for OH. The adjusted odds ratios were 1.65 (95% CI = 1.00 to 2.72) and 8.21 (95% CI = 4.17 to 16.19), respectively. OH is highly prevalent in home-dwelling older people with and without type 2 diabetes. Those with orthostatic complaints had an increased risk for falling, whereas those with OH were not.

Cardiovascular disease prevalence in patients with inflammatory arthritis, diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study in primary care

BackgroundThere is accumulating evidence for an increased cardiovascular burden in inflammatory arthritis, but the true magnitude of this cardiovascular burden is still debated. We sought to determine the prevalence rate of non-fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) in inflammatory arthritis, diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis (non-systemic inflammatory comparator) compared to controls, in primary care.MethodsData on CVD morbidity (ICPC codes K75 (myocardial infarction), K89 (transient ischemic attack), and/or K90 (stroke/cerebrovascular accident)) from patients with inflammatory arthritis (n = 1,518), diabetes mellitus (n = 11,959), osteoarthritis (n = 4,040) and controls (n = 158,439) were used from the Netherlands Information Network of General Practice (LINH), a large nationally representative primary care based cohort. Data were analyzed using multi-level logistic regression analyses and corrected for age, gender, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension.ResultsCVD prevalence rates were significantly higher in inflammatory arthritis, diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis compared with controls. These results attenuated - especially in diabetes mellitus - but remained statistically significant after adjustment for age, gender, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia for inflammatory arthritis (OR = 1.5 (1.2-1.9)) and diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.3 (1.2-1.4)). The association between osteoarthritis and CVD reversed after adjustment (OR = 0.8 (0.7-1.0)).ConclusionsThese results confirm an increased prevalence rate of CVD in inflammatory arthritis to levels resembling diabetes mellitus. By contrast, lack of excess CVD in osteoarthritis further suggests that the systemic inflammatory load is critical to the CVD burden in inflammatory arthritis.

The Effect of Education on Age-Related Changes in Three Cognitive Domains: A Cross-Sectional Study in Primary Care

The present study aims to investigate the protective effect of formal education on age-related changes in different cognitive domains with the hypothesis that it may attenuate the rate of decline. Individuals aged 50 years or older attending primary care physicians without known brain disease (431 participants, mostly [60.3%] female with 66.3 [±9.1] years of age and 7.7 [±4.1] years of education, on average), were evaluated with a neuropsychological battery including 28 cognitive measures. Cognitive domains identified by factor analysis were subject to repeated multiple regression analyses to determine the variance explained by age and education controlling for gender, depressive symptoms, and vascular risk factors. The slope of the regression equation was compared between two educational groups with an average of 4 years and 11 years of education, respectively. Factors identified corresponded to processing ability (Factor 1), memory (Factor 2), and acquired knowledge (Factor 3). Although education improved performance in Factors 1 and 3, it did not change the slope of age-related decline in any factor. This study suggests that in culturally heterogeneous groups, small increments in education enhance cognition but do not modify the rate of decline of executive functioning with age. These results contradict some clinical findings and need to be confirmed in longitudinal studies.

Gastroprotection in NSAID and low-dose aspirin users: A cross-sectional study in primary care

Gastrointestinal (GI) complications are common side effects related to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and low-dose aspirin (LDA) use. The guidelines to prevent GI complications establish that patients at high risk should receive gastroprotection. However, different reports have suggested that these strategies are not greatly executed. To determine the prevalence of use of preventive strategies to reduce GI complications in NSAID and/or LDA users in primary care in Spain, we performed an observational, cross-sectional, multicentre study in which primary care physicians from Spain participated. From January 2009 to May 2009, physicians collected demographic, clinical and treatment data from the last visit in 2008 of the first 5 consecutive patients who met the selection criteria. A multivariate logistic regression was carried out to identify independent predictors of the preventive strategies used.A total of 713 primary care physicians included 3357 patients: 68% NSAID users, 19.1% LDA users and 12.9% NSAID/LDA users. 31.5% of patients did not have a risk factor for GI complications, 25.6% had one risk factor and 42.9% had 2 or more risk factors. The overall prevalence of preventive strategy use was 75.8%. The prevalence of gastroprotection use increased with the number of risk factors.The underutilization of gastroprotection in at-risk patients treated with NSAIDs is low and not as marked as those previously reported at the primary care level in other countries. We also found high rates of gastroprotection use in LDA users.

