Swedish Primary Care Research Articles

Blood pressure levels and risk of haemorrhagic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation and oral anticoagulants: results from The Swedish Primary Care Cardiovascular Database of Skaraborg.

To assess the risk of haemorrhagic stroke at different baseline SBP levels in a primary care population with hypertension, atrial fibrillation and newly initiated oral anticoagulants (OACs). We identified 3972 patients with hypertension, atrial fibrillation and newly initiated OAC in The Swedish Primary Care Cardiovascular Database of Skaraborg. Patients were followed from 1 January 2006 until a first event of haemorrhagic stroke, death, cessation of OAC or 31 December 2016. We analysed the association between continuous SBP and haemorrhagic stroke with a multivariable Cox regression model and plotted the hazard ratio as a function of SBP with a restricted cubic spline with 130 mmHg as reference. There were 40 cases of haemorrhagic stroke during follow-up. Baseline SBP in the 145-180 mmHg range was associated with a more than doubled risk of haemorrhagic stroke, compared with a SBP of 130 mmHg. In this cohort of primary care patients with hypertension and atrial fibrillation, we found that baseline SBP in the 145-180 mmHg range, prior to initiation of OAC, was associated with a more than doubled risk of haemorrhagic stroke, as compared with an SBP of 130 mmHg. This suggests that lowering SBP to below 145 mmHg, prior to initiation of OAC, may decrease the risk of haemorrhagic stroke in patients with hypertension and atrial fibrillation.

Predicting Hospitalization Due to COPD Exacerbations in Swedish Primary Care Patients Using Machine Learning - Based on the ARCTIC Study.

PurposeChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations can negatively impact disease severity, progression, mortality and lead to hospitalizations. We aimed to develop a model that predicts a patient’s risk of hospitalization due to severe exacerbations (defined as COPD-related hospitalizations) of COPD, using Swedish patient level data.Patients and MethodsPatient level data for 7823 Swedish patients with COPD was collected from electronic medical records (EMRs) and national registries covering healthcare contacts, diagnoses, prescriptions, lab tests, hospitalizations and socioeconomic factors between 2000 and 2013. Models were created using machine-learning methods to predict risk of imminent exacerbation causing patient hospitalization due to COPD within the next 10 days. Exacerbations occurring within this period were considered as one event. Model performance was assessed using the Area under the Precision-Recall Curve (AUPRC). To compare performance with previous similar studies, the Area Under Receiver Operating Curve (AUROC) was also reported. The model with the highest mean cross validation AUPRC was selected as the final model and was in a final step trained on the entire training dataset.ResultsThe most important factors for predicting severe exacerbations were exacerbations in the previous six months and in whole history, number of COPD-related healthcare contacts and comorbidity burden. Validation on test data yielded an AUROC of 0.86 and AUPRC of 0.08, which was high in comparison to previously published attempts to predict COPD exacerbation.ConclusionOur work suggests that clinically available information on patient history collected via automated retrieval from EMRs and national registries or directly during patient consultation can form the basis for future clinical tools to predict risk of severe COPD exacerbations.

The Impact of Exacerbation Frequency on Clinical and Economic Outcomes in Swedish COPD Patients: The ARCTIC Study.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess the association between exacerbation frequency and clinical and economic outcomes in patients with COPD.Patients and MethodsElectronic medical record data linked to National Health Registries were collected from COPD patients at 52 Swedish primary care centers (2000–2014). The outcomes analyzed were exacerbation rate, mortality, COPD treatments, lung function and healthcare costs during the follow-up period. Based on the exacerbation rate two years before index date, the patients were initially classified into three groups, either 0, 1 or ≥2 exacerbations per year. After the index date, the classification into exacerbation groups was updated each year based on the exacerbation rate during the last year of follow-up. A sensitivity analysis was conducted excluding patients with asthma diagnosis from the analysis.ResultsIn total 18,586 COPD patients were analyzed. A majority of the patients (60–70%) who either have had no exacerbation or frequent exacerbations (≥2/year) during the pre-index period remained in their group (ie, with 0 or ≥2 annual exacerbations) during up to 11 years of follow-up. Compared with having no exacerbation, mortality was higher in patients having 1 (HR; 2.06 [1.93–2.20]) and ≥2 (4.58 [4.33–4.84]) exacerbations at any time during the follow-up. Lung function decline was more rapid in patients with frequent exacerbations and there was an almost linear relationship between exacerbations frequency and mortality. Total healthcare costs were higher in the frequent exacerbation group (≥2/year) than in patients with no or one exacerbation annually (p<0.0001 for both). The results did not differ from the main analysis after exclusion of patients with a concurrent asthma diagnosis.ConclusionIn addition to faster lung function decline and increased mortality, frequent exacerbations in COPD patients imply a significant economic burden.

