Primary Health Care Visits Research Articles

Association between health communication on integrated healthcare and primary healthcare visits among rehabilitation outpatients: A multicenter cross-sectional study in China

ObjectiveThis study examines the relationship between health communication on integrated healthcare and primary healthcare visits among rehabilitation outpatients in China. MethodsA multi-stage sampling scheme was used to select the rehabilitation outpatients as study participants. A total of 3415 participants from 21 medical institutions in seven cities in China were included in the final analysis. The measurement included primary healthcare visits, health communication on integrated healthcare, and basic characteristics (age, sex, educational level, marital status, household income, and diagnoses). The association between health communication on integrated healthcare and primary healthcare visits was modeled using logistic regression controlling the general characteristics and disease status. ResultsAmong 3415 rehabilitation outpatients, the mean age of participants was 45.3 years (SD:24.9), and more than half (54.0 %) were male. The majority (56.3 %) were diagnosed with orthopaedic disorders. Received information of integrated healthcare from organizational communication (OR = 2.00; 95 % CI = 1.56, 2.56) and interpersonal communication (OR = 6.03; 95 % CI = 2.49, 14.62), patients who had a higher level of knowledge on integrated healthcare (OR = 1.02; 95% CI = 1.00, 1.03), the interaction terms of ‘organizational communication ∗ knowledge’(OR = 0.98; 95 % CI = 0.97, 1.00), and ‘interpersonal communication ∗ knowledge’(OR = 0.92; 95 % CI = 0.87, 0.97) were associated with visiting primary healthcare initially when had an illness the last two weeks. ConclusionThis study indicated that rehabilitation outpatients display a low level of primary healthcare visits, calling for interpersonal-based health communication interventions to be implemented to improve their integrated healthcare knowledge and promote better primary healthcare visits practices in China.

Bullying Victimization Among Finnish Adolescents and Primary Health Care Visits Mediated by Depression: A Five-Year Follow-Up Study

ABSTRACT This study investigated firstly whether bullying victimization was associated with primary health care (PHC) visits due to mental health (MH) problems and secondly whether bullying victimization among adolescent and PHC visits was mediated by depressive and dissociative symptoms. A five-year follow-up data was collected from the sample of N = 669 Finnish adolescents (boys N = 179, (26.8%), girls N = 490, (73.2%)). Generalized linear models showed a significant association between bullying victimization among adolescents and PHC visits due to MH problems. Depressive, but not dissociative symptoms at the baseline mediated the above-mentioned association. Depressive symptoms mediated the association between bullying victimization and mental health services use among adolescents. Interventions for bullying victimization and psychological problems are needed to prevent the future disease burden it may bring to Finland regarding the use of mental health services.

The Prevalence and Burden of Psychiatric Disorders in Primary Health Care Visits in Asir Region Saudi Arabia.

Psychiatric disorders encompass a wide range of conditions that affect an individual's mental health and well-being. These disorders can manifest in various ways. The recognition, diagnosis, treatment, and referral of psychological conditions heavily rely on general practitioners, who handle consultations that involve a psychological aspect in at least one third of cases. To assess the prevalence and burden of common psychiatric disorders at primary health care centers (PHCs) using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) in the general population, aged 18-65, and examine their symptom patterns and comorbidity. A descriptive online cross-sectional survey was conducted over a one-month period, spanning from September to October 2023. The survey targeted the population living in the Asir region. To fulfill the objectives, the K6 scale was used. Data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. P values were considered statistically significant when they were ≤0.05. The survey included a total of 1,595 participants. Of these, 21.3% of respondents were male, while 78.7% were female. The majority of respondents fall within the 18-25 age group, accounting for 50.5% of the total. A significant portion of the population experiences some form of psychological distress, with 4.6% reporting low psychological distress, 36.1% reporting mild psychological distress, and a substantial 59.2% reporting severe psychological distress. Age (p-value=0.024), gender (p-value=0.001), educational level (p-value=0.001), occupation (p-value=0.008), and monthly income (p-value=0.001) had significant associations with the psychological distress score of psychiatric disorders. The prevalence and burden of psychiatric disorders in primary health care visits in Saudi Arabia is a significant public health concern. Our findings showed that the majority of participants reported having severe to mild psychological distress.

