-
1.
Electronic Decision Support for Management of CKD in Primary Care: A Pragmatic Randomized Trial.
Peralta, CA, Livaudais-Toman, J, Stebbins, M, Lo, L, Robinson, A, Pathak, S, Scherzer, R, Karliner, LS
American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation. 2020;(5):636-644
Abstract
RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE Most adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the United States are cared for by primary care providers (PCPs). We evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an electronic clinical decision support system (eCDSS) within the electronic health record with or without pharmacist follow-up to improve the management of CKD in primary care. STUDY DESIGN Pragmatic cluster-randomized trial. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS 524 adults with confirmed creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rates of 30 to 59mL/min/1.73m2 cared for by 80 PCPs at the University of California San Francisco. Electronic health record data were used for patient identification, intervention deployment, and outcomes ascertainment. INTERVENTIONS Each PCP's eligible patients were randomly assigned as a group into 1 of 3 treatment arms: (1) usual care; (2) eCDSS: testing of creatinine, cystatin C, and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio with individually tailored guidance for PCPs on blood pressure, potassium, and proteinuria management, cardiovascular risk reduction, and patient education; or (3) eCDSS plus pharmacist counseling (eCDSS-PLUS). OUTCOMES The primary clinical outcome was change in blood pressure over 12 months. Secondary outcomes were PCP awareness of CKD and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker and statin therapy. RESULTS All 80 eligible PCPs participated. Mean patient age was 70 years, 47% were nonwhite, and mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 56±0.6mL/min/1.73m2. Among patients receiving eCDSS with or without pharmacist counseling (n=336), 178 (53%) completed laboratory measurements and 138 (41%) had laboratory measurements followed by a PCP visit with eCDSS deployment. eCDSS was opened by the PCP for 102 (74%) patients, with at least 1 suggested order signed for 83 of these 102 (81%). Changes in systolic blood pressure were-2.1±1.5mm Hg with usual care, -2.8±1.8mm Hg with eCDSS, and -1.1±1.1 with eCDSS-PLUS (P=0.7). PCP awareness of CKD was 16% with usual care, 26% with eCDSS, and 32% for eCDSS-PLUS (P=0.09). In as-treated analyses, PCP awareness of CKD was significantly greater with eCDSS and eCDSS-PLUS (73% and 69%) versus usual care (47%; P=0.002). LIMITATIONS Recruitment of smaller than intended sample size and limited uptake of the testing component of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS Although we were unable to demonstrate the effectiveness of eCDSS to lower blood pressure and uptake of the eCDSS was limited by low testing rates, eCDSS use was high when laboratory measurements were available and was associated with higher PCP awareness of CKD. FUNDING Grants from government (National Institutes of Health) and not-for-profit (American Heart Association) entities. TRIAL REGISTRATION Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with study number NCT02925962.
-
2.
First line drug treatment for hypertension and reductions in blood pressure according to age and ethnicity: cohort study in UK primary care.
