Mucopolysaccharidosis type II detection by Naïve Bayes Classifier: An example of patient classification for a rare disease using electronic medical records from the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network.

Identifying patients with rare diseases associated with common symptoms is challenging. Hunter syndrome, or Mucopolysaccharidosis type II is a progressive rare disease caused by a deficiency in the activity of the lysosomal enzyme, iduronate 2-sulphatase. It is inherited in an X-linked manner resulting in males being significantly affected.

Is Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Canadian Family Practices Cost-Effective in Patients 65 Years and Older?

We present an economic evaluation of a recently completed cohort study in which 2054 seniors were screened for atrial fibrillation (AF) in 22 Canadian family practices. Using a Markov model, trial and literature data were used to project long-term outcomes and costs associated with 4 AF screening strategies for individuals aged 65 years or older: no screening, screen with 30-second radial manual pulse check (pulse check), screen with a blood pressure machine with AF detection (BP-AF), and screen with a single-lead electrocardiogram (SL-ECG). Costs and outcomes were discounted at 1.

Diagnostic accuracy and yield of screening tests for atrial fibrillation in the family practice setting: a multicentre cohort study.

Background: Detection of undiagnosed or undertreated ("actionable") atrial fibrillation could increase the use of appropriate oral anticoagulant therapy and reduce the risk of stroke. We sought to compare newer screening technologies with a pulse-check for the detection of atrial fibrillation and to determine whether the detection of actionable atrial fibrillation increases the use of oral anticoagulant agents.

Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study involved 22 primary care clinics.

Impact of a provincial quality-improvement program on primary health care in Ontario: a population-based controlled before-and-after study.

Background: In Ontario, a province-wide quality-improvement program (Quality Improvement and Innovation Partnership [QIIP]) was implemented between 2008 and 2010 to support improved outcomes in Family Health Teams, a care model that includes many features of the patient-centred medical home. We assessed the impact of this program on diabetes management, colorectal and cervical cancer screening and access to health care.

Methods: We used comprehensive linked administrative data sets to conduct a population-based controlled before-and-after study.

The Prevalence and Risk for Herpes Zoster Infection in Adult Patients With Diabetes Mellitus in the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network.

Objectives: Herpes zoster (HZ) is a common infection in Canada that can result in serious and long-term complications. People with diabetes may be at an increased risk for HZ. The objectives of this study were to develop and validate a case definition of HZ diagnosis based on electronic medical records; determine a prevalence estimate for HZ in adult patients in the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) and assess the association between HZ and diabetes.

Developing a method to estimate practice denominators for a national Canadian electronic medical record database.

Background: Calculating disease prevalence requires both a numerator (number of persons with a disease) and a matching denominator (the 'population at risk' being studied). Determining primary care practice denominators is challenging.

Objective: To develop and test a method to calculate primary care practice denominators.

Acute otitis media in children with tympanostomy tubes.

Objective: To review evidence regarding antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media in children with tympanostomy tubes and to discuss antibiotic resistance and ototoxicity.

Quality Of Evidence: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for relevant articles. Articles providing level I evidence(randomized controlled trials) for treatment were used.

Randomised equivalence trial comparing three month and six month follow up of patients with hypertension by family practitioners.

Objective: To compare blood pressure control, satisfaction, and adherence to drug treatment in patients with treated hypertension followed up by their family physicians either every three months or every six months for three years.

Design: Randomised equivalence clinical trial. Settings 50 family practices in south eastern Ontario, Canada.