Regional variations in incidence and treatment trends of Achilles tendon ruptures in Finland: a nationwide study.

The aim of our study was to assess the regional variations in Achilles tendon rupture incidence and treatment methods in Finland during the period 1997-2019. The Finnish National Hospital Discharge Register (NHDR) and the Finnish Register of Primary Health Care Visits (PHCR) were searched to identify all adult patients diagnosed with Achilles tendon rupture during our study period. The population-based annual incidence and incidences of surgically and non-surgically treated Achilles tendon ruptures were calculated for each hospital district. Achilles tendon rupture incidence increased from 17.3 per 105person-years in 1997 to 32.3 per 105in 2019. The mean incidence of Achilles tendon ruptures ranged from 26.4 per 105(North Savo) to 37.2 per 105(Central Ostrobothnia). The incidence of Achilles tendon ruptures increased in all areas. The proportion of non-surgical treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures ranged in 1997 from 7% (Vaasa) to 67% (Åland) and in 2019 from 73% (Southwest Finland) to 100% (East Savo, Kainuu, Länsi-Pohja, Åland). During the study period, a shift towards non-surgical treatment was evident in all hospital districts. Regional variations in Achilles tendon rupture incidence exist in Finland; however, the incidence increased in all areas during the follow-up period. More Achilles tendon rupture patients are currently being treated non-surgically throughout the country.

Current status and the urgent need for a geriatric healthcare system in a super-aged society

Background: The Korean healthcare system is ill-equipped to manage geriatric diseases, even though we are on the verge of becoming a super-aged society.Current Concepts: In Korea’s delivery of healthcare system, which is centered on subspecialty care from primary to tertiary care, older adults with multiple chronic diseases are forced to receive fragmented care from multiple doctors. In medical education and residency programs, even the most fundamental concepts of geriatrics are misunderstood, and geriatricians receive inadequate training. Consequently, along with the rapidly growing elderly population, elderly patients with complex health problems, frailty, and dysfunction are deprived of the opportunity to achieve healthy aging by taking multiple medications and suffering from geriatric syndromes caused by fragmented medical care.Discussion and Conclusion: Establishing a system for training geriatricians and strengthening geriatric education is necessary to ensure existing specialists can assign them the role of primary care geriatricians. Additionally, person-centered, integrated geriatric care that requires appropriate management of various complex diseases, as well as maintenance of function and frailty prevention, will be possible by establishing a geriatric healthcare system that ranges from frailty prevention, polypharmacy management, and home visits in primary healthcare to multidisciplinary geriatric care and transitional care in tertiary healthcare. Implementing this strategy as early as possible will help older adults age well and reduce the caregiving burden in later life. This could also ease concerns regarding physician shortages induced by the rapidly growing elderly population.

Somatic and psychiatric comorbidity in people with diagnosed gambling disorder: A Finnish nation-wide register study.

This is the first nation-wide register study based on a total population sample measuring the gender-specific incidences of chronic diseases and conditions among adults diagnosed with gambling disorder (GD). The study used aggregated data for 2011-22 retrieved from the Register of Primary Health Care visits, Care Register for Health Care and Care Register for Social Welfare, including specialized outpatient and inpatient health care, inpatient social care and institutional care and housing services with 24-hour or part-time assistance, set in mainland Finland. Participants comprised people aged 18-90+ years with GD diagnosis [corresponding to pathological gambling, International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) code F63.0, n = 3605; men n = 2574, women n = 1031]and the general population (n = 4 374 192). Incidences of somatic diseases and psychiatric disorders were calculated for the people with diagnosed GD and for the general population, separately for women and men. After standardizing for age, the incidence of each diagnostic group was systematically higher for people with GD compared with the general population, except for cancer. The highest standardized incidence ratio (SIR) values were for psychiatric disorders [SIR = 234.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 226.1-242.4], memory disorders (SIR = 172.1; 95% CI = 119.1-234.8), nervous system diseases (SIR = 162.8; 95% CI = 152.8-173.1), chronic respiratory diseases (SIR = 150.6; 95% CI = 137.6-164.2), diabetes (SIR = 141.4; 95% CI = 127.9-155.5) and digestive diseases (SIR = 134.5; 95% CI = 127.1-142.2). In Finland, the incidence of chronic diseases and conditions among people with gambling disorder is higher compared with the general population, apart from cancer.

