Rates of spectacle wear in early childhood in the Netherlands.

Background: Refractive errors are relatively common all around the world. In particular, early onset myopia is associated with a significant burden in later life. Little is known about refractive errors in preschool children.

Do physical work factors and musculoskeletal complaints contribute to the intention to leave or actual dropout in student nurses? A prospective cohort study.

Background: Little is known, whether physical workload and musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs) have an impact on the intended or actual dropout of nursing students in the later years of their degree program.

Purpose: Studying the determinants of intention to leave and actual dropout from nursing education. We hypothesized that physical workload and MSCs are positively associated with these outcomes.

Exploring the usefulness of indicators for referring people with dementia and their informal caregivers to activating interventions: a qualitative analysis of needs assessments.

Background: People with dementia (PWDs) and their informal caregivers frequently report difficulties in maintaining their usual activities. We had previously developed a set of indicators to estimate whether dyadic, activating interventions can meet these needs for activity. This study investigates how PWDs and informal caregivers talk about the indicators in interviews for needs assessments, and how professionals identify activity needs and preferences.

Effectiveness of screening for amblyopia and other eye disorders in a prospective birth cohort study.

Objective: To establish whether the current vision screening practice in the Netherlands is effective in preventing permanent visual loss and to estimate the sensitivity of the programme.

Settings: In the Netherlands, all children are invited for preverbal (1, 3, 6-9 and 14-24 months) and preschool (36, 45, and 60-72 months) vision screening. Screening attendance is high, but the effectiveness in reducing amblyopia is unknown.

Dyadic interventions for community-dwelling people with dementia and their family caregivers: a systematic review.

Background: In this review, we study the effects of dyadic psychosocial interventions focused on community-dwelling people with dementia and their family caregivers, and the relationship of the effects with intervention components of programs.

Methods: A search from January 2005 to January 2012 led to 613 hits, which we reviewed against our inclusion criteria. We added studies from 1992 to 2005 reviewed by Smits et al.

Trends in incidence and detection of advanced breast cancer at biennial screening mammography in The Netherlands: a population based study.

Introduction: The aims of this study were to determine trends in the incidence of advanced breast cancer at screening mammography and the potential of screening to reduce it.

Methods: We included a consecutive series of 351,009 screening mammograms of 85,274 women aged 50-75 years, who underwent biennial screening at a Dutch breast screening region in the period 1997-2008. Two screening radiologists reviewed the screening mammograms of all advanced screen detected and advanced interval cancers and determined whether the advanced cancer (tumor > 20 mm and/or lymph node positive tumor) had been visible at a previous screen.

Malpractice claims following screening mammography in The Netherlands.

Although malpractice lawsuits are frequently related to a delayed breast cancer diagnosis in symptomatic patients, information on claims at European screening mammography programs is lacking. We determined the type and frequency of malpractice claims at a Dutch breast cancer screening region. We included all 85,274 women (351,009 screens) who underwent biennial screening mammography at a southern breast screening region in The Netherlands between 1997 and 2009.

Two-view versus single-view mammography at subsequent screening in a region of the Dutch breast screening programme.

We retrospectively determined the effect of analogue two-view mammography versus single-view mammography at subsequent screens on breast cancer detection and determined financial consequences for a current digital mammography setting. Two screening radiologists reviewed the mammograms of 536 screen detected cancers (SDCs) and 171 interval cancers (ICs) with single-view mammography (medio-lateral-oblique view) at the last but one screen (SDCs) or latest screen (ICs). They determined whether two-view mammography at the last (but one) screen could have increased the cancer detection rate at that screening round.

Determinants and outcome of unsuccessful referral after positive screening in a large birth-cohort study of population-based vision screening.

Purpose: The efficacy of population-based vision screening is hampered by unsuccessful referral after a positive screening test. We studied the nature and causes of unsuccessful referral in a 7-year birth cohort study of vision screening in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Methods: All parents of children who had been unsuccessfully referred were asked whether they recalled the referral.

Patient and tumor characteristics of bilateral breast cancer at screening mammography in the Netherlands, a population-based study.

Few data are available on bilateral breast cancer in the screening population. The aim of this study was to determine patient and tumor characteristics of women with bilateral breast cancer at screening mammography. We included all 350,637 screening mammography examinations of women participating in a biennial screening program in a southern screening region of the Netherlands between May 1998 and January 2010.

Detection of bilateral breast cancer at biennial screening mammography in the Netherlands: a population-based study.