Prevalence of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in three regions of England: a repeated cross-sectional study in primary care

BackgroundMyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been used to name a range of chronic conditions characterized by extreme fatigue and other disabling symptoms. Attempts to estimate the burden of disease have been limited by selection bias, and by lack of diagnostic biomarkers and of agreed reproducible case definitions. We estimated the prevalence and incidence of ME/CFS in three regions in England, and discussed the implications of frequency statistics and the use of different case definitions for health and social care planning and for research.MethodsWe compared the clinical presentation, prevalence and incidence of ME/CFS based on a sample of 143,000 individuals aged 18 to 64 years, covered by primary care services in three regions of England. Case ascertainment involved: 1) electronic search for chronic fatigue cases; 2) direct questioning of general practitioners (GPs) on cases not previously identified by the search; and 3) clinical review of identified cases according to CDC-1994, Canadian and Epidemiological Case (ECD) Definitions. This enabled the identification of cases with high validity.ResultsThe estimated minimum prevalence rate of ME/CFS was 0.2% for cases meeting any of the study case definitions, 0.19% for the CDC-1994 definition, 0.11% for the Canadian definition and 0.03% for the ECD. The overall estimated minimal yearly incidence was 0.015%. The highest rates were found in London and the lowest in East Yorkshire. All but one of the cases conforming to the Canadian criteria also met the CDC-1994 criteria, however presented higher prevalence and severity of symptoms.ConclusionsME/CFS is not uncommon in England and represents a significant burden to patients and society. The number of people with chronic fatigue who do not meet specific criteria for ME/CFS is higher still. Both groups have high levels of need for service provision, including health and social care. We suggest combining the use of both the CDC-1994 and Canadian criteria for ascertainment of ME/CFS cases, alongside careful clinical phenotyping of study participants. This combination if used systematically will enable international comparisons, minimization of bias, and the identification and investigation of distinct sub-groups of patients with possibly distinct aetiologies and pathophysiologies, standing a better chance of translation into effective specific treatments.

Factors associated with therapeutic inertia in hypertension: validation of a predictive model

To study factors associated with therapeutic inertia in treating hypertension and to develop a predictive model to estimate the probability of therapeutic inertia in a given medical consultation, based on variables related to the consultation, patient, physician, clinical characteristics, and level of care. National, multicentre, observational, cross-sectional study in primary care and specialist (hospital) physicians who each completed a questionnaire on therapeutic inertia, provided professional data and collected clinical data on four patients. Therapeutic inertia was defined as a consultation in which treatment change was indicated (i.e., SBP >or= 140 or DBP >or= 90 mmHg in all patients; SBP >or= 130 or DBP >or= 80 in patients with diabetes or stroke), but did not occur. A predictive model was constructed and validated according to the factors associated with therapeutic inertia. Data were collected on 2595 patients and 13,792 visits. Therapeutic inertia occurred in 7546 (75%) of the 10,041 consultations in which treatment change was indicated. Factors associated with therapeutic inertia were primary care setting, male sex, older age, SPB and/or DBP values close to normal, treatment with more than one antihypertensive drug, treatment with an ARB II, and more than six visits/year. Physician characteristics did not weigh heavily in the association. The predictive model was valid internally and externally, with acceptable calibration, discrimination and reproducibility, and explained one-third of the variability in therapeutic inertia. Although therapeutic inertia is frequent in the management of hypertension, the factors explaining it are not completely clear. Whereas some aspects of the consultations were associated with therapeutic inertia, physician characteristics were not a decisive factor.

Cardiac rehabilitation uptake following myocardial infarction: cross-sectional study in primary care

Policies suggest that primary care should be more involved in delivering cardiac rehabilitation. However, there is a lack of information about what is known in primary care regarding patients' invitation or attendance. To determine, within primary care, how many patients are invited to and attend rehabilitation after myocardial infarction (MI), examine sociodemographic factors related to invitation, and compare quality of life between those who do and do not attend. Review of primary care paper and computer records; cross-sectional questionnaire. Northern Ireland general practices (38); stratified sample, based on practice size and health board area. Patients, identified from primary care records, 12-16 weeks after a confirmed diagnosis of MI, were posted questionnaires, including a validated MacNew post-MI quality-of-life questionnaire. Practices returned anonymised data for non-responders. Information about rehabilitation was available for 332 of the 432 patients identified (76.9%): 162 (37.5%) returned questionnaires. Of the total sample, 54.4% (235/432) were invited and 37.0% (160/432) attended; of those invited, 68.1% (160/235) attended. Invited patients were younger than those not invited (mean age 63 years [standard deviation SD 16] versus 68.5 years [SD 16]); mean difference 5.5 years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7 to 9.3). Among questionnaire responders, those who attended were younger and reported better emotional, physical, and social functioning than non-attenders (P = 0.01; mean differences 0.44 (95% CI = 0.11 to 0.77), 0.48 (95% CI = 0.10 to 0.85) and 0.54 (95% CI = 0.15 to 0.94) respectively). Innovative strategies are needed to improve cardiac rehabilitation uptake, integration of hospital and primary care services, and healthcare professionals' awareness of patients' potential for health gain after MI.