Positive impact on vitamin D related lifestyle of medical advice in pregnant Somali-born women and new mothers: a mixed method study in Swedish primary care

BackgroundA previous study showed that pregnant women/new mothers especially Somali-born and some Swedish-born had extremely low vitamin D levels and poor physical performance. Our study aimed to examine vitamin D related lifestyle, attitudes and behaviour before and after brief information about vitamin D, with special long-term focus on Somali-born women.MethodsA cohort of 91 pregnant women/new mothers having serum hydroxyvitamin D (S-25-OHD) ≤ 50 nmol/L (n = 51 Somali-born with one third < 10 nmol/L of S-25-OHD) in primary health care in Sweden was targeted for intervention. Brief individual oral and visual information on vitamin D was given by doctors at baseline and after four and ten months. Questionnaires with ordinal scales on vitamin D related lifestyle of food, clothing, and outdoor activities were distributed on all occasions. Focus-group interviews with 15 women from the target-group were performed after two years. A Somali interpreter was available.ResultsVeiled clothing, indoor living, and a low intake of milk, cheese, and fatty fish were common in the target group. Consumption pattern had increased significantly among the Somali-born women at the four-month follow-up but declined to non-significant levels at the ten-month follow-up. The focus-group interviews showed improved understanding of vitamin D deficiency, symptoms and attitudes, but varying applied behaviours related to sun exposure. Sun exposure for the children and increased fish consumption was the most evident positive results.ConclusionsVitamin D related lifestyle, attitudes and behaviour improved in a Somali-born group of pregnant women/new mothers with severe vitamin D deficiency. The preventive measures suggested in our study may have impact on public health in relation to bone and muscle strength and immunity especially in vitamin D deficiency risk groups.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02922803. Date of registration: 28 September 2016.

Satisfied or Frustrated? A Qualitative Analysis of Need Satisfying and Need Frustrating Experiences of Engaging With Digital Health Technology in Chronic Care

Introduction: Digital health technologies such as self-monitoring devices and apps are becoming increasingly important as tools to promote healthy habits and support individuals in their self-care. There is still a scarcity of research that builds on motivational theory to better understand the functioning of digital health technologies. The self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of motivation that delineates three basic psychological needs that are linked to different types of motivation and lead to well-being when satisfied and illbeing when frustrated.Objective: To explore how the use of a digital tool for self-monitoring and communication with healthcare satisfies or frustrates basic psychological needs across four spheres of user experience: interface, task, behavior, and life.Methods: The study was conducted in a Swedish primary care setting with individuals who participated in a pilot study of a digital health intervention for self-monitoring in chronic care management. Data from a follow-up survey with participants 7 months after recruitment were analyzed using a thematic approach mixing inductive and deductive analysis. The unit of analysis is based on a total of 642 individual answers to seven open-ended questions, from 121 respondents.Results: The analysis identified positive and negative influences of self-monitoring and digital communication with healthcare on all three psychological needs. Three main findings are that: (1) data covered all four spheres of user experiences, but most user experiences concerned the behavior and task spheres; (2) satisfaction and frustration of competence needs was more prominent than influences on other needs; (3) the same experience may be perceived as both need frustrating and need satisfying, which suggests a tension that reflects individual differences.Conclusion: Designers of digital health technologies need to take into account basic psychological needs within all spheres of user experience, from interface to life in general. Because some features may be simultaneously experienced as satisfying and frustrating by different users, these types of tools need to be flexible to accommodate for variation of user experiences. Careful design considerations that take motivational theory into account would contribute to the transformation of care for individuals with chronic conditions.

