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Rawlings A, Hobby AE, Ryan B, Carson-Stevens A, North R, Smith M, Gwyn S, Sheen N, Acton JH. The burden of acute eye conditions on different healthcare providers: a retrospective population-based study. Br J Gen Pract 2024:BJGP.2022.0616. [PMID: 38438268 PMCID: PMC10947371 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp.2022.0616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The demand for acute eyecare exponentially outstrips capacity. The public lacks awareness of community eyecare services. AIM To quantify the burden of acute eyecare on different healthcare service providers in a national population through prescribing and medicines provision by GPs, optometrists, and pharmacists, and provision of care by accident and emergency (A&E) services. A secondary aim was to characterise some of the drivers of this burden. DESIGN AND SETTING A retrospective data-linkage study set in Wales, UK. METHOD Analysis of datasets was undertaken from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank (GP and A&E), the Eye Health Examination Wales service (optometry), and the Common Ailments Scheme (pharmacy) during 2017-2018. RESULTS A total of 173 999 acute eyecare episodes delivered by GPs (168 877 episodes) and A&E services (5122) were identified during the study. This resulted in 65.4 episodes of care per 1000 people per year. GPs prescribed a total of 87 973 653 prescriptions within the general population. Of these, 820 693 were related to acute eyecare, resulting in a prescribing rate of 0.9%. A total of 5122 eye-related and 905 224 general A&E attendances were identified, respectively, resulting in an A&E attendance rate of 0.6%. Optometrists and pharmacists managed 51.8% (116 868) and 0.6% (2635) of all episodes, respectively. Older females and infants of both sexes were more likely to use GP prescribing services, while adolescent and middle-aged males were more likely to visit A&E. GP prescribing burden was driven partially by economic deprivation, access to services, and health score. Season, day of the week, and time of day were predictors of burden in GP and A&E. CONCLUSION Acute eyecare continues to place considerable burden on GP and A&E services in Wales, particularly in urban areas with greater economic deprivation and lower overall health. This is likely to increase with a rapidly ageing population. With ongoing pathway development to better utilise optometry and pharmacy, and improved public awareness, there may be scope to change this trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rawlings
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea
| | - Angharad E Hobby
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, and University of the West of England, Bristol
| | - Barbara Ryan
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff
| | - Andrew Carson-Stevens
- PRIME Centre Wales, Division of Population Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff
| | - Rachel North
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences and PRIME Centre Wales, Division of Population Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff
| | - Mathew Smith
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff
| | - Sioned Gwyn
- PRIME Centre Wales, Division of Population Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff
| | - Nik Sheen
- Health and Education Improvement Wales (HEIW), Nantgarw
| | - Jennifer H Acton
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff
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Nugent C, Verlander NQ, Varma S, Bradley DT, Patterson L. Examining the association between socio-demographic factors, catheter use and antibiotic prescribing in Northern Ireland primary care: a cross-sectional multilevel analysis. Epidemiol Infect 2022; 150:1-36. [PMID: 35443905 PMCID: PMC9102062 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268822000644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Inappropriate use of antibiotics is among the key drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antibiotic use in Northern Ireland (NI) is the highest in the UK and approximately 80% is prescribed in primary care. Little information however exists about the patient and prescriber factors driving this. We described the trend in NI primary care total antibiotic prescribing 2010–2019 and conducted a cross-sectional study using a random sample of individuals registered with an NI GP on 1st January 2019. We used multilevel logistic regression to examine how sociodemographic factors and urinary catheter use was associated with the likelihood of being prescribed an antibiotic during 2019, adjusting for clustering at GP practice and GP federation levels. Finite mixture modelling (FMM) was conducted to determine the association between the aforementioned risk factors and quantity of antibiotic prescribed (defined daily doses). The association between age and antibiotic prescription differed by gender. Compared to males 41–50 years, adjusted odds of prescription were higher for males aged 0–10, 11–20 and 51 + years, and females of any age. Catheter use was strongly associated with antibiotic prescription (aOR = 6.82, 95% CI 2.50–18.64). Socioeconomic deprivation and urban/rural settlement were not associated in the multilevel logistic analysis. GP practices and federations accounted for 1.24% and 0.12% of the variation in antibiotic prescribing respectively. FMM showed associations between larger quantities of antibiotics and being older, male and having a catheter. This work described the profile of individuals most likely to receive an antibiotic prescription in NI primary care and identified GP practice as a source of variation; suggesting an opportunity for reduction from effective interventions targeted at both individuals and general practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Nugent
