The Importance of Taking a Patient-Centered, Community-Based Approach to Preventing and Managing Frailty: A Public Health Perspective.

Across the world, life expectancy is increasing. However, the years of life gained do not always correspond to healthy life years, potentially leading to an increase in frailty. Given the extent of population aging, the association between frailty and age and the impact of frailty on adverse outcomes for older people, frailty is increasingly being recognized to be a significant public health concern.

[Organisational determinants of adherence to secondary prevention medications after acute myocardial infarction].

Objectives: to identify organisational determinants of adherence to evidence-based drug treatments after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), under the hypothesis that low adherence is associated with higher mortality and risk of reinfarction. In particular, we investigated the effect of group vs. single handed practice and multi-professional practice characteristics on patients' adherence to polytherapy after AMI.

Hospital readmissions of patients with heart failure: the impact of hospital and primary care organizational factors in Northern Italy.

Background: Primary health care is essential for an appropriate management of heart failure (HF), a disease which is a major clinical and public health issue and a leading cause of hospitalization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different organizational factors on readmissions of patients with HF.

Methods: The study population included elderly resident in the Local Health Authority of Bologna (Northern Italy) and discharged with a diagnosis of HF from January to December 2010.

Effectiveness of collaborative care for depression in Italy. A randomized controlled trial.

Trial Design: This was a multicenter cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Participants: A total of 227 patients ≥18 years old with a new onset of depressive symptoms who screened positive on the first two items of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were recruited by primary care physicians (PCPs) of eight health districts of three Italian regions from September 2009 to June 2011.

Intervention: PCPs of the intervention group received a specific collaborative care program including 2 days of intensive training, implementation of a stepped care protocol, depression management toolkit and scheduled meetings with a dedicated consultant psychiatrist.

Primary care physicians' perspective on the management of anxiety and depressive disorders: a cross-sectional survey in Emilia Romagna Region.

Background: Evidences from literature suggest that Primary Care Physicians' (PCPs) knowledge and attitude about psychological and pharmacological treatments of anxiety and depressive disorders could influence their clinical practice. The aim of the study is double: 1) to assess PCPs' opinions about antidepressants (ADs) and psychotherapy for the management of anxiety and depressive disorders; 2) to evaluate the influence of PCPs' gender, age, duration of clinical practice, and office location on their opinions and attitudes.

Methods: This cross-sectional multicentre survey involved 816 PCPs working in four Local Health Units of the Emilia Romagna Region.