Patients’ experiences of the BetterBack model of care for low back pain in primary care – a qualitative interview study

ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe patient experiences of received primary care for low back pain (LBP) according to the BetterBack Model of Care (MoC) with a focus on illness beliefs and self-management enablement. Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with 15 adults 4–14 months after receiving treatment according to the BetterBack MoC for LBP in primary care in Sweden. Data were analysed using content analysis. Results: When analysing the data, the following theme emerged; “Participant understanding of their treatment for low back pain and self-management strategies—a matter of support systems”, comprising the following categories: “Knowledge translation”, “Interaction and dialogue”, “The health care professional support” and “Form organization”. Participants experienced that they had better knowledge about their LBP and received tools to better manage their health condition. The participants expressed good communication with the treating physiotherapist and provided suggestions to further improve the treatment of LBP. Conclusions: Participants experienced that they had gained new knowledge about their health problems and after the treatment they had the tools to handle their back problems. This suggests that the BetterBack MoC may be used as a basis for a support system to provide valuable tools for self-management for patients with low back pain.

District nurses' experiences of using a clinical decision support system and an assessment tool at elderly care units in primary health care: a qualitative study.

The present study aimed to describe the experience of district nurses (DNs) in using a clinical decision support system (CDSS) and the safe medication assessment (SMA) tool during patient visits to elderly care units at primary health care centres. In Swedish primary health care, general practitioners (GPs) prescribe and have the responsibility to regularly review older adults' medications, while DN (nurses specialised in primary health care) play an important role in assessing older adults' ability to manage their medications, detecting potential drug-related problems and communicating with patients and GPs about such problems. In a previous feasibility study, we found that DNs who use a combination of a CDSS and the SMA tool identified numerous potentially harmful or dangerous factors and took a number of nursing care actions to improve the safety and quality of patients' medication use. In telephone interviews, patients indicated that they were positive towards the assessment and interventions. Individual interviews with seven DNs who worked at six different primary health care centres in Region Stockholm were carried out in 2018. In 2019, an additional group interview was conducted with two of the seven DNs so they could discuss and comment on preliminary findings. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts.Findings: Using the tools, the DNs could have a natural conversation about medication use with older adults. They could get a clear picture of the older adults' medication use and thus obtain information that could facilitate collaboration with GPs about this important component of health care for older adults. However, for the tools to be used in clinical practice, some barriers would have to be overcome, such as the time-consuming nature of using the tools and the lack of established routines for interprofessional collaboration regarding medication discussions.

Country of birth and mortality risk in hypertension with and without diabetes: the Swedish primary care cardiovascular database.

Hypertension and diabetes are common and are both associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We aimed to investigate associations between mortality risk and country of birth among hypertensive individuals in primary care with and without concomitant diabetes, which has not been studied previously. In addition, we aimed to study the corresponding risks of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. This observational cohort study of 62 557 individuals with hypertension diagnosed 2001-2008 in the Swedish Primary Care Cardiovascular Database assessed mortality by the Swedish Cause of Death Register, and myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke by the National Patient Register. Cox regression models were used to estimate study outcome hazard ratios by country of birth and time updated diabetes status, with adjustments for multiple confounders. During follow-up time without diabetes using Swedish-born as reference, adjusted mortality hazard ratios per country of birth category were Finland: 1.26 (95% confidence interval 1.15-1.38), high-income European countries: 0.84 (0.74-0.95), low-income European countries: 0.84 (0.71-1.00) and non-European countries: 0.65 (0.56-0.76). The corresponding adjusted mortality hazard ratios during follow-up time with diabetes were high-income European countries: 0.78 (0.63-0.98), low-income European countries: 0.74 (0.57-0.96) and non-European countries: 0.56 (0.44-0.71). During follow-up without diabetes, the corresponding adjusted hazard ratio of myocardial infarction was increased for Finland: 1.16 (1.01-1.34), whereas the results for ischemic stroke were inconclusive. In Sweden, hypertensive immigrants (with the exception for Finnish-born) with and without diabetes have a mortality advantage, as compared to Swedish-born.