- UK Field Epidemiology Training Programme, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
- Health Protection Department, Public Health Agency, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | | | - S. Varma
- Health and Social Care Board, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - D. T. Bradley
- Health Protection Department, Public Health Agency, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - L. Patterson
- Health Protection Department, Public Health Agency, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
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Abstract
Area-based socio-economic indicators, such as the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD), have been used in equity analyses to inform strategies to improve needs-based, timely, and effective patient care and public health services to communities. The CIMD comprises four dimensions of deprivation: residential instability, economic dependency, ethno-cultural composition, and situational vulnerability. Using the CIMD methodology, the British Columbia Index of Multiple Deprivation (BCIMD) was developed to create indexes at the Community Health Services Area (CHSA) level in British Columbia (BC). BCIMD indexes are reported by quintiles, where quintile 1 represents the least deprived (or ethno-culturally diverse), and quintile 5 is the most deprived (or diverse). Distinctive characteristics of a community can be captured using the BCIMD, where a given CHSA may have a high level of deprivation in one dimension and a low level of deprivation in another. The utility of this data as a surveillance tool to monitor population demography has been used to inform decision making in healthcare by stakeholders in the regional health authorities and governmental agencies. The data have also been linked to health care data, such as COVID-19 case incidence and vaccination coverage, to understand the epidemiology of disease burden through an equity lens.
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Devine P, O’Kane M, Bucholc M. Trends, Variation, and Factors Influencing Antibiotic Prescribing: A Longitudinal Study in Primary Care Using a Multilevel Modelling Approach. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 11:antibiotics11010017. [PMID: 35052894 PMCID: PMC8772723 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance has become one of the greatest threats to global health. Over 80% of antibiotics are prescribed in primary care, with many prescriptions considered to be issued inappropriately. The aim of this study was to examine the association between prescribing rates and demographic, practice, geographic, and socioeconomic characteristics using a multilevel modelling approach. Antibiotic prescribing data by 320 GP surgeries in Northern Ireland were obtained from Business Services Organisation for the years 2014–2020. A linear mixed-effects model was used to identify factors influencing antibiotic prescribing rates. Overall, the number of antibacterial prescriptions decreased by 26.2%, from 1,564,707 items in 2014 to 1,155,323 items in 2020. Lower levels of antibiotic prescribing were associated with urban practices (p < 0.001) and practices in less deprived areas (p = 0.005). The overall decrease in antibacterial drug prescriptions over time was larger in less deprived areas (p = 0.03). Higher prescribing rates were linked to GP practices located in areas with a higher percentage of the population aged ≥65 (p < 0.001) and <15 years (p < 0.001). There were also significant regional differences in antibiotic prescribing. We advocate that any future antibiotic prescribing targets should account for local factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Devine
- School of Computing, Engineering & Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry BT48 7JL, UK;
| | - Maurice O’Kane
- Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Western Health and Social Care Trust, Derry BT47 6SB, UK;
| | - Magda Bucholc
- School of Computing, Engineering & Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry BT48 7JL, UK;
- Correspondence:
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Saghy E, Mulinari S, Ozieranski P. Drug company payments to General Practices in England: Cross-sectional and social network analysis. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261077. [PMID: 34874975 PMCID: PMC8651134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there has been extensive research on pharmaceutical industry payments to healthcare professionals, healthcare organisations with key roles in health systems have received little attention. We seek to contribute to addressing this gap in research by examining drug company payments to General Practices in England in 2015. We combine a publicly available payments database managed by the pharmaceutical industry with datasets covering key practice characteristics. We find that practices were an important target of company payments, receiving £2,726,018, equivalent to 6.5% of the value of payments to all healthcare organisations in England. Payments to practices were highly concentrated and specific companies were also highly dominant. The top 10 donors and the top 10 recipients amassed 87.9% and 13.6% of the value of payments, respectively. Practices with more patients, a greater proportion of elderly patients, and those in more affluent areas received significantly more payments on average. However, the patterns of payments were similar across England's regions. We also found that company networks-established by making payments to the same practices-were largely dominated by a single company, which was also by far the biggest donor. Greater policy attention is required to the risk of financial dependency and conflicts of interests that might arise from payments to practices and to organisational conflicts of interests more broadly. Our research also demonstrates that the comprehensiveness and quality of payment data disclosed via industry self-regulatory arrangements needs improvement. More interconnectivity between payment data and other datasets is needed to capture company marketing strategies systematically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Saghy
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacoeconomics, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Shai Mulinari
- Department of Sociology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Piotr Ozieranski
- Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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Borek AJ, Anthierens S, Allison R, Mcnulty CAM, Anyanwu PE, Costelloe C, Walker AS, Butler CC, Tonkin-Crine S. Social and Contextual Influences on Antibiotic Prescribing and Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Qualitative Study with Clinical Commissioning Group and General Practice Professionals. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E859. [PMID: 33271843 PMCID: PMC7759918 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9120859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic prescribing in England varies considerably between Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and general practices. We aimed to assess social and contextual factors affecting antibiotic prescribing and engagement with antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 22 CCG professionals and 19 general practice professionals. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Social/contextual influences were grouped into the following four categories: (1) Immediate context, i.e., patients' social characteristics (e.g., deprivation and culture), clinical factors, and practice and clinician characteristics (e.g., "struggling" with staff shortage/turnover) were linked to higher prescribing. (2) Wider context, i.e., pressures on the healthcare system, limited resources, and competing priorities were seen to reduce engagement with AMS. (3) Collaborative and whole system approaches, i.e., communication, multidisciplinary networks, leadership, and teamwork facilitated prioritizing AMS, learning, and consistency. (4) Relativity of appropriate prescribing, i.e., "high" or "appropriate" prescribing was perceived as relative, depending on comparators, and disregarding different contexts, but social norms around antibiotic use among professionals and patients seemed to be changing. Further optimization of antibiotic prescribing would benefit from addressing social/contextual factors and addressing wider health inequalities, not only targeting individual clinicians. Tailoring and adapting to local contexts and constraints, ensuring adequate time and resources for AMS, and collaborative, whole system approaches to promote consistency may help promote AMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra J. Borek
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK; (C.C.B.); (S.T.-C.)
| | - Sibyl Anthierens
- Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Rosalie Allison
- Primary Care and Interventions Unit, Public Health England, Gloucester GL1 1DQ, UK; (R.A.); (C.A.M.M.)
| | - Cliodna A. M. Mcnulty
- Primary Care and Interventions Unit, Public Health England, Gloucester GL1 1DQ, UK; (R.A.); (C.A.M.M.)
| | - Philip E. Anyanwu
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London W6 8RP, UK; (P.E.A.); (C.C.)
- School of Medicine, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Ceire Costelloe
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London W6 8RP, UK; (P.E.A.); (C.C.)
| | - Ann Sarah Walker
- National Institute for Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK;
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Christopher C. Butler
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK; (C.C.B.); (S.T.-C.)
- National Institute for Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK;
| | - Sarah Tonkin-Crine
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK; (C.C.B.); (S.T.-C.)
- National Institute for Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK;
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