Cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) is a physiological response characterized by cyclic vasodilation occurring within 5-10 min of cold exposure, predominantly in the fingers and toes. This study aimed to determine the roles of body dimensions, specifically surface-to-mass (SM) ratio and sex in modulating CIVD responses. Thirty-nine participants (mean ± SD age: 24 ± 3 yr; height: 174 ± 28 cm; weight: 75.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vaccines are effective and affordable health prevention measures to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases, but achieving sufficient vaccine uptake population-wide is challenging. In this work, we assess the impact of various text messages reminders on COVID-19 booster uptake and the extent to which the effect of messages holds over time. Additionally, we analyse whether people's self-reported vaccination intentions (measured in response to message prompts) corresponds to actual vaccine uptake and whether this relationship differs between message variants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Training can improve healthcare providers' cultural competence and increase their awareness of bias and discrimination in medical decision-making. Cultural competences training is lacking in the education of dieticians in the Netherlands. The aim of this study was to describe the pilot-implementation of a cultural competence training for dieticians and preliminary evaluation of the training.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Contracept Reprod Health Care
October 2024
Background: In the Netherlands, the use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods increases. Studies show high premature discontinuation rates of LARCs, but comprehensive insights into the Dutch situation remain limited.
Aim: The aim of this study is to determine (1) the rate and reasons of discontinuation of different types of LARC in the first 2.
Objectives: Evidence on the optimal frequency of laboratory testing during outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is lacking. Therefore, we investigated how often and when laboratory abnormalities occur during OPAT and which factors are associated with these abnormalities.
Methods: We performed a multicenter cohort study in four Dutch hospitals among adult patients receiving OPAT and collected routinely obtained laboratory test results.
Background: A Dutch nationwide prospective cohort study was initiated to investigate recovery trajectories of people recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and costs of treatment by primary care allied health professionals.
Objectives: The study described recovery trajectories over a period of 12 months and associated baseline characteristics of participants recovering from COVID-19 who visited a primary care allied health professional. It also aimed to provide insight into the associated healthcare and societal costs.
Scand J Prim Health Care
December 2024
Background: Increases in opioid prescriptions have been described; however, recent trends and prescribing patterns of analgesics in Dutch general practice are largely unknown.
Objective: To investigate recent changes in the number of analgesic prescriptions, and the indications for prescribing strong opioids. Furthermore, we aim to identify risk factors for chronic opioid use in Dutch general practice.
Objectives: To train, test and externally validate a prediction model that supports General Practitioners (GPs) in early identification of patients at risk of developing symptom diagnoses that persist for more than a year.
Methods: We retrospectively collected and selected all patients having episodes of symptom diagnoses during the period 2008 and 2021 from the Family Medicine Network (FaMe-Net) database. From this group, we identified symptom diagnoses that last for less than a year and symptom diagnoses that persist for more than a year.
Purpose: Person-centered care is foundational to good quality primary care and has positive effects on health outcomes and patient satisfaction. The Person-Centered Primary Care Measure (PCPCM) is a recently developed, patient-reported survey able to assess person-centeredness and has demonstrated strong validity and reliability. Little is known, however, about the feasibility of the PCPCM in non-English-speaking settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To study the possible association between (sexual) abuse and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men and women. To study the differences in this association between men and women, and between the timing of the abuse.
Subjects And Methods: A Dutch observational population-based cross-sectional study was used, based on self-administered questionnaires.
Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), though a prevalent condition among women, is undertreated in primary care. EHealth with pelvic floor muscle training is an evidence-based alternative to care-as-usual. It is unknown, however, how eHealth usage is related to treatment outcome, and this knowledge is required for general practitioners to implement eHealth in their practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Several studies showed that during the pandemic patients have refrained from visiting their general practitioner (GP). This resulted in medical care being delayed, postponed or completely forgone. The provision of low-value care, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo determine if the United States reference values of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, version III motor scale are suitable for Surinamese infants, we assessed 151 healthy infants at 3, 12, 24 and 36 months of age. The mean fine motor, gross motor, and composite scores of the total group did not significantly differ from the US norms, although some significant but not clinically relevant differences were found (lower fine motor scores at 12 months, lower gross motor and total composite scores at 24 months, and higher scores for gross motor and composite scores at 3 months).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScand J Prim Health Care
March 2024
Introduction: The burden of symptoms is a subjective experience of distress. Little is known on the burden of feeling unwell in patients with persistent symptom diagnoses. The aim of this study was to assess the burden in primary care patients with persistent symptom diagnoses compared to other primary care patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this prospective study, patients on home parenteral nutrition were twice as likely to be colonized with Staphylococcus aureus if their caregivers were carriers. Among S. aureus-positive patients and their caregivers, molecular analysis showed 68% genetically related strains.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis
November 2023
Purpose: Poor adherence to COPD mobile health (mHealth) has been reported, but its association with exacerbation-related outcomes is unknown. We explored the effects of mHealth adherence on exacerbation-free weeks and self-management behavior. We also explored differences in self-efficacy and stages of grief between adherent and non-adherent COPD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The clinical decision-making of non-conveyance is perceived as complex and difficult by emergency medical services (EMS) professionals. Patients with a transient loss of consciousness (TLOC) based on syncope constitute a significant part of the non-conveyance population. Risk stratification is the basis of the clinical decision-making process by EMS professionals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiscontinuing antidepressant medication (ADM) can be challenging for patients and clinicians. In the current study we investigated if Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) added to supported protocolized discontinuation (SPD) is more effective than SPD alone to help patients discontinue ADM. This study describes a prospective, cluster-randomized controlled trial (completed).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients experience long-lasting health problems defined as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) after Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Little is known about PICS in primary care.
Objectives: To investigate whether ICU survivors encounter more new International Classification of Primary Care-2 (ICPC-2) diagnoses and general practitioner (GP) contact compared to patients with similar comorbidity without ICU admission.
Objectives: Translating the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) into Dutch and assessing the inter-rater reliability among community nurses.
Methods: The original version of the OHAT was translated following the five stages of the 'Guidelines for the Process of Cross-Cultural Adaptation'. After a forward and backward translation, consensus on the pre-final version was obtained in an expert panel discussion.
Background & Aims: Staphylococcus aureus decolonization has proven successful in prevention of S. aureus infections and is a key strategy to maintain venous access and avoid hospitalization in patients receiving home parenteral nutrition (HPN). We aimed to determine the most effective and safe long-term S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common problem in primary care. BV symptoms often have a negative impact on patients' quality of life and may predispose to gynaecological problems. Some patients experience recurring episodes of BV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Opportunistic salpingectomy (OS) refers to additional removal of the fallopian tubes during abdominal surgery performed for another medical indication, as prevention for ovarian cancer. As OS has been inconsistently implemented, its clinical practice varies worldwide. To reduce this variation, insight is required into current clinical practice and its determinants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Timely initiation of advance care planning (ACP) in general practice is challenging, especially in patients with non-malignant conditions. Our aim was to investigate how perceived optimal timing of ACP initiation and its triggers relate to recorded actual timing in patients with cancer, organ failure, or multimorbidity.
Methods: In this mixed-methods study in the Netherlands, we analysed health records selected from a database with primary care routine data and with a recorded ACP conversation in the last two years before death of patients who died with cancer, organ failure, or multimorbidity.