STRONGER 60+ Adaption of the multimodal FINGER model to prevent cognitive decline in a Swedish primary care rehabilitation unit: An effectiveness‐implementation hybrid design

AbstractBackgroundPreventing cognitive and physical decline in people &gt;60 is a major public health priority. Evidence‐based programs for promoting healthy lifestyle in people 60+ are sparse. WHO has launched risk reduction guidelines for cognitive decline and dementia focusing on several lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors. The FINGER trial is the first large RCT indicating that targeting several risk factors simultaneously can reduce cognitive and functional decline among at risk elderly persons. To develop and implement personalized, effective and feasible lifestyle interventions for real life settings, the multimodal FINGER model needs to be adopted and new evidence from recent studies implemented (e.g. importance of psychosocial factors). The aim of STRONGER 60+ is to adapt the FINGER‐model and investigate intervention effectiveness on lifestyle factors in association with cognitive‐ and physical function. By adopting a hybrid‐design, the implementation process will be followed in a real‐world setting.MethodSTRONGER 60+ will include an adapted version of the FINGER‐model, with the components of a brain‐healthy diet, exercise, cognitive training, and stimulating social activity, in addition with careful monitoring of cardiovascular risks. A co‐production design including clinicians and participants will be used. It is a 6‐monh (with 12 month follow‐up) randomized controlled, single blind parallel‐group clinical effectiveness study. Up to 160 persons will be recruited. Participants will receive either the adapted multimodal healthy lifestyle intervention or regular health advice. A measure of psychosocial states will be included to highlight the importance of tailormade interventions in the study. The intervention is designed for community‐dwelling persons ≥ 60 years, with elevated risk for dementia according to the Dementia Risk Tool risk score, MMSE ≥ 24.ResultWe are currently finalizing the resource planning, recruitment start in September 2020. With the hybrid‐design outcome evaluation we will be able to explore the process by examining; facilitators and barriers for the adaption process, the recruitment process of participants, the extent to which the target audience encounter the program, retention rate, fidelity to the FINGER‐model, dose received/delivered.ConclusionFor people at‐risk of cognitive‐ and physical decline to benefit from multimodal lifestyle intervention research, interventions tested in research settings require adaption and assessment in real‐world clinical practice.

Digital consultations in Swedish primary health care: a qualitative study of physicians\u2019 job control, demand and support

BackgroundDigital consultation with primary care physicians via mobile telephone apps has been spreading rapidly in Sweden since 2014. Digital consultation allows remote working because physicians can work from home, outside their traditional primary care environment. Despite the spread of digital consultation in primary care, there is a lack of knowledge concerning how the new service affects physicians’ psychosocial work environment. Previous research has focused primarily on the patients’ point of view and the cost-effectiveness of digital consultation. Hence, there is a paucity of studies from the perspective of physicians, focusing on their psychosocial work environment. The aim of this study was to investigate primary care physicians’ perceived work demands, control over working processes, and social support when providing digital consultation to primary care patients.MethodsThe study has a qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews conducted in Sweden in 2019. We used a purposeful sampling strategy to achieve a heterogeneous sample of physicians who represented a broad spectrum of experiences and perceptions. The interviews were conducted by video meeting, telephone, or a personal meeting, depending on what suited the participant best. The interview questions were informed by the Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model, which was also used as the framework to analyze the data by categorizing the physicians’ perceptions and experiences into the three categories of the model (Demand, Control, Support), in the deductive analysis of the data.ResultsAnalysis of the data yielded 9 subcategories, which were mapped onto the 3 categories of the JDCS model. Overall, the participants saw numerous benefits with digital consultations, not only with regard to their own job situation but also for patients and the health care system in general even though they identified some shortcomings and risks with digital care.ConclusionsThis study has demonstrated that physicians perceive working with digital consultation as flexible with a high grade of autonomy and reasonable to low demands. According to the participants, digital consultation is not something you can work with full time if medical skills and abilities are to be maintained and developed.

