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3Background: The substitution of healthcare is a way to control rising healthcare costs. The Primary Care Plus (PC+) intervention of the Dutch ‘Blue Care’ pioneer site aims to achieve this feat by facilitating consultations with medical specialists in the primary care setting. One of the specialties involved is dermatology. This study explores referral decisions following dermatology care in PC+ and the influence of predictive patient and consultation characteristics on this decision. Methods: This retrospective study used clinical data of patients who received dermatology care in PC+ between January 2015 and March 2017. The referral decision following PC+, (i.e., referral back to the general practitioner (GP) or referral to outpatient hospital care) was the primary outcome. Stepwise logistic regression modelling was used to describe variations in the referral decisions following PC+, with patient age and gender, number of PC+ consultations, patient diagnosis and treatment specialist as the predicting factors. Results: A total of 2952 patients visited PC+ for dermatology care. Of those patients with a registered referral, 80.2% (N = 2254) were referred back to the GP, and 19.8% (N = 558) were referred to outpatient hospital care. In the multivariable model, only the treating specialist and patient’s diagnosis independently influenced the referral decisions following PC+. Conclusion: The aim of PC+ is to reduce the number of referrals to outpatient hospital care. According to the results, the treating specialist and patient diagnosis influence referral decisions. Therefore, the results of this study can be used to discuss and improve specialist and patient profiles for PC+ to further optimise the effectiveness of the initiative.
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CC-BY BMC NursingBackground: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of key aspects of specialised dermatology nursing practice in the management of patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The role of dermatology nurse specialists in supporting patients and promoting disease understandinag, education and treatment adherence continues to evolve. As features of specialised nursing care can also inform other nursing staff in a wide range of care settings, an overview of key components is examined. Observations presented are from a pan-European perspective and represent the collected view of a group of dermatology nurse specialists, dermatologists and patient advocates following two round-table discussions.Main body: Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic, inflammatory disease characterised by erythematous/scaling skin lesions, with often intense pruritus. Disease course is cyclic with periodic disease flares of varying intensity, presenting management challenges to patients and families. Dermatology nurse specialists play a key role in providing education and substantial patient support to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life to patients and their family, delivered within a multidisciplinary team framework. Nurse-led education and 'eczema schools ' are of benefit in reducing disease severity and improving quality of life by enhancing self-management, adherence and patient engagement. eHealth tools, such as patient portals or online training platforms, can provide online learning, individualised education, and help to improve engagement. These and other initiatives, such as written action plans, are all essential to improve or maintain treatment adherence, self-management and quality of life.Conclusions: Dermatology nurse specialists play a central role in the assessment and management of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis patients and families. This places them in an ideal position to build strong and often long-term relationships with patients and parents. Such engagement promotes trust, assists in setting realistic expectations of treatment and outcomes, and enhances self-management and engagement in their own care. Providing emotional support, as well as formal and systematic education (including individualised practical advice) all contribute to improved treatment adherence and can enhance the quality of life of patients and their families throughout the course of this long-term condition.
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Background: Acne vulgaris is a multifaceted skin disorder, affecting more than 85% of young individuals worldwide. Pharmacological therapy is not always desirable because of the development of antibiotic resistance or the potential risk of adverse effects. Non‐pharmacological therapies can be viable alternatives for conventional therapies. However, sufficient evidence‐based support in the efficacy and safety of non‐pharmacological therapies is lacking. Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of several non‐pharmacological therapies in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Methods: A systematic literature review, including a best‐evidence synthesis, was performed to identify literature. Three electronic databases were accessed and searched for studies published between January 2000 and May 2017. Results: Thirty‐three eligible studies were included in our systematic review. Three main types of non‐pharmacological therapies were identified laser‐ and light‐based therapies, chemical peels and fractional microneedling radiofrequency. The majority of the included studies demonstrated a significant reduction in acne lesions. However, only seven studies had a high methodologic quality. Based on these seven trials, a best‐evidence synthesis was conducted. Strong evidence was found for glycolic acid (10–40%). Moderate evidence was found for amino fruit acid (20–60%), intense pulsed light (400–700 and 870–1200 nm) and the diode laser (1450 nm). Initially, conflicting evidence was found for pulsed dye laser (585–595 nm). The most frequently reported side‐effects for non‐pharmacological therapies included erythema, tolerable pain, purpura, oedema and a few cases of hyperpigmentation, which were in most cases mild and transient. Conclusion: Circumstantial evidence was found for non‐pharmacological therapies in the treatment of acne vulgaris. However, the lack of high methodological quality among included studies prevented us to draw clear conclusions, regarding a stepwise approach. Nevertheless, our systematic review including a best‐evidence synthesis did create order and structure in resulting outcomes in which a first step towards future research is generated.
