Report from the Fourth International Last Aid Conference: Last Aid and networks in community palliative care.

The Fourth International Last Aid Conference was held from 4th to 6th September 2024 in Cologne, Germany. Seventy-three participants from 16 different countries and nationalities participated in the Fourth International Last Aid conference in the Mildred Scheel Academy and the Department of Palliative Medicine at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. The main topics of the conference were experiences with Last Aid Courses, research on public palliative care education (PPCE) and networks in community palliative care from different countries.

Exploring End-of-Life Care for Patients with Breast Cancer, Dementia or Heart Failure: A Register-Based Study of Individual and Institutional Factors.

Objective: To examine variations in end-of-life care for breast cancer, heart failure, and dementia patients.

Data And Methods: Data from four Norwegian health registries were linked using a personal identification number. Longitudinal trends over 365 days and the type of care on the final day of life were analyzed using descriptive techniques and logistic regression analysis.

Palliative Care Survey: Awareness, Knowledge and Views of the Styrian Population in Austria.

Background: No population-based data on awareness and knowledge of palliative care currently exist in Austria. We therefore conducted a survey to determine the general awareness and knowledge of palliative care in Styria, a federal state in Austria. We also asked participants to imagine what services they would need as a patient or family member, where they themselves would like to receive such services, and what fears they imagined patients with a terminal illness would have.

Report from the Third International Last Aid Conference: cultural diversity in palliative care.

The Third International Last Aid Conference was held from October 28 to 29, 2022, as a hybrid event. Altogether, there were 85 participants from 14 different countries. The main topics of the conference were cultural diversity in palliative care, public palliative care education (PPCE), experience with Last Aid courses from different countries, and founding possibilities for courses and research in Last Aid.

Gender Differences in Perceived Working Conditions of General Practitioners During the COVID-19 Pandemic-a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has revealed gender-specific differences between general practitioners in adapting to the posed challenges. As primary care workforce is becoming increasingly female, in many countries, it is essential to take a closer look at gender-specific influences when the global health care system is confronted with a crisis.

Objective: To explore gender-specific differences in the perceived working conditions and gender-specific differences in challenges facing GPs at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Impact of the Community Psychiatric Treatment Program on the User's Quality of Life - experience of the Study Participants.

Background: Community psychiatric treatment (CPT) is a novelty in the primary health care system for the people with mental health problems. The service operates according to the Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) model. FACT is a rehabilitation-oriented clinical case management model based on the ACT model (Assertive Community Treatment).

The Impact of Caregiving on Successful Ageing of Informal Carers: A Qualitative Study among Respiratory Patients' Caregivers.

Providing intensive informal caregiving can cause caregivers' overburden, possibly impacting successful ageing factors such as physical and mental health and social life. This article aimed to investigate how informal caregivers experience the impact of providing care for chronic respiratory patients on the process of caregiver ageing. A qualitative exploratory study was performed using semi-structured interviews.

COVI-Prim international: Similarities and discrepancies in the way general practices from seven different countries coped with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: General practitioners (GPs) are frequently patients' first point of contact with the healthcare system and play an important role in identifying, managing and monitoring cases. This study investigated the experiences of GPs from seven different countries in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: International cross-sectional online survey.

Remote Consultations in General Practice - A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Remote consultations in general practice can be very useful form of telemedicine, which is basically a way to exchange medical information to improve the clinical health of patients when the patient and their general practitioner (GP) are not on the same place at the same time. This concept was developed in the 1980s to provide health care to patients who lived in remote areas.

Methods: We were interested in researching what kind of remote consultations are available in general practice and what is the usage of these methods.

Differences in Treating Patients with Palpitations at the Primary Healthcare Level Using Telemedical Device Savvy before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Palpitations are one of most common reasons why a patient visits a general practitioner (GP) and is referred to a cardiologist. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with new-onset arrhythmias, which are difficult to diagnose at the primary healthcare level during pandemic-related lockdown periods. : A total of 151 patients with a complaint of heart rhythm disorder were included from before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as after the start of vaccination, in this cohort retrospective study.

Last Aid Course-The Slovenian Experience.

Educating and raising awareness among lay members of the public about palliative care can significantly improve the care for terminally ill patients and their quality of life. This paper reports on the survey aimed at assessing the experience and expectations of participants in the Last Aid course launched in Slovenia in 2019 to train hospice volunteers and promote dialogue on death and dying. The course implementation was supported by materials prepared, translated, and/or adapted from German under the PO-LAST project, which linked Slovenian medical and healthcare professionals, hospice representatives, and university students.

A Collaborative Care Model between General Practitioners and Clinical Pharmacists in a Community Health Centre Setting in Depression Treatment.

Background: A collaborative care model between clinical pharmacists (CP) and general practitioners (GPs) for treating patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) has not been described yet in the medical literature in Central Europe. Therefore, the main aim of this paper was compared standard of care and collaborative care model including clinical pharmacist in a systematic review form.

Subjects And Method: A systematic search in Pubmed/Medline using the terms pharmacist, depression, and primary care in Medline through to September 2016 was conducted to identify randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs).

An Innovative Approach for Improving Information Exchange between Palliative Care Providers in Slovenian Primary Health-A Qualitative Analysis of Testing a New Tool.