Patients\u2019 experiences of the caring encounter in health promotion practice: a qualitative study in Swedish primary health care

BackgroundPrevious studies have reported that organizational structures and cultures in primary health care are obstacles to district nurses doing successful work in health promotion practice (HPP). Because organizational structures are not easily changed, Jean Watson’s Attending Nurse Caring Model (ANCM) was introduced and piloted at a primary health care center in Sweden, aiming to transform HPP so as to empower district nurses and increase their work satisfaction.AimTo investigate patients’ experiences of the caring encounter in HPP after introduction of the ANCM in Swedish primary health care, the aim being to explore the essential components of the caring encounter between patients and district nurses.MethodsA descriptive and qualitative research design was used. Data collection was performed using individual face-to-face interviews with twelve patients at risk for developing CVD. Data analysis consisted of both deductive content analysis, using a categorization matrix based on the ANCM and, subsequently, inductive latent content analysis.ResultsThe findings were abstracted into three themes: 1.‘Feeling the deepest essence of being cared for’: to be respected and being put at the center of the encounter; 2. ‘Feeling acceptance and worth’: being treated with openness and permissive attitudes, 3. ‘Being in a supportive atmosphere that promotes hope’: to feel trust and being trusted in the encounter, and being empowered by hope. The unifying main theme of the caring encounter was abstracted as ‘Experiencing human dignity’.ConclusionThe present study revealed that the essence of the caring encounter between patients and district nurses in HPP is to be unconditionally accepted in an environment that inspires hope and encouragement. The ANCM seems to be a promising model to use for strengthening the caring encounter and supporting CVD patients in making healthy lifestyle choices. However, further studies of qualitative and quantitative designs are needed to investigate what the ANCM can contribute to HPP in Swedish primary health care.

Experiences of tobacco cessation including a prescription approach among patients in Swedish primary health care with a focus on socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.

Tobacco Cessation on Prescription (TCP) is a new intervention that is being evaluated in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in Swedish primary health care (PHC). Patients' perceptions of TCP are important to understand as this may have implications for the acceptability and adherence to treatment and explain cessation outcomes. Patients' general experiences of tobacco cessation are also important to explore to improve cessation support in this setting. To explore experiences of tobacco cessation and TCP among patients in Swedish PHC focusing on socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Inductive content analysis of transcripts from eight semi-structured interviews with patients recruited from the intervention group in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of TCP in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in PHC in Stockholm. Two themes were identified: needing individualized support to quit, taking differences in patients' experiences of tobacco use and cessation into account, acknowledging individual factors such as impact of health and wellbeing on tobacco use and differing attitudes towards tobacco and cessation and needing a supportive environment to facilitate tobacco cessation, taking contextual factors like professional support from the health care system, the importance of the social environment and supportive societal structures into account. Regarding TCP, the prescription form was perceived as useful for providers but did not appear to have a direct impact on tobacco cessation from the informants' perspective. However, individualized counseling from a tobacco cessation specialist, an empathetic approach in the treatment and long-term follow-up was considered important. A holistic approach may be needed in cessation treatment, combined with interventions outside the health care system, to facilitate tobacco cessation among patients in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in Swedish PHC. The TCP prescription form may be helpful for PHC providers but counseling and follow-up appear to be the most important components of TCP for patients in this setting.