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Acne vulgaris is considered one of the most common medical skin conditions globally, affecting approximately 85% of individuals worldwide. While acne is most prevalent among adolescents between 15 to 24 years old, it is not uncommon in adults either. Acne addresses a number of different challenges, causing a multidimensional disease burden. These challenges include clinical sequelae, such as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) and the chance of developing lifelong disfiguring scars, psychological aspects such as deficits in health related quality of life, chronicity of acne, economic factors, and treatment-related issues, such as antimicrobial resistance. The multidimensionality of the disease burden stipulates the importance of an effective and timely treatment in a well organised care system. Within the Netherlands, acne care provision is managed by several types of professional care givers, each approaching acne care from different angles: (I) general practitioners (GPs) who serve as ‘gatekeepers’ of healthcare within primary care; (II) dermatologists providing specialist medical care within secondary care; (III) dermal therapists, a non-physician medical professional with a bachelor’s degree, exclusively operating within the Australian and Dutch primary and secondary health care; and (IV) beauticians, mainly working within the cosmetology or wellness domain. However, despite the large variety in acne care services, many patients experience a delay between the onset of acne and receiving an effective treatment, or a prolonged use of care, which raises the question whether acne related care resources are being used in the most effective and (cost)efficient way. It is therefore necessary to gain insights into the organization and quality of Dutch acne health care beyond conventional guidelines and protocols. Exploring areas of care that may need improvement allow Dutch acne healthcare services to develop and improve the quality of acne care services in harmony with patient needs.
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Modern management of dry eye requires a more specialized primary care approach, closer follow-up and counseling for chronic cases. A survey carried out in the Netherlands found substantial differences in the way optometrists and general practitioners approach dry eye, raising concerns about the consistency of patient care. This article contains an interview with HU researcher Mirjam van Tilborg.
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Rationale, aims and objective: Primary Care Plus (PC+) focuses on the substitution of hospital-based medical care to the primary care setting without moving hospital facilities. The aim of this study was to examine whether population health and experience of care in PC+ could be maintained. Therefore, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and experienced quality of care from a patient perspective were compared between patients referred to PC+ and to hospital-based outpatient care (HBOC). Methods: This cohort study included patients from a Dutch region, visiting PC+ or HBOC between December 2014 and April 2018. With patient questionnaires (T0, T1 and T2), the HRQoL and experience of care were measured. One-to-two nearest neighbour calliper propensity score matching (PSM) was used to control for potential selection bias. Outcomes were compared using marginal linear models and Pearson chi-square tests. Results: One thousand one hundred thirteen PC+ patients were matched to 606 HBOC patients with well-balanced baseline characteristics (SMDs <0.1). Regarding HRQoL outcomes, no significant interaction terms between time and group were found (P > .05), indicating no difference in HRQoL development between the groups over time. Regarding experienced quality of care, no differences were found between PC+ and HBOC patients. Only travel time was significantly shorter in the HBOC group (P ≤ .001). Conclusion: Results show equal effects on HRQoL outcomes over time between the groups. Regarding experienced quality of care, only differences in travel time were found. Taken as a whole, population health and quality of care were maintained with PC+ and future research should focus more on cost-related outcomes.