A machine learning tool for identifying patients with newly diagnosed diabetes in primary care

Background and aimIt is crucial to identify a diabetes diagnosis early. Create a predictive model utilizing machine learning (ML) to identify new cases of diabetes in primary health care (PHC). MethodsA case-control study utilizing data on PHC visits for sex-, age, and PHC-matched controls. Stochastic gradient boosting was used to construct a model for predicting cases of diabetes based on diagnostic codes from PHC consultations during the year before index (diagnosis) date and number of consultations. Variable importance was estimated using the normalized relative influence (NRI) score. Risks of having diabetes were calculated using odds ratios of marginal effects (ORME). Four groups by age and sex were studied, age-groups 35–64 years and ≥ 65 years in men and women, respectively. ResultsThe most important predictive factors were hypertension with NRI 21.4–29.7 %, and obesity 4.8–15.2 %. The NRI for other top ten diagnoses and administrative codes generally ranged 1.0–4.2 %. ConclusionsOur data confirm the known risk patterns for predicting a new diagnosis of diabetes, and the need to test blood glucose frequently. To assess the full potential of ML for risk prediction purposes in clinical practice, future studies could include clinical data on life-style patterns, laboratory tests and prescribed medication.

The impacts of an mHealth intervention targeting parents on health service usage and out-of-pocket costs in the first 9 months of life: The Growing healthy app.

Mobile health (mHealth) interventions provide a low-cost, scalable approach to supporting parents with infant feeding advice with the potential to reduce health care visits and associated costs for infant feeding support. This Australian study examined the impact of the Growing healthy (GH) app on health service utilisation and out-of-pocket costs for families in the first 9 months of their infants life. A quasi-experimental study with a comparison group was conducted in 2015-2016 with an mHealth intervention group (GH app, n = 301) and a nonrandomized usual care group (n = 344). The GH app aimed to support parents of young infants with healthy infant feeding behaviours from birth to 9 months of age. App-generated notifications directed parents to age-and feeding-specific content within the app. Both groups completed surveys at baseline when infants were less than 3 months old (T1), at 6 months (T2) and 9 months (T3) of age. At T3, participants reported health services used and any out-of-pocket costs for advice on infant feeding, growth or activity. App users had lower odds (odds ratio: 0.38 95% confidence interval: 0.25, 0.59) of using one or more services and had lower number of visits to a general practitioner (1.0 vs. 1.5 visits, p = 0.003) and paediatrician (0.3 vs. 0.4 visits, p = 0.049) compared to the usual care group. There was no difference in out-of-pocket costs between groups. Provision of an evidenced-based infant feeding app may provide substantial savings to the health system and potentially to parents through fewer primary health care and paediatrician visits.

Short- and mid-term morbidity and primary-care burden due to infant respiratory syncytial virus infection: A Spanish 6-year population-based longitudinal study.

