[A redesign of the acute care chain: evaluation of acute care in Den Helder, The Netherlands].

This study researches the quality of care of the newly redesigned Department of Acute Care (AAZ), at the Noordwest Hospital in Den Helder. It is a multi-methodological study. Quality indicators were descriptively compared with a conventional Emergency Department (ED) at the location in Alkmaar.

Patients' Perspectives and Feasibility of Home Monitoring in Acute Care: The AcuteCare@Home Flash Mob Study.

To determine patients' perspectives on home monitoring at emergency department (ED) presentation and shortly after admission and compare these with their physicians' perspectives. Forty Dutch hospitals participated in this prospective flash mob study. Adult patients with acute medical conditions, treated by internal medicine specialties, presenting at the ED or admitted at the admission ward within the previous 24 h were included.

Can acutely ill patients predict their outcomes? A scoping review.

Introduction: The full impact of an acute illness on subsequent health is seldom explicitly discussed with patients. Patients' estimates of their likely prognosis have been explored in chronic care settings and can contribute to the improvement of clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. This scoping review aimed to identify studies of acutely ill patients' estimates of their outcomes and potential benefits for their care.

Performance of the APOP-screener for predicting in-hospital mortality in older COVID-19 patients: a retrospective study.

Background: A variety of prediction models concerning COVID-19 have been proposed since onset of the pandemic, but to this date no gold standard exists. Mortality rates show a sharp increase with advancing age but with the large heterogeneity of this population in terms of comorbidities, vulnerability and disabilities, identifying risk factors is difficult. Therefore, we aimed to research the multidimensional concept of frailty, measured by the Acute Presenting Older Patient (APOP)-screener, as a risk factor for in-hospital mortality in older COVID-19 patients.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Development of the Disease-Specific Questionnaire ACC-QOL and Results from the PROFILES Registry.

We aimed to develop a disease-specific adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire (ACC-QOL) and assess HRQoL in a population-based cohort of patients with ACC. Development was in line with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) guidelines, though not an EORTC product. In phase I and II, we identified 90 potential HRQoL issues using literature and focus groups, which were reduced to 39 by healthcare professionals.

Understanding what matters most to patients in acute care in seven countries, using the flash mob study design.

Background: Truly patient-centred care needs to be aligned with what patients consider important, and is highly desirable in the first 24 h of an acute admission, as many decisions are made during this period. However, there is limited knowledge on what matters most to patients in this phase of their hospital stay. The objective of this study was to identify what mattered most to patients in acute care and to assess the patient perspective as to whether their treating doctors were aware of this.

Quality of acute internal medicine: A patient-centered approach. Validation and usage of the Patient Reported Measure-acute care in the Netherlands.

Background: Providing high quality care is important and has gained more attention since the introduction of value-based healthcare. Value should be measured by outcomes achieved, relevant for patients. Patient-centeredness is one domain for quality improvement determined by the Institute of Medicine, aiming to deliver care responsive to the patient.

Patient and Partner Perspectives on Health-Related Quality of Life in Adrenocortical Carcinoma.

Little is known about the impact of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and no disease-specific questionnaire exists. This qualitative study aimed to identify relevant domains of HRQoL for patients with ACC. In 2 focus group interviews, we discussed concerns regarding living with ACC and its treatments.

Patient's perspective on improving the quality of acute medical care: determining patient reported outcomes.

Rationale: There is an increasing societal demand for quality assurance and transparency of medical care. The American National Academy of Medicine has determined patient centredness as a quality domain for improvement of healthcare. While many of the current quality indicators are disease specific, most emergency department (ED) patients present with undifferentiated complaints.

Strengths and weaknesses of the acute care systems in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands: what can we learn from each other?

Background: The demand on Emergency Departments and acute medical services is increasing internationally, creating pressure on health systems and negatively influencing the quality of delivered care. Visible consequences of the increased demand on acute services is crowding and queuing. This manifests as delays in the Emergency Departments, adverse clinical outcomes and poor patient experience.

Dysregulation of serum gamma interferon levels in vascular chronic Q Fever patients provides insights into disease pathogenesis.

A large community outbreak of Q fever occurred in the Netherlands in the period 2007 to 2010. Some of the infected patients developed chronic Q fever, which typically includes pathogen dissemination to predisposed cardiovascular sites, with potentially fatal consequences. To identify the immune mechanisms responsible for ineffective clearance of Coxiella burnetii in patients who developed chronic Q fever, we compared serum concentrations of 47 inflammation-associated markers among patients with acute Q fever, vascular chronic Q fever, and past resolved Q fever.