Compliance and patient satisfaction with treatment settings recommended by the medical on-call service 116117 in Germany using computer-assisted structured initial assessment: a cross-sectional observational study accompanying the demand intervention.

Objectives: In order to reduce the use of emergency departments, computer-assisted initial assessment was implemented at the medical on-call service 116117. Our study assessed compliance and patient satisfaction.

Design: Cross-sectional observational postal survey.

Association between patient-related factors and avoided consultations due to fear of COVID-19 during the first lockdown in northern Germany: Results of a cross-sectional observational study.

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were anxious about a coronavirus infection due to the high infection rate and the mortality risk associated with the disease. Fear of COVID-19 might have influenced patients' utilisation of medical services, even if it meant that a postponed therapy had severe consequences. Our aims were to analyse (a) to what extent fear of COVID-19 contributes to forgone consultations, (b) if patient characteristics, health literacy and social support influence the effect of fear of COVID-19 on the utilisation behaviour and (c) whether interactions between these possible predictor variables are responsible for a higher extent of avoided consultations due to fear of COVID-19.

Patient satisfaction with computer-assisted structured initial assessment facilitating patient streaming to emergency departments and primary care practices: results from a cross-sectional observational study accompanying the DEMAND intervention in Germany.

Background: Patient numbers in emergency departments are on the rise. The DEMAND intervention aims to improve the efficacy of emergency services by computer-assisted structured initial assessment assigning patients to emergency departments or primary care practices. The aims of our study were to evaluate patient satisfaction with this intervention and to analyse if reduced patient satisfaction is predicted by sociodemographic data, health status or health literacy.

Is subjectively perceived treatment urgency of patients in emergency departments associated with self-reported health literacy and the willingness to use the GP as coordinator of treatment? Results from the multicentre, cross-sectional, observational study PiNo Bund.

Objectives: Aim of this study was to analyse if subjectively perceived treatment urgency of patients in emergency departments is associated with self-reported health literacy and the willingness to use the general practitioner (GP) as coordinator of treatment.

Design: A multicentre, cross-sectional, observational study.

Setting: Emergency departments in five hospitals.

Prognostic factors associated with quality of life in heart failure patients considering the use of the generic EQ-5D-5L™ in primary care: new follow-up results of the observational RECODE-HF study.

Background: The implementation of care concepts fitting the needs of patients with chronic heart failure (HF) remains challenging. In this context, psycho-emotional well-being is not routinely assessed, and under-researched despite indications that it is of great relevance for, e.g.

The effect of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on consultation numbers, consultation reasons and performed services in primary care: results of a longitudinal observational study.

Objectives: The aims of our study were to describe the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on primary care in Germany regarding the number of consultations, the prevalence of specific reasons for consultation presented by the patients, and the frequency of specific services performed by the GP.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal observational study based on standardised GP interviews in a quota sampling design comparing the time before the COVID-19 pandemic (12 June 2015 to 27 April 2017) with the time during lockdown (21 April to 14 July 2020). The sample included GPs in urban and rural areas 120 km around Hamburg, Germany, and was stratified by region type and administrative districts.