Dutch influenza vaccination rate drops for fifth consecutive year.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and trend of the influenza vaccination-rate of the overall target population in the period 2008-2013, with a specific focus on groups at risk such as patients with cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, diabetes and aged 60 years and older.

Methods: In an observational longitudinal study electronic medical records data from the Dutch representative network of general practices, LINH, were analyzed. For each influenza vaccination season, 2008-2013, the number of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients at risk are compared by chi-square tests (χ(2)) for linear trends, linear-by-linear association.

Prescription of antiviral drugs during the 2009 influenza pandemic: an observational study using electronic medical files of general practitioners in the Netherlands.

Background: After the clinical impact of the A(H1N1) pdm09 virus was considered to be mild, treatment with antiviral drugs was recommended only to patients who were at risk for severe disease or who had a complicated course of influenza. We investigated to what extent antiviral prescriptions in primary care practices were in accordance with the recommendations, what proportion of patients diagnosed with influenza had been prescribed antiviral drugs, and to what extent prescriptions related to the stated indications for antiviral treatment.

Methods: We used data from routine electronic medical records of practices participating in the Netherlands Information Network of General Practice LINH in the period August-December 2009.

Pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 improves vaccination routine in subsequent years: a cohort study from 2009 to 2011.

Background: In 2009 the pandemic influenza virus A(H1N1)pdm09 emerged with guidance that people at risk should be vaccinated. It is unclear how this event affected the underlying seasonal vaccination rate in subsequent years.

Purpose: To investigate the association of pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and seasonal flu vaccination status in 2009 with vaccination rates in 2010 and 2011.

Patient safety in primary allied health care: what can we learn from incidents in a Dutch exploratory cohort study?

Background: Research on patient safety in allied healthcare is scarce. Our aim was to document patient safety in primary allied healthcare in the Netherlands and to identify factors associated with incidents. DESIGN AND SUBJECT: A retrospective study of 1000 patient records in a representative sample of 20 allied healthcare practices was combined with a prospective incident-reporting study.

[Increased multimorbidity in patients in general practice in the period 2003-2009].

Objective: To determine the prevalence of chronic multimorbidity and its increase in primary care.

Design: Descriptive longitudinal study.

Method: We selected patients suffering from chronic pulmonary disease, chronic cardiovascular disease, or diabetes from a national representative general practice research database (LINH).

Uptake of cervical cancer screening in The Netherlands is mainly influenced by women's beliefs about the screening and by the inviting organization.

Background: This study aims to examine the impact of women's characteristics (demographics, risk behaviour, and beliefs) on the uptake of cervical cancer screening, taking practice characteristics (demographic and organizational) into account.

Methods: Routinely collected data of screening status were sampled from electronic medical records of 32 Dutch general practices. Additionally, a questionnaire was sent to a sample of 2224 listed women-1204 screened, 1020 unscreened.

Clinical effectiveness of influenza vaccination in persons younger than 65 years with high-risk medical conditions: the PRISMA study.

Background: Influenza vaccination has consistently been shown to prevent all-cause death and hospitalizations during influenza epidemics among seniors. However, such benefits have not yet been demonstrated among younger individuals with high-risk medical conditions. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of influenza vaccine in persons recommended for vaccination of any age during an epidemic.

Does a population survey provide reliable influenza vaccine uptake rates among high-risk groups? A case-study of The Netherlands.

All European countries have recommendations for influenza vaccination among the elderly and chronically ill. However, only a few countries are able to provide data on influenza uptake among these groups. The aim of our study is to investigate whether a population survey is an effective method of obtaining vaccination uptake rates in the different risk groups and to find out what reasons people give as to why they have accepted or refused influenza vaccination and whether this varies among the risk groups.