Purpose: To determine the incidence of bilateral breast cancer at biennial screening mammography and to assess the sensitivity of screening in the detection of bilateral breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: All women gave written informed consent, and the requirement to obtain review board approval was waived. The authors included all 302,196 screening mammograms obtained in 80,466 women aged 50-75 years in a southern breast screening region of the Netherlands between May 1998 and July 2008.

Lower sensitivity of screening mammography after previous benign breast surgery.

Few data are available on the effect of previous benign breast surgery on screening mammography accuracy. We determined whether sensitivity of screening mammography and tumor characteristics are different for women with and without previous benign breast surgery. We included a consecutive series of 317,398 screening mammograms of women screened between 1997 and 2008.

Rotterdam AMblyopia screening effectiveness study: detection and causes of amblyopia in a large birth cohort.

PURPOSE. The Dutch population-based child health monitoring program includes regular preverbal (age range, 1-24 months) and preschool (age range, 36-72 months) vision screening. This study is on the contribution of an organized vision screening program to the detection of amblyopia.

Delayed diagnosis of breast cancer in women recalled for suspicious screening mammography.

Purpose: To determine the frequency, pathology and causes of a delay in cancer diagnosis in women recalled for suspicious screening mammography.

Methods: We included all 290,943 screening mammograms of women aged 50-75 years, who underwent biennial screening mammography between 1st January 1995 and 1st January 2006. During a follow-up period of at least 2 years, clinical data, breast imaging reports, biopsy results and breast surgery reports were collected of all 3513 women with a positive screening result.

Utilization and cost of diagnostic imaging and biopsies following positive screening mammography in the southern breast cancer screening region of the Netherlands, 2000-2005.

We prospectively assessed trends in utilization and costs of diagnostic services of screen-positive women in a biennial breast cancer screening program for women aged 50-75 years. All 2,062 women with suspicious findings at screening mammography in the southern region of the Netherlands between 1 January 2000 and 1 July 2005 (158,997 screens) were included. Data were collected on any diagnostic examinations, interventional procedures, and surgical consultations with two-year follow-up.

Introduction of additional double reading of mammograms by radiographers: effects on a biennial screening programme outcome.

Purpose: To determine the effect of introducing radiographer double reading, in addition to standard radiologist double reading, on screening mammography outcome.

Methods: In period A, 66,225 mammograms were read by two screening radiologists. In period B, 78,325 mammograms were read by two radiographers in addition and radiologists were blinded to the referral opinion of the radiographers.

Additional double reading of screening mammograms by radiologic technologists: impact on screening performance parameters.

Background: Studies have shown that having mammography technologists review screening mammograms in addition to radiologist review may increase the number of breast cancers that are detected at screening mammography. We prospectively examined the effects on screening performance of adding independent double reading of screening mammograms by technologists to standard double reading by radiologists.

Methods: Twenty-one screening mammography technologists and eight certified screening radiologists participated in this study.

Seventy-five years is an appropriate upper age limit for population-based mammography screening.

In this study, we assessed the results of the Dutch breast cancer screening programme for women aged 70-75, and discussed the current upper age limit of the women invited. We compared the main outcome parameters of the screening programme 1998-2000 for women aged 70-75, with those in women aged 50-69. Breast cancer detection rates were also compared with prediction from 2 variants of a simulation model of breast cancer screening, assuming the mean sojourn time, i.

Effect of recall rate on earlier screen detection of breast cancers based on the Dutch performance indicators.

Background: The recall rate (i.e., the rate at which mammographically screened women are recalled for additional assessment) in the Dutch breast screening program (0.

Independent double reading of screening mammograms in The Netherlands: effect of arbitration following reader disagreements.

Purpose: To prospectively determine the value of arbitration by a panel of radiologists when two radiologists performing independent readings of screening mammograms do not reach a consensus about referral.

Materials And Methods: The study population consisted of women who participated in the Dutch Nationwide Breast Cancer Screening Program, in which biennial screening is offered to women aged 50-75 years. An arbitration panel of three radiologists assessed those screening mammograms for which two screening radiologists did not reach a consensus about referral necessity.

Computer-aided detection versus independent double reading of masses on mammograms.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of a computer-aided detection (CAD) system (designed for mammographic mass detection) to help improve mass interpretation and to compare CAD results with independent double-reading results.

Materials And Methods: Screening mammograms from 500 cases were collected; 125 of these cases were screening-detected cancers, and 125 were interval cancers. Previously obtained screening mammograms (ie, prior mammograms) were available in all cases.