Comparing the diagnostic considerations between general practitioners with a special interest in cardiovascular disease and those without in patients with symptoms suggestive of heart failure: a vignette study.

Background: General practitioners (GPs) specialized in cardiovascular disease (GPSI-CVD) may suspect heart failure (HF) more easily than GPs not specialized in CVD. We assessed whether GPSI-CVD consider investigations aimed at detecting HF more often than other GPs in two clinical scenarios of an older male person with respiratory and suggestive HF symptoms.

Methods: In this vignette study, Dutch GPs evaluated two vignettes.

Over-prescription of short-acting beta agonists in the treatment of asthma.

Background: Despite a clear guideline for asthma medication, excessive use of short-acting β2-agonists (SABAs) is common in clinical practice. Previous research has shown that excessive use of SABAs is associated with poor asthma control.

Objective: This study examines current use of asthma medication in primary care and whether excessive use of SABAs is associated with exacerbations.

The impact of the new Dutch guideline on cardiovascular risk management in patients with COPD: a retrospective study.

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have an independent increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Cardiovascular risk (CVR) assessment should be offered to all patients with COPD, according to the new Dutch CVR management (CVRM) guideline (May 2019).

Aim: To evaluate the impact of the new CVRM guideline on the care of patients with COPD in primary care.

The Effect of Integration of Self-Management Web Platforms on Health Status in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Management in Primary Care (e-Vita Study): Interrupted Time Series Design.

Background: Worldwide nearly 3 million people die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) every year. Integrated disease management (IDM) improves quality of life for COPD patients and can reduce hospitalization. Self-management of COPD through eHealth is an effective method to improve IDM and clinical outcomes.

Overdiagnosis of asthma in children in primary care: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. According to guidelines, a diagnosis of asthma should be confirmed using lung function testing in children aged >6 years. Previous studies indicate that asthma in children is probably overdiagnosed.

How to develop a program to increase influenza vaccine uptake among workers in health care settings?

Background: Apart from direct protection and reduced productivity loss during epidemics, the main reason to immunize healthcare workers (HCWs) against influenza is to provide indirect protection of frail patients through reduced transmission in healthcare settings. Because the vaccine uptake among HCWs remains far below the health objectives, systematic programs are needed to take full advantage of such vaccination. In an earlier report, we showed a mean 9% increase of vaccine uptake among HCWs in nursing homes that implemented a systematic program compared with control homes, with higher rates in those homes that implemented more program elements.

Beliefs on mandatory influenza vaccination of health care workers in nursing homes: a questionnaire study from the Netherlands.

Objectives: To assess whether nursing homes (NHs) made organizational improvements to increase influenza vaccination rates in healthcare workers (HCWs) and to quantify the beliefs of NH administrators on the arguments used in favor of implementation of mandatory influenza vaccination of HCWs.

Design: Anonymous questionnaire study.

Setting: Dutch NHs.

Clinical effectiveness of first and repeat influenza vaccination in adult and elderly diabetic patients.

Objective: Influenza vaccine uptake remains low among the high-risk group of patients with diabetes, partly because of conflicting evidence regarding its potential benefits. We assessed the clinical effectiveness of influenza vaccination in adults with diabetes and specifically examined potential modification of effect by age and prior influenza vaccine uptake.

Research Design And Methods: The study was part of the Prevention of Influenza, Surveillance and Management (PRISMA) study, a nested case-control study conducted during the 1999-2000 influenza A epidemic, among 75,235 patients from primary care of any age recommended for vaccination.