Validation and initial results of surveys exploring perspectives on risks and solutions for diagnostic and medication errors in primary care in Sweden

Objective To (1) validate and (2) display initial results of surveys to health care professionals and patients on the importance and mitigation of specified risks for diagnostic and medication errors. Design For validation, psychometric properties were analysed by assessment of construct validity and internal consistency by factor analysis. Non-parametric analyses were used concerning areas of risk, and top ranking of solutions were reported descriptively. Setting Primary health care in Sweden. Participants Health care professionals (HCPs); including physicians, nurses and practice managers, as well as patients who had experienced diagnostic or medication errors. Main outcome measures Psychometric properties of the surveys. Median ratings for risks and top rankings of solutions for professionals and patients. Results There were 939 respondents to the HCP survey. Construct validity resulted in a model with four dimensions: Patient-provider level; Support systems for every day clinical work; Shared information and cooperation between different caregivers; Risks in the environment. Internal consistency was acceptable with Cronbach’s α values above 0.7. Confirmatory factor analysis generally showed an acceptable fit. Initial results from the professionals showed the importance of continuity of care, a nationwide on-line medical platform and cooperation in transfer of care. The patient survey could not be validated because of low response rate. Conclusion The HCP survey showed some contradicting results regarding model fit and may be tentatively acceptable but validity needs further study. HCP survey answers indicated that relational continuity of care and a nationwide on-line medical platform are highly valued. Current awareness Health care professionals and patients are rather untapped sources of knowledge regarding patient safety in primary health care Main statements Validation is performed on a new survey capturing rating of risks and solutions. The validation of the health care professional survey is tentatively acceptable. Survey answers indicate that health care professionals’ and patients’ perspectives are complementary.

Adherence to lipid-lowering guidelines for secondary prevention and potential reduction in CVD events in Swedish primary care: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThe protective effect of lipid-lowering treatment for secondary prevention after coronary heart disease (CHD) has been well documented. Current guidelines recommend a target level for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of...

Tailored physical activity on prescription with follow-ups improved motivation and physical activity levels. A qualitative study of a 5-year Swedish primary care intervention

Objective To explore how physically inactive patients, with metabolic risk factors, experienced long term treatment with physical activity on prescription. Design Qualitative content analysis of individual interviews after strategical sampling of respondents. Setting Fifteen primary health care centres in Gothenburg, Sweden. Subjects Twenty physically inactive patients, with one or more metabolic syndrome components, 9 women, 11 men, mean age 58 years (25–73); 10 patients were responders and 10 non-responders to the intervention. Main outcome measures Categories describing treatment effect and successful intervention Results The interviews revealed three categories of effect. First, individual adjustments contributed to increased physical activity. Second, follow-up and support were valuable aids for prioritising and maintaining lifestyle changes. Third, motivation could be higher if patients make their own choices and experienced positive health effects. The overarching emerging theme was ‘tailored physical activity on prescription with regular follow-ups can contribute to increased and maintained motivation and physical activity levels.’ Conclusion Physical activity on prescription in a Swedish primary care setting was successful when the recommended physical activity and follow up was individually adapted. KEY POINTS Individually adapted physical activity on prescription gave insight to increase physical activity levels in a 5-year Swedish primary care intervention directed towards inactive patients with the metabolic syndrome Motivation increased for patients designing their own routines for physical activity. Experiences of positive health effects helped maintain or increase physical activity levels, and follow-up and support from healthcare professionals helped to prioritise life style changes.

Osteoporosis and fracture risk associated with inhaled corticosteroid use among Swedish COPD patients: the ARCTIC study.

The effect of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on the risk of osteoporosis and fracture in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess this risk in patients with COPD.Electronic medical record data linked to National Health Registries were collected from COPD patients and matched reference controls at 52 Swedish primary care centres from 2000 to 2014. The outcomes analysed were the effect of ICS on all fractures, fractures typically related to osteoporosis, recorded osteoporosis diagnosis, prescriptions of drugs for osteoporosis and a combined measure of any osteoporosis-related event. The COPD patients were stratified by the level of ICS exposure.A total of 9651 patients with COPD and 59 454 matched reference controls were analysed. During the follow-up, 19.9% of COPD patients had at least one osteoporosis-related event compared with 12.9% of reference controls (p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis in the COPD population demonstrated a dose-effect relationship, with high-dose ICS being significantly associated with any osteoporosis-related event (risk ratio 1.52 (95% CI 1.24-1.62)), while the corresponding estimate for low-dose ICS was 1.27 (95% CI 1.13-1.56) compared with COPD patients not using ICS. A similar dose-related adverse effect was found for all four of the specific osteoporosis-related events: all fractures, fractures typically related to osteoporosis, prescriptions of drugs for osteoporosis and diagnosis of osteoporosis.We conclude that patients with COPD have a greater risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis, and high-dose ICS use increased this risk further.