The morbidity burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants extends beyond hospitalization. Defining the RSV burden before implementing prophylaxis programs is essential for evaluating any potential impact on short- to mid-term morbidity and the utilization of primary healthcare (PHC) and emergency services (ES). We established this reference data using a population-based cohort approach. Infants hospitalized for RSV from January 2016 to March 2023 were matched with non-hospitalized ones based on birthdate and sex. We defined the exposure as severe RSV hospitalization. The main study outcomes were as follows: (1) PHC and ES visits for RSV, categorized using the International Classification of Primary Care codes, (2) prescriptions for respiratory airway obstructive disease, and (3) antibacterial prescriptions. Participants were followed up from 30 days before hospitalization for severe RSV until the outcome occurrence or end of the study. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of the outcomes along with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Poisson regression models. Stratified analyses by type of PHC visit (nurse, pediatrician, or pharmacy) and follow-up period were undertaken. We defined mid-term outcomes as those taking place up to 24 months of follow-up period. The study included 6626 children (3313 RSV-hospitalized; 3313 non-hospitalized) with a median follow-up of 53.7 months (IQR = 27.9, 69.4). After a 3-month follow-up, severe RSV was associated with a considerable increase in PHC visits for wheezing/asthma (IRR = 4.31, 95% CI: 3.84-4.84), lower respiratory infections (IRR = 4.91, 95% CI: 4.34-5.58), and bronchiolitis (IRR = 4.68, 95% CI: 2.93-7.65). Severe RSV was also associated with more PHC visits for the pediatrician (IRR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.96-2.05), nurse (IRR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.75-1.92), hospital emergency (IRR = 2.39, 95% CI: 2.17-2.63), primary healthcare emergency (IRR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.31-1.82), as well as with important increase in prescriptions for obstructive airway diseases (IRR = 5.98, 95% CI: 5.43-6.60) and antibacterials (IRR = 4.02, 95% CI: 3.38-4.81). All findings remained substantial until 2 years of post-infection. Severe RSV infection in infants significantly increases short- to mid-term respiratory morbidity leading to an escalation in healthcare utilization (PHC/ES attendance) and medication prescriptions for up to 2 years afterward. Our approach could be useful in assessing the impact and cost-effectiveness of RSV prevention programs.

Growth of singletons born after frozen embryo transfer until early adulthood: a Finnish register study.

Are there growth differences between singleton children born after frozen embryo transfer (FET), fresh embryo transfer (ET), and natural conception (NC)? Adolescent boys born after FET have a higher mean proportion and increased odds of overweight compared to those born after fresh ET. Children born after FET have higher mean birthweights and an increased risk of large-for-gestational-age compared to those born after fresh ET and even NC. This raises questions about possible growth differences later in childhood. Previous studies on child growth after FET report partly conflicting results and lack long-term data until adolescence. This was a cohort study based on national population-based registers, the Finnish Medical Birth Register and the Register of Primary Health Care visits, including singletons born after FET (n = 1825), fresh ET (n = 2933), and NC (n = 31 136) in Finland between the years 1995 and 2006. The proportions of overweight (i.e. age- and sex-adjusted ISO-BMI for children ≥ 25) were compared between the groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of overweight were calculated. Adjustments were made for birth year, preterm birth, maternal age, parity, and socioeconomic status. Mean heights, weights, and BMIs were compared between the groups each year between the ages of 7 and 18. FET boys had a higher mean proportion of overweight (28%) compared to fresh ET (22%, P < 0.001) and NC (26%, P = 0.014) boys. For all ages combined, the aOR of overweight was increased (1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.27) for FET boys compared to fresh ET boys. For girls, the mean proportions of overweight were 18%, 19%, and 22% for those born after FET, fresh ET, and NC, respectively (P = 0.169 for FET vs fresh ET, P < 0.001 for FET vs NC). For all ages combined, FET girls had a decreased aOR of overweight (0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.99) compared to NC girls. Growth measurements were available for 6.9% to 30.6% of FET boys and for 4.7% to 29.4% of FET girls at different ages. Unfortunately, we were not able to adjust for parental anthropometric characteristics. The growth data were not available for the whole cohort, and the proportion of children with available measurements was limited at the start and end of the follow-up. During the study period, mainly cleavage stage embryos were transferred, and slow freezing was used for ART. The risk of overweight among FET boys warrants further research. Future studies should aim to investigate the mechanisms that explain this sex-specific finding and combine growth data with long-term health data to explore the possible risks of overweight and cardiometabolic disease in adulthood. Funding was obtained from the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, the Alma and K.A. Snellman Foundation (personal grants to A.M.T.), and the Finnish Government Research Funding. The funding sources were not involved in the planning or execution of the study. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. N/A.

Are Primary Health Care Visits Associated With Reduced Risk of Hospital Readmissions After Discharge From Geriatric Inpatient Departments? Evidence From Stockholm County.