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Psoriasis (Pso) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and up to 30% of Pso patients develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA), which can lead to irreversible joint damage. Early detection of PsA in Pso patients is crucial for timely treatment but difficult for dermatologists to implement. We, therefore, aimed to find disease-specific immune profiles, discriminating Pso from PsA patients, possibly facilitating the correct identification of Pso patients in need of referral to a rheumatology clinic. The phenotypes of peripheral blood immune cells of consecutive Pso and PsA patients were analyzed, and disease-specific immune profiles were identified via a machine learning approach. This approach resulted in a random forest classification model capable of distinguishing PsA from Pso (mean AUC = 0.95). Key PsA-classifying cell subsets selected included increased proportions of
differentiated CD4+CD196+CD183-CD194+ and CD4+CD196-CD183-CD194+ T-cells and reduced proportions of CD196+ and CD197+ monocytes, memory CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets and CD4+ regulatory T-cells. Within PsA, joint scores showed an association with memory CD8+CD45RACD197- effector T-cells and CD197+ monocytes. To conclude, through the integration of in-depth flow cytometry and machine learning, we identified an immune cell profile discriminating PsA from Pso. This immune profile may aid in timely diagnosing PsA in Pso.
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Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) demonstrate reduced levels of daily physical activity (DPA) compared to healthy controls. This results in a higher risk of hospital admission and shorter survival. Performing regular DPA reduces these risks. Objective: To develop an eHealth intervention that will support patients with COPD to improve or maintain their DPA after pulmonary rehabilitation. Methods: The design process consisted of literature research and the iterative developing and piloting phases of the Medical Research Council (MRC) model for complex clinical interventions and the involvement of end users. Participants were healthy adults and persons with COPD. Results: The mobile phone interface met all the set requirements. Participants found that the app was stimulating and that reaching their DPA goals was rewarding. The mean (SD) scores on a 7-point scale for usability, ease of use, ease of learning, and contentment were 3.8 (1.8), 5.1 (1.1), 6.0 (1.6), and 4.8 (1.3), respectively. The mean (SD) correlation between the mobile phone and a validated accelerometer was 0.88 (0.12) in the final test. The idea of providing their health care professional with their DPA data caused no privacy issues in the participants. Battery life lasted for an entire day with the final version, and readability and comprehensibility of text and colors were favorable. Conclusions: By employing a user-centered design approach, a mobile phone was found to be an adequate and feasible interface for an eHealth intervention. The mobile phone and app are easy to learn and use by patients with COPD. In the final test, the accuracy of the DPA measurement was good. The final version of the eHealth intervention is presently being tested by our group for efficacy in a randomized controlled trial in COPD patients.
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Alle auteurs: Astrid Versluis, Thuy-My Le, Francine C van Erp Mark A Blankestijn, Geert F Houben, André C Knulst, Harmieke van Os-Medendorp Clin Transl Allergy. 2022;e12119. https://doi-org.saxion.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/clt2.12119 Abstract Background: After a positive food challenge (FC), patients receive dietary advice regarding avoidance of the culprit food. We examined the frequency and variables associated with dietary adherence after a positive FC in adults. Methods: In this prospective daily practice study, adults with a positive FC were included. After every FC, dietary advice was given consisting of three options: (1) strict avoidance, (2) avoidance but products with precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) allowed and (3) (small) amounts allowed. Questionnaires about dietary adherence and associated variables were completed prior to and 6 months after the FC(s). Results: 41 patients (with 58 positive FCs) were included. Overall, patients adhered to the advised diet after 31% of the FCs. After 33 FCs, the advice was strict avoidance, whereof 82% followed a less strict diet. After 16 FCs, the advice was avoidance but products with PAL allowed, whereof 19% followed a less strict and 25% a stricter diet. In 9 FCs with the least strict advice, "(small) amounts allowed'', 67% followed a stricter diet. Three variables were associated with adherence: misremembering dietary advice, impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL) on domain "Emotional impact'' and the need for dietary change after the FC. Conclusion: After one third of the positive FCs, patients adhered to the dietary advice. Variables associated with adherence were misremembering dietary advice, impaired HRQL on domain "Emotional impact'' and the need for dietary change after the FC. It seems important that healthcare professionals should more frequently apply adherence-enhancing strategies to improve dietary adherence.
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