Introduction of medication review and medication report in Swedish hospital and primary care, using a theory-based implementation strategy

BackgroundThe development of routines regarding medication is important to avoid medication-related harm. Medication review and medication reports have earlier been found to be effective, but their implementation is not always successful. The aim of this study was to evaluate the introduction of medication review/medication report in hospital and primary care, in terms of perceptions of the implementation strategy, adoption and sustainability, in one Swedish county.MethodsThe study included 105 clinics. Data was collected from interviews with managers immediately after implementation, survey data and registry data collected five years later. Quantitative data was analysed using non-parametric statistical tests. Open-ended questions were analysed with qualitative methods.ResultsThe implementation activities were found satisfying, and managers were satisfied with their own influence over the process. After five years medication review and medication reports were reported mainly implemented by the managers. Facilitating factors reported were routines, staff influence, dedication, reminders, and a stable workforce, while hindering factors reported were organizational factors, less commitment and flaws in reporting. Registry data showed that performance of medication review was very limited in primary care. In hospital care medication review was registered in about one fifth of the patients, while medication reports, only relevant for hospital care, was registered in half of the patients.ConclusionsThe managers’ perceptions of the implementation process were mainly positive, and they found the new practices of medication review/medication report implemented. Implementation success, however, was not supported by registry data, showing the need for reliable outcome measures for implementation.

Diagnosis-linked antibiotic prescribing in Swedish primary care - a comparison between in-hours and out-of-hours

BackgroundThe rise in antibiotic resistance is a global public health concern, and antibiotic overuse needs to be reduced. Earlier studies of out-of-hours care have indicated that antibiotic prescribing is less appropriate than that of in-hours care. However, no study has compared the out-of-hours treatment of infections to in-hours treatment within the same population.MethodsThis retrospective, descriptive study was based on data retrieved from the Kronoberg Infection Database in Primary Care (KIDPC), which consists of all visits to primary care with an infection diagnosis or prescription of antibiotics during 2006–2014. The purpose was to study the trends in antibiotic prescribing and to compare consultations and prescriptions between in-hours and out-of-hours.ResultsThe visit rate for all infections was 434 visits per 1000 inhabitants per year. The visit rate was stable during the study period, but the antibiotic prescribing rate decreased from 266 prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants in 2006 to 194 prescriptions in 2014 (mean annual change − 8.5 [95% CI − 11.9 to − 5.2]). For the out-of-hours visits (12% of the total visits), a similar reduction in antibiotic prescribing was seen. The decrease was most apparent among children and in respiratory tract infections.When antibiotic prescribing during out-of-hours was compared to in-hours, the unadjusted relative risk of antibiotic prescribing was 1.37 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.38), but when adjusted for age, sex, and diagnosis, the relative risk of antibiotic prescribing was 1.09 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.10). The reduction after adjustment was largely explained by a higher visit rate during out-of-hours for infections requiring antibiotics (acute otitis media, pharyngotonsillitis, and lower urinary tract infection). The choices of antibiotics used for common diagnoses were similar.ConclusionsAlthough the infection visit rate was unchanged over the study period, there was a significant reduction in antibiotic prescribing, especially to children and for respiratory tract infections. The higher antibiotic prescribing rate during out-of-hours was small when adjusted for age, sex, and diagnosis. No excess prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics was seen. Therefore, interventions selectively aiming at out-of-hours centres seem to be unmotivated in a low-prescribing context.