Primary health care visits post-discharge could potentially play an important role in efforts of reducing hospital readmission. Focusing on a single or a particular type of visit obscures nuances in types of primary care contacts over time and fails to quantify the intensity of primary health care visits during the follow-up period. The aim of this study was to explore associations between the number and type of primary health care visits post-discharge and the risk of hospital readmission within 30 days. A register-based closed cohort study. The study population of 6135 individuals were residents of Stockholm who were discharged home from any of the 3 geriatric inpatient departments, excluding those who were readmitted within the next 24 h. The dependent variable was hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. The key independent variable was the number and type of primary health care visits in 30 days post-discharge. Cox-regression with time-varying covariates was employed for data analyses. Approximately, 12% of the participants were readmitted to hospital within 30 days. There was no statistically significant association between number of primary care visits post-discharge and readmission (HR 1.00; 95% CI 1.00-1.01). Compared to no primary health care visit, no statistically significant association were found for administrative care related visits (HR 0.33, 95%CI 0.08-1.33), clinic visits (HR 0.93, 95%CI 0.71-1.21), home visits (HR 1.03, 95%CI 0.84-1.27), or team visits (HR 0.76, 95%CI 0.54-1.07). There were no associations between primary health care visits post-discharge and hospital readmission after geriatric inpatient care. Further studies using survey or qualitative approaches can provide insights into the factors that are relevant to post-discharge care but are unavailable in this type of register data studies.

Cutaneous allodynia association with migraine and their predictors among primary healthcare visitors

&lt;sec&gt;&lt;title&gt;Background&lt;/title&gt;&lt;p&gt;Migraine, affecting over 1.04 billion people globally, is a severe, recurrent headache disorder with significant impacts on life quality. Despite extensive research on risk factors, the association with cutaneous allodynia (CA) is underexplored.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt;&lt;title&gt;Objective&lt;/title&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study aims to assess the predictors contributing to both cutaneous allodynia (CA) and migraine and their prevalence among primary healthcare (PHC) visitors in Madinah City, Saudi Arabia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt;&lt;title&gt;Methods&lt;/title&gt;&lt;p&gt;A total of 403 participants agreed to participate in our cross-sectional study between September 1, 2023, and November 1, 2023. Migraine screening questionnaire (MS-Q) was used to screen for migraine. To assess allodynia symptoms, we used Allodynia Symptoms Checklist-12 (ASC-12). Participants aged 15 and older who attended one of the major PHC centers in Madinah City were included in the study.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt;&lt;title&gt;Results&lt;/title&gt;&lt;p&gt;The prevalence of migraine among the participants was found to be 16.4%, with 57.6% of migraine patients exhibiting CA symptoms. Family history of migraine and high BMI were identified as significant predictors of migraine (P &amp;lt; 0.05), with odds ratio (OR) of 5.7 and 1.1, respectively. Additionally, female sex and high BMI were significant (P &amp;lt; 0.05) risk factors for CA among migraine patients, with ORs of 4.3 and 1.1, respectively.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt;&lt;title&gt;Conclusions&lt;/title&gt;&lt;p&gt;The prevalence of migraine in Madinah City was higher than the global average but lower than the national average. A significant proportion of migraine patients also experienced CA. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of migraine and CA, which could aid the development of targeted treatments and improve patient outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/sec&gt;

Knowledge of primary health care visitors in Qassim region regarding HPV vaccine: a cross-sectional study

Objective: This study aimed to assess the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination knowledge and attitudes among the Qasim region&amp;apos;s population in Saudi Arabia to improve vaccine uptake and reduce HPV-related disease burden. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among primary healthcare visitors in the Qassim region. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that assessed participants&amp;apos; demographic information, and knowledge about HPV disease, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine. Results: The mean age of participants was 32 years whereas 75% were females and 25% were males. The majority of participants had bachelor&amp;apos;s degrees (58%) and high school diplomas (36%). Most of the participants were married (59%) while 31% were divorced. Knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer was low, with only 32.7% being aware of HPV and 37.2% knowing its link to genital warts. Furthermore, 38.4% were aware of the HPV vaccine, with females more informed than males (41.9% vs. 28.1%). Social media was the primary information source. Only 2.3% reported of participants getting vaccinated. The reasons for low vaccination included a lack of interest and concerns about side effects. Conclusion: Efforts to improve awareness and vaccine uptake should target specific groups like males and younger individuals through tailored educational interventions. Integrating the vaccine into the national schedule and school-based programs can enhance acceptance. Collaboration between stakeholders is vital in promoting vaccine safety and dispelling misconceptions.

