The effect of the general practitioner as the first point of contact for care on the satisfaction with health care services in persons living with chronic spinal cord injury: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effect of having a general practitioner (GP) as a first point of contact for care on the satisfaction with care services in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), and how this effect is related to socio-demographic and health-related factors.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted within the framework of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study Community Survey 2017. Outcome measures comprised three aspects of care (treatment with respect, understandability of explanations, and involvement in decision-making) and satisfaction with GP care and SCI centres.

Why Do Community-Dwelling Persons with Spinal Cord Injury Visit General Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study of Reasons for Encounter in Swiss General Practice.

Purpose: In a country of free selection of providers, general practitioners (GPs) remain the most visited health-care professionals by the vast majority of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Switzerland; yet, little is known about these contacts. The study aims to explore reasons for encounters (RFEs) in general practice, and their relationships to first-contact of care (GP or specialist) and GP's competence in managing SCI-specific problems.

Patients And Methods: Cross-sectional study from baseline data of non-randomized controlled trial.

Shared responsibility between general practitioners and highly specialized physicians in chronic spinal cord injury: Study protocol for a nationwide pragmatic nonrandomized interventional study.

Introduction: To improve the continuity of care for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in peripheral areas, collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and specialists is needed. This pragmatic non-randomized interventional study assesses feasibility and effectiveness of a new primary care model based on this collaboration.

Methods: The intervention is medical education on SCI related topics offered by specialists to GPs practicing in rural areas.

First contact of care for persons with spinal cord injury: a general practitioner or a spinal cord injury specialist?

Background: Although general practitioners (GPs) are generally considered as the first point of contact for care, this may be different for persons with complex conditions, such as those with spinal cord injury (SCI). The objective of this study is to understand the differences in long-term care provision by GPs and SCI-specialists, by examining (1) the first contact of care for SCI health problems, (2) the morbidity profile and use of health-care services in relation to first contact, and (3) the factors associated with the choice of first contact.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study based on data derived from the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study Community Survey 2017, the main outcome measure was the reported first contact for SCI-specific care.

The use of ultrasound in primary care: longitudinal billing and cross-sectional survey study in Switzerland.

Background: Ultrasound imaging is utilized in Swiss primary care; however, little is known regarding the extent to which it is performed. With this study, we aim to (1) provide an overview of ultrasound use by general practitioners (GPs), and (2) determine the clinical indications of ultrasound in Swiss general practice.

Methods: This is a quantitative study, analyzing 15 years of billing data from 213 GPs in Central Switzerland, and cross-sectional survey data completed by 61 GPs attending 26 certification and refresher courses offered by the Swiss Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (SGUM).