PSA testing in primary care: is it time to change our practice?

Background: Historical prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening studies reduced prostate cancer-related deaths but also led to overdiagnosis/overtreatment. Since then, opportunistic PSA testing has increased, and late-stage diagnoses and prostate-cancer related deaths are rising.

Objectives: To review current trends regarding PSA testing in primary care and propose a collaborative approach to improve early prostate cancer detection.

Understanding the Barriers to Prostate Cancer Population-Based Early Detection Programs: The PRAISE-U BEST Survey.

Unlabelled: In 2022, the European Commission updated its recommendation on cancer screening, inviting the Member States (MSs) to explore the feasibility of stepwise implementation of population-based screening for prostate cancer (PCa). In line with this recommendation, the PRAISE-U (Prostate Cancer Awareness and Initiative for Screening in the European Union (EU)) project was initiated. As part of the PRAISE-U, we aim to understand the current practice towards early detection in the EU MSs, the barriers to implementing or planning population-based screening programmes, and potential solutions to overcome these barriers.

Periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory diseases: Summary of the consensus report by the European Federation of Periodontology and WONCA Europe.

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory non-communicable disease (NCD) characterised by the destruction of the tooth-supporting apparatus (periodontium), including alveolar bone, the presence of periodontal pockets, and bleeding on probing.

Objectives: To outline, for family doctors, the implications of the association between periodontal and systemic diseases; to explore the role of family doctors in managing periodontitis as an ubiquitous non-communicable disease (NCD).

Methods: The consensus reports of previous focused collaborative workshops between WONCA Europe and the European Federation of Periodontology (using previously undertaken systematic reviews), and a specifically commissioned systematic review formed the technical papers to underpin discussions.

Blood-based biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease: Future directions for implementation.

Introduction: Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) will increase diagnostic demand. A non-invasive blood-based biomarker (BBBM) test for detection of amyloid-β pathology may reduce diagnostic barriers and facilitate DMT initiation.

Objective: To explore heterogeneity in AD care pathways and potential role of BBBM tests.

Association between periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and respiratory diseases: Consensus report of the Joint Workshop by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) and the European arm of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA Europe).

Aim: To explore the implications for dentists and family doctors of the association between periodontal and systemic diseases and the role of dentists and family doctors in managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Materials And Methods: The consensus reports of the previous Focused Workshops on the associations between periodontitis and diabetes (2017) and periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases (2019) formed the technical reviews to underpin discussions on both topics. For the association with respiratory diseases, a systematic review was specifically commissioned for the Workshop discussions.

A Social Network Analysis of Twitter Data Related to Blood Clots and Vaccines.

After the first weeks of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, several cases of acute thrombosis were reported. These news reports began to be shared frequently across social media platforms. The aim of this study was to conduct an analysis of Twitter data related to the overall discussion.

Diabetes Does Not Increase the Risk of Hospitalization Due to COVID-19 in Patients Aged 50 Years or Older in Primary Care-APHOSDIAB-COVID-19 Multicenter Study.

The purpose of this study was to identify clinical, analytical, and sociodemographic variables associated with the need for hospital admission in people over 50 years infected with SARS-CoV-2 and to assess whether diabetes mellitus conditions the risk of hospitalization. A multicenter case-control study analyzing electronic medical records in patients with COVID-19 from 1 March 2020 to 30 April 2021 was conducted. We included 790 patients: 295 cases admitted to the hospital and 495 controls.

Academic general practice/family medicine in times of COVID-19 - Perspective of WONCA Europe.

COVID-19 outbreak has significantly changed all aspects of general practice in Europe. This article focuses on the academic challenges for the discipline, mainly in the field of education, research, and quality assurance. The efforts of the European Region of the World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies, and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (WONCA Europe) to support academic sustainability of the discipline in the time of pandemic are presented.

Using pay-for-performance to introduce changes in primary healthcare centres in Spain: first year results.

Introduction: The article describes evaluation of the first year of implementation of a process-management project and a quality-improvement programme linked to economic incentives carried out at CAPSE (Consortium of Primary Healthcare of Eixample, Barcelona City, Catalonia, Spain).

Objective: To evaluate the changes and to describe the experience of a variable payment scheme linked to quality objectives in two primary healthcare centres in Spain.

Method: Data from a variable payment scheme for professionals, where the variable payment consisted of three parts, were analysed.