Patient-sharing relationships among primary healthcare professionals taking care of patients with mental health problems or substance abuse: the social network approach.

Introduction: Mental health disorders are recognized as considerable public health challenges that require close collaboration between professionals. Developing collaboration requires understanding the structure of how patient care is managed across professionals. Healthcare registers offer “naturally occuring” data of how different professionals are involved in patient care.&#x0D; Research question: To find out which local and individual factors influence patient-sharing network structure and composition.&#x0D; Methodologies: Data were from the Register of Primary Health Care visits (Avohilmo) which covers all outpatient primary healthcare visits in Finland. We combined data on visits from eight health and social centres during the year 2021. We further included to the data only those clients’ visits, who had at least one visit relating primarily to mental health or substance abuse. The patient-sharing networks were formed using the unique ID codes of the professionals and different occupational groups included in the register. Two professionals were considered to have a patient-sharing relationship if they both had delivered care to the same patient. The resulting network was a one-mode undirected network graph with 646 nodes (healthcare professionals) and 50 841 unweighted ties (the number of shared patients) between them. These ties were based on 11 796 patients and 126 521 visits.&#x0D; Statistical analyses: We analyzed the potential associations of the network structure and the nodal attributes (working in a specific health and social centre, belonging to a certain occupational group and the reason of the patient visit) with nodal formation using Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGM). ERGMs are statistical models that enable network pattern recognition and are similar to logistic regression: they predict the probability for a pair of nodes in a network to have a tie between them (in this case that two professionals share the same patient).&#x0D; Results: Our results show that there are uniform effects regarding occupational group and health and social centre. Two professionals were more likely to share a patient if they had similar occupation and naturally when they worked in the same centre. The coefficient for shared partners was positive indicating a propensity for a triadic closure in the network. The main effects were also significant suggesting that being a physician predicts having more connections than belonging to other occupational groups. There were also significant differences between the centres suggesting that the differences in degrees between centres were not random. More importantly, the main effect of the reason for the patient visit was significant, suggesting that when the reason for visit was related to mental health problems or substance abuse the connections with other professionals were more probable, than when the reason was related to other health issues. &#x0D; Conclusion: The results suggest that professionals seem to work more often within their own occupational group than with other professionals. Contacts between professionals were more probable when the reason for visit was related to mental health problems or substance abuse. Further research is needed to examine, whether sharing patients also indicate that there is collaboration between the professionals.

Trajectories of primary health care utilization: a 10-year follow-up after the Swedish Patient Choice Reform of primary health care

BackgroundIn January 2010, the choice reform was instituted in Swedish primary health care establishing free entry for private primary health care providers and enabling patients to choose freely among primary health care centers. The motivation behind the reform was to improve access to primary care and responsiveness to patient expectations. Reform effects on health care utilization have previously been investigated by using subgroup analyses assuming a pattern of homogeneous subgroups of the population. By using a different methodological approach, the aim of this study was to, from an equity perspective, investigate long term trends of primary health care utilization following the choice reform.MethodA closed cohort was created based on register data from Region Skåne, the third most populated region in Sweden, describing individuals’ health care utilization between 2007–2017. Using a novel approach, utilization data, measured as primary health care visits, was matched with socioeconomic and geographic determinants, and analyzed using logistic regression models.ResultsA total of 659,298 individuals were included in the cohort. Sex differences in utilization were recorded to decrease in the older age group and to increase in the younger age group. Multivariable logistic regression showed increasing utilization in older men to be associated with higher socioeconomic position, while in women it was associated with lower socioeconomic position. Furthermore, groups of becoming high utilizers were all associated with lower socioeconomic position and with residence in urban areas.ConclusionThe impact of demographic, socioeconomic and geographic determinants on primary health care utilization varies in magnitude and direction between groups of the population. As a result, the increase in utilization as observed in the general population following the choice reform is unevenly distributed between different population groups.