Sinnott, SJ, Douglas, IJ, Smeeth, L, Williamson, E, Tomlinson, LA
BMJ (Clinical research ed.). 2020;:m4080
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study whether treatment recommendations based on age and ethnicity according to United Kingdom (UK) clinical guidelines for hypertension translate to blood pressure reductions in current routine clinical care. DESIGN Observational cohort study. SETTING UK primary care, from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2017. PARTICIPANTS New users of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEI/ARB), calcium channel blockers (CCB), and thiazides. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Change in systolic blood pressure in new users of ACEI/ARB versus CCB, stratified by age (< v ≥55) and ethnicity (black v non-black), from baseline to 12, 26, and 52 week follow-up. Secondary analyses included comparisons of new users of CCB with those of thiazides. A negative outcome (herpes zoster) was used to detect residual confounding and a series of positive outcomes (expected drug effects) was used to determine whether the study design could identify expected associations. RESULTS During one year of follow-up, 87 440 new users of ACEI/ARB, 67 274 new users of CCB, and 22 040 new users of thiazides were included (median 4 (interquartile range 2-6) blood pressure measurements per user). For non-black people who did not have diabetes and who were younger than 55, CCB use was associated with a larger reduction in systolic blood pressure of 1.69 mm Hg (99% confidence interval -2.52 to -0.86) relative to ACEI/ARB use at 12 weeks, and a reduction of 0.40 mm Hg (-0.98 to 0.18) in those aged 55 and older. In subgroup analyses using six finer age categories of non-black people who did not have diabetes, CCB use versus ACEI/ARB use was associated with a larger reduction in systolic blood pressure only in people aged 75 and older. Among people who did not have diabetes, systolic blood pressure decreased more with CCB use than with ACEI/ARB use in black people (reduction difference 2.15 mm Hg (-6.17 to 1.87)); the corresponding reduction difference was 0.98 mm Hg (-1.49 to -0.47) in non-black people. CONCLUSIONS Similar reductions in blood pressure were found to be associated with new use of CCB as with new use of ACEI/ARB in non-black people who did not have diabetes, both in those who were aged younger than 55 and those aged 55 and older. For black people without diabetes, CCB new use was associated with numerically greater reductions in blood pressure than ACEI/ARB compared with non-black people without diabetes, but the confidence intervals were overlapping for the two groups. These results suggest that the current UK algorithmic approach to first line antihypertensive treatment might not lead to greater reductions in blood pressure. Specific indications could be considered in treatment recommendations.
-
3.
Efficacy of Diabetes Education in Adults With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Primary Care: A Systematic Review.
Cruz-Cobo, C, Santi-Cano, MJ
Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. 2020;(2):155-163
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
PURPOSE To analyze the effect of different diabetes education methods on metabolic control, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure. DESIGN A systematic review was carried out. DATA SOURCES PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), CUIDEN, Ibecs, and Scopus databases were consulted. The search was done in May 2018. Studies included controlled clinical trials on diabetes education in primary care that were published in English and Spanish during the years 2011 to 2018. RESULTS The post-intervention results were as follows: glycosylated hemoglobin concentration (HbA1c) ranged between -1.6% (individual education [IE]) and + 0.05% (mixed education [ME]). The values of BMI varied from -0.7% (group education [GE]) to -0.3% (GE). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) fluctuated. SBP varied from -8.5 mmHg (GE) to +2.9 mmHg (GE); DBP varied from -3.1 mmHg (GE) to -0.9 mmHg (GE). Total cholesterol ranged from -15.9/dL (GE) to +2 mg/dL (GE). LDL cholesterol ranged from -18.3 mg/dL (GE) to -7 mg/dL (ME). HDL cholesterol ranged from +0.8 mg/dL (IE) to +8.12 mg/dL (GE). Triglycerides varied from -21.1 mg/dL (GE) to +11.0 (GE). CONCLUSIONS The most profound decrease in HbA1c was achieved using individual education. However, to decrease BMI, SBP, DBP, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, group education was the most effective intervention. CLINICAL RELEVANCE To obtain good metabolic control, it is necessary to address both clinical and psychological aspects, including modifying nutritional and dietary habits, monitoring medication, increasing knowledge of diabetes, and combining theoretical content with physical exercise programs. Reinforcement strategies are very important to achieve the objectives of educational programs.
-
4.
Acceptability of the "MOVEdiabetes" physical activity intervention in diabetes primary care settings in Oman: findings from participants and practitioners.
