Barriers to research in family medicine-interviews with Portuguese family physician researchers.

Background: There is a need for a deeper understanding of the barriers to research in family medicine (FM) and to consider the perceptions and perspectives of professionals. Our study aims to provide a strategic view for research capacity building in FM. We included the perspective of family physician researchers (FPR) on the existing barriers to investigation in this context.

Strategies for the Promotion of Primary Health Care Research in Portugal: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: There are several barriers discouraging clinicians from undertaking research, including insufficient funding, lack of time, organizational issues and lack of support. The strengthening of research capacity is perceived from three levels: characteristics of the researcher, the environment, and organizational issues. To date, Portugal is lacking studies on this subject.

Remote versus in-office monitoring for implantable cardioverter defibrillators: Results from a randomized pragmatic controlled study in Portugal.

Introduction: Remote monitoring (RM) is a safe and effective alternative to in-office conventional follow-up.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction with RM and its impact on healthcare resources in a population with cardiac implantable electronic devices.

Methods: Randomized, pragmatic, open-label controlled trial, with adult wearers of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy with ICD (CRT-D), eligible for the CareLink® system.

Geriatric Assessment of the Portuguese Population Aged 65 and Over Living in the Community: The PEN-3S Study.

Introduction: As populations live longer, they also aim to live better. A crucial step for this is to improve the understanding about older adults' physical and psychological health. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to characterise the Portuguese population over-65 regarding nutritional status, cognitive function, functional status, symptoms of depression, and loneliness, by sex and age groups.

Excess Mortality Estimation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Data from Portugal.

Introduction: Portugal is experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. All-causes mortality in Portugal increased during March and April 2020 compared to previous years, but this increase is not explained by COVID-19 reported deaths. The aim of this study was to analyze and consider other criteria for estimating excessive all-cause mortality during the early COVID-19 pandemic period.

Mode of Delivery Does Not Affect the Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that exposures in early life that are known to influence microbiome development may affect the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Cesarean section has been associated with altered colonization of commensal gut flora and is thought to predispose to immune-mediated diseases later in life.

Aims: To evaluate the risk of IBD, Crohn's Disease (CD), and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) according to mode of delivery (C-section vs vaginal delivery).

Association between living setting and malnutrition among older adults: The PEN-3S study.

Objectives: Malnutrition is frequent among older adults, especially those living in nursing homes, but the association between residential setting and nutritional status is controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the association between living setting (nursing home versus community) and malnutrition while adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, health-related, and psychosocial factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included a randomly selected representative sample of Portuguese adults ≥65 y of age.

Socio-demographic factors associated with physical activity and sitting time patterns in adults: An analysis based on the Portuguese Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey.

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SB) influence health. Since most people engage in different combinations of both behaviours every day, understanding the socio-demographic characteristics of adults with distinct PA and sitting time (ST) patterns is important to contribute to evidence-based planning of public health strategies. Data from a national survey on diet and activity behaviours (IAN-AF, 2015/16) including 1724 adults (50.

Valuing health states: is the MACBETH approach useful for valuing EQ-5D-3L health states?

Background: Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) are a key outcome measure widely used within health technology assessment and health service research studies. QALYs combine quantity and quality of life, with quality of life calculations relying on the value of distinct health states. Such health states' values capture the preferences of a population and have been typically built through numerical elicitation methods.

Malnutrition among older adults living in Portuguese nursing homes: the PEN-3S study.

Objective: To characterise the nutritional status and to identify malnutrition-associated variables of older adults living in Portuguese nursing homes.

Design: Cross-sectional study. Data on demographic and socio-economic characteristics, self-reported morbidity, eating-related problems, nutritional status, cognitive function, depression symptoms, loneliness feelings and functional status were collected by trained nutritionists through a computer-assisted face-to-face structured interview followed by standardised anthropometric measurements.

Gender differences in psychosocial determinants of self-perceived health among Portuguese older adults in nursing homes.

Self-perceived health declines with age, varies by gender and is a predictor of mortality, morbidity, physical and psychological functioning. However, gender differences in health and illness perception are complex and not yet fully understood. This study aimed to explore gender-related differences in psychosocial determinants of self-perceived health among older adults living in nursing homes.

National Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Survey of the Portuguese General Population (2015-2016): Protocol for Design and Development.

Background: The assessment of food consumption data using harmonized methodologies at the European level is fundamental to support the development of public policies. Portugal is one of the countries with the most outdated information on individual food consumption.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the design and methodology of the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2015-2016, developed to collect national and regional data on dietary habits, physical activity (PA), and nutritional status, in a representative sample of the Portuguese general population (3 months-84 years).

National survey of the Portuguese elderly nutritional status: study protocol.

Background: Worldwide we are facing a serious demographic challenge due to the dramatic growth of the population over 60 years. It is expected that the proportion of this population will nearly double from 12 to 22 %, between 2015 and 2050. This demographic shift comes with major health and socio-economic concerns.

[PRAdA intervention: effects on weight of dietary intervention among treated hypertensive Portuguese natives and African immigrants].

Introduction: Blood pressure is significantly improved with weight loss. Behavioral interventions for weight loss seem to be less successful in African immigrants. Our main aims were to assess the effect of a dietary and lifestyle intervention on weight among hypertensive Portuguese natives and immigrants and to identify success factors for weight loss, and also to evaluate changes in knowledge and compliance with food recommendations.

On evaluating health centers groups in Lisbon and Tagus Valley: efficiency, equity and quality.

Background: Bearing in mind the increasing health expenses and their weight in the Portuguese gross domestic product, it is of the utmost importance to evaluate the performance of Primary Health Care providers taking into account both efficiency, quality and equity. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the performance of Primary Health Care by measuring it in a Portuguese region (Lisbon and Tagus Valley) and identifying best practices. It also intends to evaluate the quality and equity provided.

[Remote versus face-to-face monitoring for implantable cardiac devices: rationale and design of the PORTLink (PORTuguese Research on Telemonitoring with CareLink) trial].

With expanding indications for cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) capable of treating bradycardias, complex cardiac tachyarrhythmias and heart failure, the number of patients requiring regular long-term specialized care is growing rapidly. Currently, routine face-to-face follow-up consultations for patients with CIEDs are a significant burden on hospital services. Remote telemonitoring appears to offer a safe and effective alternative to conventional follow-up in this area.

Non-adherence to antibiotic therapy in patients visiting community pharmacies.

Background: Patient non-adherence to antibiotic therapy may lead to therapeutic failure, re-infection, and bacterial resistance. Assessing the factors associated with this problem is important for promoting rational use of antibiotics.

Objective: This study aimed to measure prevalence and reasons for non-adherence to antibiotic treatment and to identify associated factors.

The influence of rheumatoid arthritis disease characteristics on heart failure.

Objective: To examine the influence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) characteristics and antirheumatic medications on the risk of heart failure (HF) in patients with RA.

Methods: A population-based incidence cohort of RA patients aged ≥ 18 years (1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria first met between January 1, 1980, and January 1, 2008) with no history of HF was followed until onset of HF (defined by Framingham criteria), death, or January 1, 2008. We collected data on RA characteristics, antirheumatic medications, and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors.

EULAR points to consider when establishing, analysing and reporting safety data of biologics registers in rheumatology.

Objectives: The introduction of biological therapies for the treatment of rheumatic diseases has drawn attention to the limitations of traditional means of assessing drug safety. Consequently, a series of European academic biologics registers dedicated to this task have been established. Increasing reliance upon safety data generated from observational drug registers makes it important to convert the lessons learned from such registers into recommendations for rheumatologists embarking upon the establishment of future registers, or analysing and reporting from new and existing registers.