Patient satisfaction of primary care for musculoskeletal diseases: A comparison between Neural Therapy and conventional medicine

BackgroundThe main objective of this study was to assess and compare patient satisfaction with Neural Therapy (NT) and conventional medicine (COM) in primary care for musculoskeletal diseases.MethodsA cross-sectional study in primary care for musculoskeletal disorders covering 77 conventional primary care providers and 18 physicians certified in NT with 241 and 164 patients respectively. Patients and physicians documented consultations and patients completed questionnaires at a one-month follow-up. Physicians documented duration and severity of symptoms, diagnosis, and procedures. The main outcomes in the evaluation of patients were: fulfillment of expectations, perceived treatment effects, and patient satisfaction.ResultsThe most frequent diagnoses belonged to the group of dorsopathies (39% in COM, 46% in NT). We found significant differences between NT and COM with regard to patient evaluations. NT patients documented better fulfilment of treatment expectations and higher overall treatment satisfaction. More patients in NT reported positive side effects and less frequent negative effects than patients in COM. Also, significant differences between NT and COM patients were seen in the quality of the patient-physician interaction (relation and communication, medical care, information and support, continuity and cooperation, facilities availability, and accessibility), where NT patients showed higher satisfaction. Differences were also found with regard to the physicians' management of disease, with fewer work incapacity attestations issued and longer consultation times in NT.ConclusionOur findings show a significantly higher treatment and care-related patient satisfaction with primary care for musculoskeletal diseases provided by physicians practising Neural Therapy.

The association between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk in men with Type 2 diabetes in primary care: it is a matter of age

Aims Erectile dysfunction (ED) prevalence is usually based on questionnaires, too elaborate for daily practice. The single question for ED prevalence is unknown. Literature reports an independent association between ED and both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Whether routinely asking men with Type 2 diabetes (DM2) about ED identifies those at elevated risk for CVD is unknown. We assessed cardiovascular risk of DM2 men with ED. Design and Methods This was a cross-sectional study in primary care. During annual check-up, the practice nurse asked 1823 DM2 men: “Do you have erection problems? Yes/no.” ED prevalence rate was calculated. Age, medication, and other known factors associated with ED and/or CVD were used in univariate analysis (odds ratio [OR], Student's t test, and Mann–Whitney test). This revealed confounding variables used in the multivariable analysis. The association between ED and history of cardiovascular disease (HCVD) was assessed by logistic regression analysis. In patients with no HCVD, we assessed the association between ED and 10-year United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) coronary heart disease risk by linear regression analysis. Results The prevalence of ED in DM2 patients was 41.3%. There was no independent association between ED and HCVD [adjusted OR, 1.2 (95% CI, 0.9–1.5)]. The 10-year UKPDS CHD risk difference between men with and without ED was 5.9% (95% CI, 3.2–8.7), but after adjustment for age, this association disappeared [adjusted risk difference, 0.6% (95% CI, −1.5 to 2.7)]. Conclusion The ED prevalence rate assessed by a single question was comparable to that assessed by questionnaires. ED neither did independently relate to patients' cardiovascular history nor to cardiovascular risk.

Diabetes prevalence, process of care and outcomes in relation to practice size, caseload and deprivation: national cross-sectional study in primary care

ObjectiveTo examine the association between practice list size, deprivation and the quality of care of patients with diabetes.DesignPopulation-based cross-sectional study using Quality and Outcomes Framework data.SettingEngland and Scotland.Participants55 522 778 patients and 8970 general practices with 1 852 762 people with diabetes.InterventionsNone.Main outcome measuresSeventeen process and surrogate outcome measures of diabetes care.ResultsThe prevalence of diabetes was 3.3%. Prevalence differed with practice list size and deprivation: smaller and more deprived practices had a higher mean prevalence than larger and more affluent practices (3.8% versus 2.8%). Practices with large patient list sizes had the highest quality of care scores, even after stratifying for deprivation. However, with the exception of retinal screening, peripheral pulses and neuropathy testing, differences in achievement between small and large practices were modest (<5%). Small practices performed nearly as well as the largest p...

Diabetes prevalence, process of care and outcomes in relation to practice size, caseload and deprivation: national cross-sectional study in primary care

To examine the association between practice list size, deprivation and the quality of care of patients with diabetes. Population-based cross-sectional study using Quality and Outcomes Framework data. England and Scotland. 55,522,778 patients and 8970 general practices with 1,852,762 people with diabetes. None. Seventeen process and surrogate outcome measures of diabetes care. The prevalence of diabetes was 3.3%. Prevalence differed with practice list size and deprivation: smaller and more deprived practices had a higher mean prevalence than larger and more affluent practices (3.8% versus 2.8%). Practices with large patient list sizes had the highest quality of care scores, even after stratifying for deprivation. However, with the exception of retinal screening, peripheral pulses and neuropathy testing, differences in achievement between small and large practices were modest (<5%). Small practices performed nearly as well as the largest practices in achievement of intermediate outcome targets for HbA1c, blood pressure and cholesterol (smallest versus largest practices: 57.4% versus 58.7%; 70.7% versus 70.7%; and 69.5% versus 72.7%, respectively). Deprivation had a negative effect on the achieved scores and this was more pronounced for smaller practices. Our study provides some evidence of a volume-outcome association in the management of diabetes in primary care; this appears most pronounced in deprived areas.