Views of Implementers and Nonimplementers of Internet-Administered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Anxiety: Survey of Primary Care Decision Makers in Sweden.

BackgroundInternet-administered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) has been demonstrated to be an effective intervention for adults with depression and/or anxiety and is recommended in national guidelines for provision within Swedish primary care. However, the number and type of organizations that have implemented ICBT within primary care in Sweden is currently unclear. Further, there is a lack of knowledge concerning barriers and facilitators to ICBT implementation.ObjectiveThe two primary objectives were to identify and describe primary care organizations providing ICBT in Sweden and compare decision makers’ (ie, directors of primary care organizations) views on barriers and facilitators to implementation of ICBT among ICBT implementers (ie, organizations that offered ICBT) and nonimplementers (ie, organizations that did not offer ICBT).MethodsAn online survey based on a checklist for identifying barriers and facilitators to implementation was developed and made accessible to decision makers from all primary care organizations in Sweden. The survey consisted of background questions (eg, provision of ICBT and number of persons working with ICBT) and barriers and facilitators relating to the following categories: users, therapists, ICBT programs, organizations, and wider society.ResultsThe participation rate was 35.75% (404/1130). The majority (250/404, 61.8%) of participants were health care center directors and had backgrounds in nursing. Altogether, 89.8% (363/404) of the participating organizations provided CBT. A minority (83/404, 20.5%) of organizations offered ICBT. Most professionals delivering ICBT were psychologists (67/83, 80%) and social workers (31/83, 37%). The majority (61/83, 73%) of organizations had 1 to 2 persons delivering ICBT interventions. The number of patients treated with ICBT during the last 12 months was 1 to 10 in 65% (54/83) of the organizations, ranging between 1 and 400 treated patients across the whole sample. There were 9 significant (P<.05) differences out of 37 possible between implementers and nonimplementers. For example, more implementers (48/51, 94%) than nonimplementers (107/139, 76.9%) perceived few technical problems (P<.001), and more implementers (53/77, 68%) than nonimplementers (103/215, 47.9%) considered that their organization has resources to offer ICBT programs (P<.001).ConclusionsDespite research demonstrating the effectiveness of ICBT for depression and anxiety and national guidelines recommending its use, ICBT is implemented in few primary care organizations in Sweden. Several interesting differences between implementers and nonimplementers were identified, which may help inform interventions focusing on facilitating the implementation of ICBT.

The impact of diabetes, education and income on mortality and cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients: A cohort study from the Swedish Primary Care Cardiovascular Database (SPCCD).

ObjectiveIn this study we aimed to estimate the effect of diabetes, educational level and income on the risk of mortality and cardiovascular events in primary care patients with hypertension.MethodsWe followed 62,557 individuals with hypertension diagnosed 2001–2008, in the Swedish Primary Care Cardiovascular Database. Study outcomes were death, myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke, assessed using national registers until 2012. Cox regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios of outcomes according to diabetes status, educational level, and income.ResultsDuring follow-up, 13,231 individuals died, 9981 were diagnosed with diabetes, 4431 with myocardial infarction, and 4433 with ischemic stroke. Hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for diabetes versus no diabetes: mortality 1.57 (1.50–1.65), myocardial infarction 1.24 (1.14–1.34), and ischemic stroke 1.17 (1.07–1.27). Hazard ratios for diabetes and ≤9 years of school versus no diabetes and >12 years of school: mortality 1.56 (1.41–1.73), myocardial infarction 1.36 (1.17–1.59), and ischemic stroke 1.27 (1.08–1.50). Hazard ratios for diabetes and income in the lowest fifth group versus no diabetes and income in the highest fifth group: mortality 3.82 (3.36–4.34), myocardial infarction 2.00 (1.66–2.42), and ischemic stroke 1.91 (1.58–2.31).ConclusionsDiabetes combined with low income was associated with substantial excess risk of mortality, myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke among primary care patients with hypertension.