[Return to Work after a Work Accident: Is Coordination between the Occupational Physician and the Insurance Physician Possible?]

Occupational physicians and insurance physicians each have their own roles in managing the consequences of work accidents and their interaction is pivotal in the administrative and clinical process of return to work. We wanted to analyse the barriers and facilitators of this collaboration in Belgium.A qualitative study was conducted based on individual interviews of a sample of insurance physicians and occupational physicians working in French-speaking Belgium. This sample was selected to represent all insurance companies and most prevention and protection services operating on the territory. The interview scheme was designed to explore the various dimensions of the RDIC model (Resource Dependence Institutional Collaboration) of collaboration between professionals.This study highlighted certain obstacles to collaboration, related to the mutual perception of the 2 professions, ignorance of the other profession’s work context, lack of independent resources blocking the willingness to cooperate (sufficient time, fees). Some facilitating factors were also identified : occupational physicians’ willingness to cooperate, a positive attitude towards the ability to cooperate, as well as proposals for immediate improvement of some factors. Collaboration between these 2 professions has rarely been studied and the results of the present study provide tracks for improvement that can be applied in the short or medium term to enable those two categories of physicians to be better organized and more efficient in managing disability consequences of work accidents.

[Home visits by GPs - Considerations in Europe and in Switzerland]

Home visits are essential for promoting the ability to remain at home and prevent nursing home admissions ; general practitioners play a key role in the development of this specific ambulatory care. Although the frequency of home visits seems to be overall decreasing in recent years, they remain essential, given the expected demographic changes. This is why education on home visits should be introduced in the training of our students during early years. However, there is a gap in literature regarding the optimal number and length of home visits, as well as the kind of groups most likely to benefit from them and thus more research is needed to enlighten these aspects of home visits.

Traceability of Biologics in The Netherlands: An Analysis of Information-Recording Systems in Clinical Practice and Spontaneous ADR Reports

Introduction and Objective

Pharmacovigilance requirements for biologics mandate that EU Member States shall ensure that any biologic that is the subject of a suspected adverse drug reaction (ADR) is identifiable by brand name and batch number. Recent studies showed that brand name identification is well established, whereas batch numbers are (still) poorly reported. We evaluated information-recording systems and practices in the Dutch hospital setting to identify determinants for brand name and batch number recording as well as success factors and bottlenecks for traceability.

Methods

We surveyed Dutch hospital pharmacists with an online questionnaire on systems and practices in hospitals for recording brand names and batch numbers. Additionally, we performed an analysis of the traceability of recombinant biologics in spontaneous ADR reports (received between 2009 and 2014) from the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb.

Results

The survey showed that brand names are not routinely recorded in the clinical practice of Dutch hospitals, whereas batch numbers are poorly recorded. Seventy-six percent of the 1523 ADR reports for recombinant biologics had a traceable brand name whereas 5 % of these reports contained a batch number. The results suggest a possible relationship between the availability of brand and batch number information in clinical practice and the inclusion of this information in ADR reports for biologics.

Conclusion

The limited traceability of brand names and batch numbers in ADR reports may be primarily caused by the shortcomings in the recording of information in clinical practice. We recommend efforts to improve information-recording systems as a first step to improve the traceability of biologics in ADR reporting.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40264-015-0383-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Are elderly and women under-represented in cardiovascular clinical trials? Implication for treatment

Elderly and women have been often under-represented in randomised clinical trials testing the effect of treatments on cardiovascular diseases even though these diseases highly affect both of them.Compared to their younger counterparts elderly have a higher incidence of disease-related morbidities, take more medicines and account for more adverse drug-related events. Similarly women present several differences in pathophysiology, clinical manifestations and outcomes in comparison to their male counterparts. For these reasons the results of randomised clinical trials obtained in younger men cannot be simply translated in elderly and women and the conduction of research and clinical trials in these patient populations is a key aspect to acquire evidence-based knowledge in the understanding and management of their conditions and treatment.Although the under-representation of elderly and women has been discussed for several years and several international guidelines or recommendation have been published to suggest how to improve the recruitment of these two populations, their recruitment is still insufficient. In particular, frail elderly and those with co-morbidities are not included questioning the external validity and the safety of most treatments.Aim of this review is to critically analyse how current recommendations for treatments of cardiovascular disease are not adequately devised for elderly and women.

