Patient involvement in assessing consultation quality: validation of patient enablement instrument (PEI) in Lithuanian general practice.

Background: The Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) was designed to encapsulate consultation outcome from the perspective that increasing their understanding and coping ability would underpin a positive consultation outcome for patients. The objective of the study was the validation of the PEI in Lithuanian general practice and comparison of Lithuanian patients' enablement with previous studies in Europe to see if factors associated with patient enablement in Lithuania were reflective of those in the previous studies.

Methods: The Patient Enablement Instrument was translated into Lithuanian and included in the questionnaire along with the questions about a person's health, reasons for visiting the doctor and feeling about the consultation.

Living with dementia with Lewy bodies: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Objective: To explore the subjective experience of living with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Design: A qualitative study of in-depth interviews using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Setting: A memory clinic in Malmö, southern Sweden.

Drugs, distrust and dialogue -a focus group study with Swedish GPs on discharge summary use in primary care.

Background: Discharge summary with medication report effectively counteracts drug-related problems due to insufficient information transfer in care transitions. The benefits of the discharge summary may be lost if it is not adequately used, and factors affecting optimal use by the GP are of interest. Since the views of Swedish GPs are unexplored, this study aimed to explore and understand GPs experiences, perceptions and feelings regarding the use of the discharge summary with medication report.

Abdominal symptoms and cancer in the abdomen: prospective cohort study in European primary care.

Background: Different abdominal symptoms may signal cancer, but their role is unclear.

Aim: To examine associations between abdominal symptoms and subsequent cancer diagnosed in the abdominal region.

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study comprising 493 GPs from surgeries in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Scotland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Yoga - a laborious way to well-being: patients' experiences of yoga as a treatment for hypertension in primary care.

Objective: The aim of the study was to describe patients' experience of yoga as a treatment for hypertension, as well as their experience of living with hypertension.

Design: Qualitative interview study Method and materials: In 2013-2014, in southern Sweden, patients with hypertension from three health care centres were invited to participate in a randomised controlled trial on yoga for hypertension. After completion of the study, eight women and five men (aged 35-79), who had practiced the yoga intervention, were interviewed about their experiences.

Abdominal symptoms in general practice: Frequency, cancer suspicions raised, and actions taken by GPs in six European countries. Cohort study with prospective registration of cancer.

Background: Abdominal symptoms are diagnostically challenging to general practitioners (GPs): although common, they may indicate cancer. In a prospective cohort of patients, we examined abdominal symptom frequency, initial diagnostic suspicion, and actions of GPs in response to abdominal symptoms.

Methods: Over a 10-day period, 493 GPs in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scotland, recorded consecutive consultations: sex, date of birth and any specified abdominal symptoms.

Interacting factors associated with Low antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections in primary health care - a mixed methods study in Sweden.

Background: Prescribing of antibiotics for common infections varies widely, and there is no medical explanation. Systematic reviews have highlighted factors that may influence antibiotic prescribing and that this is a complex process. It is unclear how factors interact and how the primary care organization affects diagnostic procedures and antibiotic prescribing.

Uncertainty in clinical practice - an interview study with Swedish GPs on patients with sore throat.

Background: Uncertainty is inevitable in clinical practice in primary care and tolerance for uncertainty and concern for bad outcomes has been shown to vary between physicians. Uncertainty is a factor for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Evidence-based guidelines as well as near-patient tests are suggested tools to decrease uncertainty in the management of patients with respiratory tract infections.

"It is meaningful; I feel that I can make a difference" -A qualitative study about GPs' experiences of work at nursing homes in Sweden.

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Background: Swedish nursing homes (NH) have limited capacity. As a result elderly people living in NH represent the part of the elderly population in most need of care. In Sweden a General Practitioner (GP) is usually responsible for the medical care of all subjects living in a NH.

Near-patient tests and the clinical gaze in decision-making of Swedish GPs not following current guidelines for sore throat - a qualitative interview study.

Background: Excessive antibiotics use increases the risk of resistance. Previous studies have shown that the Centor score combined with Rapid Antigen Detection Test (RADT) for Group A Streptococci can reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in patients with sore throat. According to the former Swedish guidelines RADT was recommended with 2-4 Centor criteria present and antibiotics were recommended if the test was positive.

Reliability and applicability of the Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) in a Swedish general practice setting.

Background: The Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI), which has been used to evaluate core ingredients in primary care consultations, has been proposed as a means of moving beyond patient satisfaction evaluations. The aim of the present study was to examine the reliability and applicability of the PEI to the Swedish context.