Alghafri, TS, Al Harthi, SM, Al-Ajmi, F, Al-Farsi, Y, Craigie, AM, Bannerman, E, Anderson, AS
BMC public health. 2020;(1):887
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adequate physical activity (PA) is considered essential in diabetes management. However, evidence on the best method of promoting PA within diabetes care is inconclusive. The current work identifies perceptions on the acceptability of Intervention Group Participants (IGP) and Project Officers (POs) about the "MOVEdiabetes" intervention programme aimed at increasing PA in adults with type 2 diabetes in Oman (a retrospectively registered trial). METHODS The "MOVEdiabetes" programme (PA consultations, pedometers and WhatsApp messages) was delivered by the POs (primary health care practitioners) in four primary care centres within a one-year cluster randomised control trial. Recruitment and retention were measured from trial attendance records. Programme satisfaction, appropriateness, and content suitability were assessed using exit surveys for both the IGP (interview based) and POs (self-administered). Open text questions on perceptions to the study programme were also included. RESULTS Participants were randomised to an intervention group (IG, n = 122) or comparison group (CG, n = 110). The overall retention rate at three and 12 months was 92.7% [110(90.2%) IG vs 105(95.5%) CG] and 75% [82(67.2%) IG vs 92(83.6%) CG] respectively. Most (n = 14, 87.5%) POs and more than half (n = 49, 59.8%) IGP perceived the programme as very appropriate and many reported that they were "quite/ very satisfied" with the programme (n = 16, 100% PO's and n = 71, 86.6% IGP). Two thirds (n = 55, 66.0%) of IGP were very/quite likely to recommend the programme to others. PA consultations, use of pedometers and Whatsapp messages were well perceived by all. Participants recommended the inclusion of dietary advice and PA promotion for the general public. Exploring PA facilities within the community was suggested by POs. CONCLUSIONS The "MOVEdiabetes" programme achieved a high retention rate and was perceived as satisfactory and appropriate. Results from this study suggest that it is worthwhile exploring the use of the "MOVEdiabetes" programme in clinical practice and further community links. TRIAL REGISTRATION International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials No: ISRCTN14425284. Registered retrospectively on 12th April 2016.
-
5.
The Use of Behavior Change Theories in Dietetics Practice in Primary Health Care: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Rigby, RR, Mitchell, LJ, Hamilton, K, Williams, LT
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2020;(7):1172-1197
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavior change theories frameworks provide the theoretical underpinning for effective health care. The extent to which they are applied in contemporary dietetics interventions has not been explored. OBJECTIVE To systematically review the evidence of behavior change theory-based interventions delivered by credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners in primary health care settings. METHODS Medline, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for English language, randomized controlled trials before August 2019. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. Eligible interventions included adults (aged ≥18 years) receiving face-to-face dietetics care underpinned by behavior change theories in primary health care settings with outcome measures targeting changes in health behaviors or health outcomes. Screening was conducted independently in duplicate and data were extracted using predefined categories. The quality of each study was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. The body of evidence was assessed using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Manual Conclusion Grading Table. RESULTS Thirty articles reporting on 19 randomized controlled trials met the eligibility criteria, representing 5,172 adults. Thirteen studies (68%) showed significant improvements for the primary outcome measured. Social cognitive theory was the behavior change theory most commonly applied in interventions (n=15) with 11 finding significant intervention effects. Goal setting, problem solving, social support, and self-monitoring were the most commonly reported techniques (n=15, n=14, n=11, and n=11, respectively). Most studies had a high (n=11) or unclear (n=8) risk of bias. There was fair evidence (Grade II) supporting the use of behavior change theories to inform development of dietetics interventions. CONCLUSIONS Interventions delivered by credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners that were underpinned by behavior change theories and utilizing various behavior change techniques were found to have potential to be more effective at improving patient health outcomes than dietary interventions without theoretical underpinnings. Findings from this review should inform future primary health care research in the area of dietary behavior change. In addition, findings from this review highlight the need for stronger documentation of use of behavior change theory and techniques that map on to the theory within dietetics practice.
-
6.
Family-centeredness of childhood obesity interventions: psychometrics & outcomes of the family-centered care assessment tool.