Background: Interprofessional collaboration is an important part of palliative care. Effective communication and information exchange is essential for a high quality of care. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a new tool for exchanging information between professionals in palliative care on primary healthcare level.

Clinical pharmacist interventions in cardiovascular disease pharmacotherapy in elderly patients on excessive polypharmacy : A retrospective pre-post observational multicentric study.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are often treated with excessive polypharmacy (10 or more medications) in primary care, and these patients are mostly excluded from trials. Collaborative care, including clinical pharmacists (CP), is one of the possible approaches to address these problems; however, it has not been studied yet in this part of Europe. Hence, the main aim of the study was to determine how CP interventions in a medical review form (MR) can have an impact on the pharmacotherapy in patients on excessive polypharmacy with CVD (number of medications, potential drug-drug interactions of type X-pXDDI, potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly-PIM and treatment guidelines adherence).

Implementation of a Savvy Mobile ECG Sensor for Heart Rhythm Disorder Screening at the Primary Healthcare Level: An Observational Prospective Study.

Introduction: The Jozef Stefan Institute developed a personal portable electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor Savvy that works with a smartphone, and this was used in our study. This study aimed to analyze the usefulness of telecardiology at the primary healthcare level using an ECG personal sensor.

Methods: We included 400 patients with a history of suspected rhythm disturbance who visited their family physician at the Healthcare Center Ljubljana and Healthcare Center Murska Sobota from October 2016 to January 2018.

Attitudes of medical students to general practice: a multinational cross-sectional survey.

Background: A shortage of general practitioners (GPs) is common to many European countries. To counteract this, it is essential to understand the factors that encourage or discourage medical students from choosing to become a GP.

Objective: To evaluate medical students' attitudes towards general practice and to identify factors that discourage them from considering a career as a GP.

The Role of Telecardiology in Dealing with Patients with Cardiac Rhythm Disorders in Family Medicine - Systematic Review.

Purpose: Heart rhythm disorders (HRD) are often present in patients visiting their family physician (FP). Dealing with their problems is not always simple, efficient and cost effective. The aim of this paper is to review the existing literature about the use and experience of telecardiology in patients experiencing HRD.

Development of an Algorithm for Determining of Genetic Risk at the Primary Healthcare Level - A New Tool for Primary Prevention: A Study Protocol.

Introduction: Family history (FH) is an important part of the patients' medical history during preventive management at model family medicine practices (MFMP). It currently includes a one (or two) generational inquiry, predominately in terms of cardiovascular diseases, arterial hypertension, and diabetes, but not of other diseases with a probable genetic aetiology. Beside family history, no application-based algorithm is available to determine the risk level for specific chronic diseases in Slovenia.

Evaluation of a collaborative care approach between general practitioners and clinical pharmacists in primary care community settings in elderly patients on polypharmacy in Slovenia: a cohort retrospective study reveals positive evidence for implementation.

Background: The population of developed countries is aging, leading to an increase in the use of medication in daily practice, which can lead to serious treatment costs and irrational polypharmacy. A collaborative care approach, such as providing medication review service provided by a clinical pharmacist (CP), is a possible way to reduce drug-related problems and irrational polypharmacy. The aim of this study was to determinate whether a CP's medication review service can improve the quality of drug prescribing in elderly patients treated with polypharmacy in primary care.

Primary care for refugees and newly arrived migrants in Europe: a qualitative study on health needs, barriers and wishes.

Background: In order to provide effective primary care for refugees and to develop interventions tailored to them, we must know their needs. Little is known of the health needs and experiences of recently arrived refugees and other migrants throughout their journey through Europe. We aimed to gain insight into their health needs, barriers in access and wishes regarding primary health care.

Palliative Care: a Cross Sectional Study Focused on Different Capacity Building Programmes Evaluated Through Self- Rated Knowledge and Efficiency in Family Medicine Tutors.

Aim: Educational possibilities in palliative care have been overseen in this part of Europe and therefore this important issue should be addressed to implement current treatment palliative care in Slovenia. This study was the first in Slovenia dealing with the self-rated knowledge and self-efficacy associated with educational programmes attended about palliative medicine at primary health care level.

Material And Methods: Material for our work was general practitioner (GP) who work in education like tutors.

Primary care for the Roma in Europe: Position paper of the European forum for primary care.

Roma populations' low health status and limited access to health services, including primary care, has been documented in many European countries, and warrants specific health policies and practices. A variety of experiences shows how primary care can adjust its practices to reduce the barriers to primary care for Roma populations. At local level, establishing collaboration with Roma organisations helps primary care to improve mutual relations and quality of care.

MEDICATION ADHERENCE IN ELDERLY WITH POLYPHARMACY LIVING AT HOME: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EXISTING STUDIES.

Background: We wanted to systematically review the available evidence to evaluate the drug adherence in elderly with polypharmacy living at home.

Methods: We performed a literature search using MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, ProQuest, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Springer Link, Sage Journals and CINAHL. We used the following terms: Medication Adherence, Medication Compliance, Polypharmacy, and Elderly.

Attitudes of the Prekmurje Roma towards health and healthcare.

Background: Knowledge of the culture, traditions and values of the Roma is important for understanding their relationship to health and the health system. The Roma in Prekmurje, the far northeastern part of Slovenia, are a unique ethnic group and in many respects different from other Roma. The aim of the study was to determine their attitudes towards health and the healthcare system.