Insights Into Successful Change Management: Empirically Supported Techniques for Improving Medical Practice Patterns

This article identifies empirically supported techniques for improving medical practice patterns by relying on both The Delta Group's professional change management experience and a thorough review of the literature relating to the essential characteristics of successful change management programs in health care. The purpose of this article is to provide health care professionals with an overview of the various change management techniques that have been widely regarded as having the greatest impact on the clinical and financial success of improvement programs before health care professionals initiate change management activities within their own organization.

An investigation of routes to cancer diagnosis in 10 international jurisdictions, as part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership: survey development and implementation

OBJECTIVES

This paper describes the methods used in the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership Module 4 Survey (ICBPM4) which examines time intervals and routes to cancer diagnosis in 10 jurisdictions. We present the study design with defining and measuring time intervals, identifying patients with cancer, questionnaire development, data management and analyses.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Recruitment of participants to the ICBPM4 survey is based on cancer registries in each jurisdiction. Questionnaires draw on previous instruments and have been through a process of cognitive testing and piloting in three jurisdictions followed by standardised translation and adaptation. Data analysis focuses on comparing differences in time intervals and routes to diagnosis in the jurisdictions.

PARTICIPANTS

Our target is 200 patients with symptomatic breast, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer in each jurisdiction. Patients are approached directly or via their primary care physician (PCP). Patients' PCPs and cancer treatment specialists (CTSs) are surveyed, and 'data rules' are applied to combine and reconcile conflicting information. Where CTS information is unavailable, audit information is sought from treatment records and databases.

MAIN OUTCOMES

Reliability testing of the patient questionnaire showed that agreement was complete (κ=1) in four items and substantial (κ=0.8, 95% CI 0.333 to 1) in one item. The identification of eligible patients is sufficient to meet the targets for breast, lung and colorectal cancer. Initial patient and PCP survey response rates from the UK and Sweden are comparable with similar published surveys. Data collection was completed in early 2016 for all cancer types.

CONCLUSION

An international questionnaire-based survey of patients with cancer, PCPs and CTSs has been developed and launched in 10 jurisdictions. ICBPM4 will help to further understand international differences in cancer survival by comparing time intervals and routes to cancer diagnosis.

Managing the Kidney Waiting List

Candidates on the kidney transplant list wait for longer periods and have increasing numbers of comorbid conditions. To ensure that these candidates are acceptable for transplantation when an organ becomes available, physical, psychosocial, and financial strategies are essential. The authors surveyed 68 transplant centers to determine current practices. Eighteen percent of centers did not reevaluate candidates. Other programs used time on the list, disease, age, or a combination of these factors as evaluation criteria. Initial cardiac evaluation was relied upon by 51.4% of centers, with varying criteria used to determine status. Social work evaluation was done by 42.6% of centers, usually annually. Annual financial reevaluation was performed in 57.4%. Data support reviewing candidates, especially those with diabetes, those who have been receiving dialysis for a long time, and those older than 60 years. The dedication of one coordinator to manage waitlisted candidates using age, diagnosis, and time receiving dialysis was effective in this study.

Holistic Practice in Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Perspectives of Health Practitioners

Given that the literature suggests there are various (and often contradictory) interpretations of holistic practice in brain injury rehabilitation and multiple complexities in its implementation (including complex setting, discipline, and client-base factors), this study aimed to examine the experiences of practitioners in their conceptualization and delivery of holistic practice in their respective settings. Nineteen health practitioners purposively sampled from an extensive Brain Injury Network in Queensland, Australia participated in individual interviews. A systematic text analysis process using Leximancer qualitative analysis program was undertaken, followed by manual thematic analysis to develop overarching themes. The findings from this study have identified several items for future inter-professional development that will not only benefit the practitioners working in brain injury rehabilitation settings, but the patients and their families as well.

The Impact of the Transition to an Electronic Medical Record on Patient Perceptions in a Pediatric Ophthalmology Practice

PURPOSE

To assess the impact of the transition from traditional paper-based medical records to electronic medical records in a pediatric ophthalmology practice at a tertiary care center.

METHODS

A prospective, cross-sectional survey was completed at three time points: 2 weeks prior to (phase 1), 2 weeks after (phase 2), and 3 months after (phase 3) the electronic medical record transition. The survey consisted of 10 Likert-type scaled questions assessing patient satisfaction and two free response questions estimating the wait time, which was completed by patients or parents/guardians whose child/children (younger than 18 years) had an appointment in the pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus clinic. Satisfaction scores and waiting times were compared within each phase and across phases and between different appointment types.