Impact of COVID-19 on selected essential public health services – lessons learned from a retrospective record review in the Free State, South Africa

BackgroundIn an attempt to discern lessons to improve future pandemic responses, this study measured the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on essential public health services (EPHSs) related to primary health care (PHC) and outpatient department (OPD) utilisation, antiretroviral treatment (ART) commencement, drug-susceptible tuberculosis (DS-TB) confirmation and treatment commencement, and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) coverage, in the Free State province of South Africa during January 2019 to March 2021.MethodsA pre-post study design comparing EPHS performance between 2019 and 2020/21 was employed. Routinely collected data were analysed. An interrupted time series analysis was used to measure changes in service use and outcomes from January 2019 to March 2021. Median changes were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. A 5% statistical significance level was considered.ResultsOver the study period, the median values for the annual number of PHC visits was 1.80, 55.30% for non-referred OPD visits, 69.40% for ART commencement, 95.10% and 18.70% for DS-TB confirmation and treatment commencement respectively, and 93.70% for BCG coverage. While BCG coverage increased by 5.85% (p = 0.010), significant declines were observed in PHC utilisation (10.53%; p = 0.001), non-referred OPD visits (12.05%; p < 0.001), and ART commencement (9.53%; p = 0.017) rates. Given the importance of PHC in addressing a new pandemic, along with the existing HIV and TB epidemics – as well as the entire quadruple burden of disease – in South Africa, the finding that the PHC utilisation rate statistically significantly decreased in the Free State post-COVID-19 commencement is particularly concerning.ConclusionsThe lessons learned from this retrospective review attest to a measure of resilience in EPHS delivery in the Free State in as far as a significant hike in BCG vaccination over the study period, 2019–2020/21 was observed. As evidenced by a decline in PHC service utilisation and the decreased numbers of new patients commencing ART, we also learned that EPHS delivery in the province was fragile.

Effects of a text messaging smoking cessation intervention amongst online help-seekers and primary health care visitors: findings from a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundSmoking continues to be a leading risk factor for several diseases globally. We hypothesised that an intervention delivered via text messages could help individuals who were looking to quit.MethodsA two-arm, parallel-groups, randomised controlled trial was employed. Both groups received treatment as usual, with the intervention group also receiving a 12-week text messaging intervention. Participants were adult, weekly or more frequent smokers, recruited online and in primary health care centres. Research personnel were blinded, while participants were not. Primary outcomes were prolonged abstinence and point prevalence of abstinence, 3 and 6 months post-randomisation. All randomised participants were included in analyses.ResultsBetween 18 September 2020 and 16 June 2022, we randomised 1012 participants (intervention: 505, control: 507). Outcome data was available for 67% (n = 682) of participants at 3 months and 64% (n = 643) at 6 months. At 3 months, the odds ratio (OR) of prolonged abstinence was 2.15 (95% compatibility interval [CoI] = 1.51; 3.06, probability of effect [POE] > 99.9%, p < 0.0001), and for point prevalence of abstinence, it was 1.70 (95% CoI = 1.18; 2.44, POE = 99.8%, p = 0.0034) in favour of the text messaging intervention. At 6 months, the OR of prolonged abstinence was 2.38 (95% CoI = 1.62; 3.57, POE > 99.9%, p = < 0.0001), and for point prevalence, it was 1.49 (95% CoI = 1.03; 2.14, POE = 98.3%, p = 0.0349) in favour of the text messaging intervention. Analyses with imputed data were not markedly different.ConclusionsAmongst general population help-seekers—who on average had smoked for 25 years—access to a 12-week text messaging intervention produced higher rates of self-reported smoking abstinence in comparison to treatment as usual only. The intervention could be part of the societal response to the burden which smoking causes; however, findings are limited by risk of bias due to attrition, self-reported outcomes, and lack of blinding.Trial registrationThe trial was preregistered in the ISRCTN registry on 27/07/2020 (ISRCTN13455271).