Simione, M, Sharifi, M, Gerber, MW, Marshall, R, Avalon, E, Fiechtner, L, Horan, C, Orav, EJ, Skelton, J, Taveras, EM
Health and quality of life outcomes. 2020;(1):179
Abstract
BACKGROUND Incorporating family-centered care principles into childhood obesity interventions is integral for improved clinical decision making, better follow-through, and more effective communication that leads to better outcomes and greater satisfaction with services. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of a modified version of the Family Centered-Care Assessment (mFCCA) tool and to assess the family-centeredness of two clinical-community childhood obesity interventions. METHODS Connect for Health was a randomized trial testing the comparative effectiveness of two interventions that enrolled 721 children, ages 2-12 years, with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th percentile. The two arms were (1) enhanced primary care; and (2) enhanced primary care plus contextually-tailored, health coaching. At the end of the one-year intervention, the mFCCA was administered. We used Rasch analyses to assess the tool's psychometrics and examined differences between the groups using multiple linear regression. RESULTS 629 parents completed the mFCCA resulting in an 87% response rate. The mean (SD) age of children was 8.0 (3.0) years. The exploratory factor analysis with 24 items all loaded onto a single factor. The Rasch modeling demonstrated good reliability as evidenced by the person separation reliability coefficient (0.99), and strong validity as evidenced by the range of item difficulty and overall model fit. The mean (SD, range) mFCCA score was 4.14 (0.85, 1-5). Compared to parents of children in the enhanced primary care arm, those whose children were in the enhanced primary care plus health coaching arm had higher mFCCA scores indicating greater perception of family-centeredness (β = 0.61 units [95% CI: 0.49, 0.73]). CONCLUSIONS Using the mFCCA which demonstrated good psychometric properties for the assessment of family-centered care among parents of children with obesity, we found that individualized health coaching is a family-centered approach to pediatric weight management. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02124460.
-
7.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of a quality improvement intervention to support integration of maternal, child and HIV care in primary health care facilities in South Africa.
Haskins, L, Chiliza, J, Barker, P, Connolly, C, Phakathi, S, Feeley, A, Horwood, C
BMC public health. 2020;(1):318
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite policies and guidelines recommending integration of health services in South Africa, provision of maternal and child health services remains fragmented. This study evaluated a rapid, scaleable, quality improvement (QI) intervention to improve integration of maternal and child health and HIV services at a primary health level, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. METHODS A three-month intervention comprised of six QI mentoring visits, learning sessions with clinic staff to share learnings, and a self-administered checklist aimed to assist health workers monitor and implement an integrated package of health services for mothers and children. The study evaluated 27 clinics in four sub-districts using a stepped-wedge design. Each sub-district received the intervention sequentially in a randomly selected order. Five waves of data collection were conducted in all participating clinics between December 2016-February 2017. A multi-level, mixed effects logistic regression was used to account for random cluster fixed time and group effects using Stata V13.1. RESULTS Improvements in some growth monitoring indicators were achieved in intervention clinics compared to control clinics, including measuring the length of the baby (77% vs 63%; p = 0.001) and health workers asking mothers about the child's feeding (74% vs 67%; p = 0.003), but the proportion of mothers who received feeding advice remained unchanged (38% vs 35%; p = 0.48). Significantly more mothers in the intervention group were asked about their baby's health (44% vs 36%; p = 0.001), and completeness of record keeping improved (40% vs 26%; I = < 0.0001). Discussions with the mother about some maternal health services improved: significantly more mothers in the intervention group were asked about HIV (26.5% vs 19.5%; p = 0.009) and family planning (33.5% vs 19.5%; p < 0.001), but this did not result in additional services being provided to mothers at the clinic visit. CONCLUSION This robust evaluation shows significant improvements in coverage of some services, but the QI intervention was unable to achieve the substantial changes required to provide a comprehensive package of services to all mothers and children. We suggest the QI process be adapted to complex under-resourced health systems, building on the strengths of this approach, to provide workable health systems strengthening solutions for scalable implementation. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04278612. Date of Registration: February 19, 2020. Retrospectively registered.
-
8.
SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Results from an Observational Study in Primary Care in Belgium.