Methods: The original PEI was translated to Swedish and included in a questionnaire that was given to consecutively scheduled patients in four primary care settings.

Swedish general practitioners' attitudes towards treatment guidelines - a qualitative study.

Background: Drug therapy in primary care is a challenge for general practitioners (GPs) and the prescribing decision is influenced by several factors. GPs obtain drug information in different ways, from evidence-based sources, their own or others' experiences, or interactions with opinion makers, patients or colleagues. The need for objective drug information sources instead of drug industry-provided information has led to the establishment of local drug and therapeutic committees.

Management of patients with sore throats in relation to guidelines: an interview study in Sweden.

Objective: To explore how a group of Swedish general practitioners (GPs) manage patients with a sore throat in relation to current guidelines as expressed in interviews.

Design: Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse semi-structured interviews.

Setting: Swedish primary care.

Somali women's view of physical activity--a focus group study.

Background: Physical inactivity presents a major public health challenge and is estimated to cause six to ten percent of the major non-communicable diseases. Studies show that immigrants, especially women, have an increased risk of non-communicable diseases compared to ethnic Swedes. Somali immigrant women have increased rates of overweight and obesity, low fitness levels and low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness compared to non-immigrant women.

Physical activity on prescription (PAP) from the general practitioner's perspective - a qualitative study.

Background: Physical activity on prescription (PAP) is a successful intervention for increasing physical activity among patients with a sedentary lifestyle. The method seems to be sparsely used by general practitioners (GPs) and there is limited information about GPs' attitudes to counselling using PAP as a tool. The aim of the study was to explore and understand the meaning of prescribing physical activity from the general practitioner's perspective.

"I'm Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde": are GPs' antibiotic prescribing patterns contextually dependent? A qualitative focus group study.

Objective: To explore factors and circumstances contributing to prudent antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections in primary care.

Design: Two focus groups representing rural and urban areas. A semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions and an editing analysis style was used.

Predictors for antibiotic prescribing in patients with exacerbations of COPD in general practice.

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the antibiotic prescribing rate in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), to analyse predictors for antibiotic prescribing and to explore the influence of the use C-reactive protein (CRP) rapid test.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in January and February 2008 in primary care. General practitioners (GPs) from six countries (Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Russia, Spain and Argentina) registered all patients with AECOPD during a 3-week period.

Low Request of Antibiotics from Patients with Respiratory Tract Infections in Six Countries: Results from the Happy Audit Study.

A total of 59,535 patients with respiratory tract infections were registered in the Happy Audit project, an audit-based, before-and-after study conducted in primary care centres of six countries (Argentina, Denmark, Lithuania, Russia, Spain, and Sweden) in 2008 and 2009. An antibiotic was explicitly requested by the patient in 1,255 cases (2.1%), with a great variation across countries ranging from 0.

Can the APO method be used for measuring soft data?: a pilot study.

Objectives: The aims were to develop auditing according to the APO (Audit Project Odense) method for measuring soft data, exemplified by a holistic view, and to test the instrument.

Design: A descriptive study of the development of an APO chart and a test registration.

Setting: Primary health care, Blekinge County, Sweden.

Health Alliance for prudent antibiotic prescribing in patients with respiratory tract infections (HAPPY AUDIT) -impact of a non-randomised multifaceted intervention programme.

Background: Excessive use of antibiotics is worldwide the most important reason for development of antimicrobial resistance. As antibiotic resistance may spread across borders, high prevalence countries may serve as a source of bacterial resistance for countries with a low prevalence. Therefore, bacterial resistance is an important issue with a potential serious impact on all countries.

Health Alliance for Prudent Prescribing, Yield and Use of Antimicrobial Drugs in the Treatment of Respiratory Tract Infections (HAPPY AUDIT).

Background: Excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics is considered to be the most important reason for development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. As antibiotic resistance may spread across borders, high prevalence countries may serve as a source of bacterial resistance for countries with a low prevalence. Therefore, bacterial resistance is an important issue with a potential serious impact on all countries.

The perceived meaning of a (w)holistic view among general practitioners and district nurses in Swedish primary care: a qualitative study.

Background: The definition of primary care varies between countries. Swedish primary care has developed from a philosophic viewpoint based on quality, accessibility, continuity, co-operation and a holistic view. The meaning of holism in international literature differs between medicine and nursing.

The meaning of quality work from the general practitioner's perspective: an interview study.

Background: The quality of health care and its costs have been a subject of considerable attention and lively discussion. Various methods have been introduced to measure, assess, and improve the quality of health care. Many professionals in health care have criticized quality work and its methods as being unsuitable for health care.