Overweight and Obesity in Finnish Children by Parents' Socioeconomic Position-A Registry-Based Study.

Objectives: To examine associations between parents' socioeconomic position (SEP) and child overweight and obesity, using registry data. Methods: Data (final n = 194,423) on children's height, weight and parents' SEP were drawn from the national Register of Primary Health Care Visits (Avohilmo) and Statistics Finland. Risk ratios for bernoulli-distributed overweight (RROW) and obesity (RROB) according to SEP were estimated using generalized linear models and using a log -link. Results: The risk for obesity was lower in boys from high-income families (RROB 0.76), for overweight and obesity was lower in boys (RROW 0.72, RROB 0.58) and girls (RROW 0.72, RROB 0.54) with highly educated fathers, in boys (RROW 0.79, RROB 0.58) and girls (RROW 0.78, RROB 0.56) with high-educated mothers and in boys (RROW 0.85, RROB 0.77) and girls (RROW 0.80, RROB 0.69) living in urban areas, as compared to low-income families, low-educated parents, and rural residence, respectively. Conclusion: The risk of overweight and obesity was increased in children with low SEP or rural residence. Administrative registers are a valid approach to monitor childhood obesity by parents' SEP.

Combining Register and Radiological Visits Data Allows to Reliably Identify Incident Wrist Fractures.

To evaluate how comprehensively wrist fractures can be tracked from the national medical registers, and to propose a method for complementing the register data using time stamps of wrist radiography visits recorded in the radiological image archive. For the Kuopio Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Prevention Study (OSTPRE) cohort of 14220 post-menopausal women, we analysed the data from the Care Register for Health Care, Register for Primary Health Care Visits, self-reports, radiological image archive PACS, and patient records to identify the wrist fractures occurred between 2011 and 2021. Using this gold standard of fractures, we validated the coverage of the registers and image archive and created algorithms to automatically identify fracture events from the registers and/or metadata of wrist radiography visits. We show that wrist fractures cannot be comprehensively identified based on national registers. To remedy this, our proposed method of combining register and image archive data can lift the coverage from 81% to 94% and reduce false discoveries from 6% to 2%. The proposed method offers a more reliable way of gathering fracture information. Comprehensive fracture identification is essential in many research settings, such as incidence statistics, prevention studies, and risk assessment models.

Changes in Children and Youth's Mental Health Presentations during COVID-19: A Study of Primary Care Practices in Northern Ontario, Canada.

Recent research suggests that children and youth are at increased risk of anxiety and depression due to the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, children and youths may face additional hurdles in accessing mental health services in rural areas due to socioeconomic disadvantages and healthcare provider shortages worsened by the pandemic. Our study aimed to assess changes in primary healthcare utilization related to depression and anxiety among children and youth aged 10-25 years in Northern Ontario, Canada. We analyzed de-identified electronic medical record data to assess primary healthcare visits and prescriptions for depression and anxiety among children and youth aged 10-25 years. We used provider billing data and reasons for visits and antidepressant/antianxiety prescriptions compared with 21 months pre-pandemic (1 June 2018 to 28 February 2020) and 21 months during the pandemic (1 April 2020 to 31 December 2021). Our interrupted time series analysis showed an average increase in visits by 2.52 per 10,000 person-months and in prescriptions by 6.69 per 10,000 person-months across all ages and sexes. Females aged 10 to 14 years were found to have the greatest relative change in visits across all age-sex groups. The greatest relative increases in antianxiety and antidepression prescriptions occurred among females and males aged 10 to 14 years, respectively. These findings indicate that there were increased anxiety and depression presentations in primary healthcare among children and youths living in northern and rural settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased primary healthcare presentations of anxiety and depression by children and youths suggest that additional mental health resources should be allocated to northern rural primary healthcare to support the increased demand. Adequate mental health professionals, accessible services, and clinical recommendations tailored to northern rural populations and care settings are crucial.