Ceulemans, M, Verbakel, JY, Van Calsteren, K, Eerdekens, A, Allegaert, K, Foulon, V
International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020;(18)
Abstract
COVID-19 also affects pregnant and breastfeeding women. Hence, clinicians and policymakers require reliable evidence on COVID-19 epidemiology and consequences in this population. We aimed to assess the susceptibility of pregnant women to SARS-CoV-2 and women's perceived impact of the pandemic on their breastfeeding practices, medical counseling and social support. We performed a cross-sectional study using an online survey in primary care in Belgium. Pregnant and breastfeeding women and women who breastfed in the preceding four weeks were eligible to participate. The survey was distributed through social media in April 2020. In total, 6470 women participated (i.e., 2647 pregnant and 3823 breastfeeding women). Overall, 0.3% of all respondents reported to have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, not indicating a higher susceptibility of pregnant women to contracting COVID-19. More than 90% refuted that the pandemic affected their breastfeeding practices, nor indicated that the coronavirus was responsible for breastfeeding cessation. Half of the women even considered giving longer breastmilk because of the coronavirus. In contrast, women's medical counseling and social support were negatively affected by the lockdown. Women without previous breastfeeding experience and in the early postpartum period experienced a higher burden in terms of reduced medical counseling and support. In the future, more consideration and alternative supportive measures such as tele-visits by midwives or perinatal organizations are required for these women.
-
9.
Task shifting of intraocular injections from physicians to nurses: a randomized single-masked noninferiority study.
Bolme, S, Morken, TS, Follestad, T, Sørensen, TL, Austeng, D
Acta ophthalmologica. 2020;(2):139-144
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
PURPOSE To test if task shifting of intraocular injections to nurses in a real-world setting can result in similar visual function outcome with equal safety profile. METHOD All patients with either age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion or diabetic macular oedema remitted to intraocular injections at a tertiary ophthalmology department in Norway between March 2015 and May 2017, were asked to participate. The participants were randomized to either nurse- or physician-administered intraocular injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor. The primary outcome measure was change in best-corrected visual acuity from baseline to 1-year follow-up. The mean difference in the primary outcome between the groups was analysed by a noninferiority test with a margin of three letters in disfavour of the nurse group. Adverse events were recorded. RESULTS Three hundred and forty-two patients entered the study. Two hundred and fifty-nine completed the 1-year follow-up and were included in the study sample for the analysis of the primary outcome. Nurse-administered intraocular injections were noninferior to physician-administered injections with 0.7 and 1.6 letters gained, respectively (95% CI of the mean difference, -2.9 to 1.0; p = 0.019, one-sided t-test). Two thousand and seventy-seven injections and three ocular adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSION Task shifting of intraocular injections to nurses can be performed without increased risk to visual function. Such a task shift can alleviate the burden of performing intraocular injections in ophthalmology departments. To our knowledge, this is the first RCT on task shifting of a surgical procedure from physicians to nurses in a high-income country.
-
10.
Effectiveness of non-pharmacological strategies in the management of type 2 diabetes in primary care: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Leite, RGOF, Banzato, LR, Galendi, JSC, Mendes, AL, Bolfi, F, Veroniki, AA, Thabane, L, Nunes-Nogueira, VDS
BMJ open. 2020;(1):e034481
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite the increasing number of drugs and various guidelines on the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), several patients continue with the disease uncontrolled. There are several non-pharmacological treatments available for managing T2DM, but various of them have never been compared directly to determine the best strategies. OBJECTIVE This study will evaluate the comparative effects of non-pharmacological strategies in the management of T2DM in primary care or community settings. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will perform a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA), and will include randomised controlled trials if one of the following interventions were applied in adult patients with T2DM: nutritional therapy, physical activity, psychological interventions, social interventions, multidisciplinary lifestyle interventions, diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES), technology-enabled DSMES, interventions delivered only either by pharmacists or by nurses, self-blood glucose monitoring in non-insulin-treated T2DM, health coaching, benchmarking and usual care. The primary outcome will be glycaemic control (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (%)), and the secondary outcomes will be weight loss, quality of life, patient satisfaction, frequency of cardiovascular events and deaths, number of patients in each group with HbA1c <7, adverse events and medication adherence. We have developed search strategies for Embase, Medline, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Trip database, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Australasian Medical Index and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Four reviewers will assess the studies for their eligibility and their risk of bias in pairs and independently. An NMA will be performed using a Bayesian hierarchical model, and the treatment hierarchy will be obtained using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve. To determine our confidence in an overall treatment ranking from the NMA, we will follow the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION As no primary data collection will be undertaken, no formal ethical assessment is required. We plan to present the results of this systematic review in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, conferences and the popular press. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42019127856.