RESULTS

A total of 382 surveys were collected: 158 from phase 1, 68 from phase 2, and 156 from phase 3. Overall, patient satisfaction was high at all three time points. Patients' estimates of waiting time compared to actual waiting time were not significantly different at any phase; however, patients' estimates of time spent with the physician were significantly underestimated in phase 1 (20 vs 25 minutes, P = .04) and were correct or overestimated in phase 3.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients were satisfied with the service regardless of the use of paper charts or electronic medical records. The electronic medical record system does not seem to improve patients' waiting time, but has a significant impact on the perception of time spent with the physician. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2016;53(3):173-178.].

Histopathology practice and training in Nigeria – a model

OBJECTIVES

Contemporary histopathology practice and training in Nigeria have been plagued by the fundamental issue of inadequate exposure to surgical pathology material by both trainees and trainers. This paper critically examines the factors that affect the discipline and profers practical solutions to aid its advancement.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

This review is based on the authors experience and observations of histopathology practice in Nigeria.

RESULTS

The Nigerian health sector is plagued by many ills including poor funding, weak policies, dilapidated structures, disgruntled and frustrated practitioners, amongst others - and pathologists are not immune to all these. In recent times, there has been a proliferation of accredited training centres as well as medical graduates interested in the specialty of histopathology. The busiest histopathology laboratories in the country ascession between 2200 and 5500 surgical samples yearly. Thus there is inadequate exposure by histopathologists and trainee pathologists to surgical materials with the attendant consequences. Many centres still rely principally on routine haematoxylineosin stains. There are no nationally agreed standard reporting formats for most diseases.

CONCLUSION

The development of a deanery or regional system of accredited histopathology laboratories may form the fulcrum for improving the overall quality of histopathological services and training in Nigeria. This will help develop local expertise and ensure adequate exposure to teaching aids and surgical materials. We hope that the proffered solutions will help encourage local pathologists to continue and increase their efforts to raise the profession up to enviable heights.

Landscape of business models in teledermatology

Effective business models for teledermatology must be implemented to make the practice a feasible option for dermatologists to deliver care. This study sought to detect and report types of teledermatology business models in practice. We interviewed 19 private and academic dermatologists who have been reimbursed for teledermatology services. Most respondents described teledermatology business models fitting 4 categories-standard fee-for-service reimbursement from insurance, capitated service contracts, per-case service contracts, and direct to consumer-which are described in this article. We also anticipate new teledermatology business models will be needed as technology and insurance reimbursements evolve.

Spatio-temporal elements of articulation work in the achievement of repeat prescribing safety in UK general practice

Prescribing is the most common healthcare intervention, and is both beneficial and risky. An important source of risk in UK general practice is the management of 'repeat prescriptions', which are typically requested from and issued by non-clinically trained reception staff with only intermittent reauthorisation by a clinical prescriber. This paper ethnographically examines the formal and informal work employed by GPs and receptionists to safely conduct repeat prescribing work in primary care using Strauss's (1985, 1988, 1993) concept of 'articulation work' across eight UK general practices. The analytical lens of articulation work provided an investigative framing to contextually map the informal, invisible resources of resilience and strength employed by practice team members in the achievement of repeat prescribing safety, where risk and vulnerability were continually relocated across space and time. In particular, the paper makes visible the micro-level competencies and collaborative practices that were routinely employed by both GPs and receptionists across different socio-cultural contexts, with informal, cross-hierarchical communication usually considered more effective than the formal structures of communication that existed (e.g. protocols). While GPs held formal prescribing authority, this paper also examines the key role of receptionists in both the initiation and safe coordination of the repeat prescribing routine.

Variation in Clinical Practice: A Priority Setting Approach to the Staged Funding of Quality Improvement

Variation in adherence to clinical guidelines, and in the organisation and delivery of health care significantly impact patient outcomes and health service costs. Despite mounting evidence of variation in clinical practice, the funds allocated to improve the quality of existing services remain small, relative to the resources allocated to new technologies. Quality improvement is a complex intervention, with a lack of focus on outcomes, and greater uncertainty around its effects. These factors have contributed to a relatively narrow, mainstream view of quality improvement as focussing on safety, with efforts to improve adherence to best practice limited to high profile clinical areas. This paper presents an analysis of linked, routinely collected data to identify variation in patient outcomes and processes of care across hospitals for patients presenting with low-risk chest pain. Such analyses provide a low cost, broadly applicable approach to identifying potentially important areas of variation in clinical practice, to inform the prioritisation of more detailed analyses to validate, and further investigate the causes of variation.