Measurement of treatment burden in patients with multimorbidity in the Netherlands: translation and validation of the Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire (NL-MTBQ).

Background: Multimorbidity is a growing problem. The number and complexity of (non-)pharmaceutical treatments create a great burden for patients. Treatment burden refers to the perception of the weight of these treatments, and is associated with multimorbidity.

A systematic literature review looking for the definition of treatment burden.

Background: Treatment burden is an emerging concept in health care literature. It can complicate the patients' condition and perhaps result in poor adherence to treatment, which is linked to worse clinical outcomes. However, until now there is no definition for treatment burden recognized by all stakeholders.

Patients with multimorbidity and their treatment burden in different daily life domains: a qualitative study in primary care in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Background: Physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with multimorbidity should consider the problems these patients experience in managing their own conditions. However, treatment burden from the patient's perspective has been poorly explored, even though this might hamper treatment adherence.

Objective: The present study examined the experiences of patients with multimorbidity in primary care in the Netherlands and Belgium using semi-structured interviews, with special attention to the daily life domains of treatment burden.

Describing patients' needs in the context of research priorities in patients with multiple myeloma or Waldenstrom's disease: A truly patient-driven study.

Background: To ensure true patient-centered care, the urgency of patient participation in research is increasingly recognized. This study takes this one step further and reports on patient participation in describing patients' needs for improving quality of care in the context of research priorities - a challenging partnership with patients in research as we yet lack experience in the Netherlands.

Objectives: 1) To illustrate the process of describing patients' needs in the context of research priorities for patients with blood cancer (multiple myeloma or Waldenstrom's disease) with the purpose to improve the quality of health care.

40 years of biannual family medicine research meetings--the European General Practice Research Network (EGPRN).

Objective: To document family medicine research in the 25 EGPRN member countries in 2010.

Design: Semi-structured survey with open-ended questions.

Setting: Academic family medicine in 23 European countries, Israel, and Turkey.

HIV/AIDS, beersellers and critical community health psychology in Cambodia: a case study.

This case study illustrates a participatory framework for confronting critical community health issues using 'grass-roots' research-guided community-defined interventions. Ongoing work in Cambodia has culturally adapted research, theory and practice for particular, local health-promotion responses to HIV/AIDS, alcohol abuse and other challenges in the community of Siem Reap. For resource-poor communities in Cambodia, we recycle such 'older' concepts as 'empowerment' and 'action research'.

Creating new career pathways to reduce poverty, illiteracy and health risks, while transforming and empowering Cambodian women's lives.

Community health psychology provides a framework for local citizens themselves to systematically affect change in health and social inequalities, particularly through Participatory Action Research (PAR). The Cambodian NGO SiRCHESI launched a 24-month Hotel Apprenticeship Program (HAP) in 2006 to provide literacy, English, social skills, health education, hotel skills-training, work experience and a living wage to women formerly selling beer in restaurants; there they had faced workplace risks including HIV/AIDS, alcohol overuse, violence and sexual coercion. Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate changes in health-related knowledge, behaviour, self-image and empowerment, as HAP trainees were monitored and evaluated within their new career trajectories.

Gender-specific differences in the prevention of asthma-like symptoms in high-risk infants.

The prevalence of asthma in children has increased in the last decades, and gender-specific differences in asthma development have recently been suggested. The present study investigates whether gender differences are present in a population of young children (0-2 yr) with a high risk for the development of asthma on the basis of the presence of asthma in first-degree relative(s). The study was performed on 222 children (118 boys, 104 girls) with a familial predisposition of asthma, which received standardized recommendations to reduce exposure to allergens (dust mite, pets and food allergens) and to passive smoking.

Acute uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections in general practice: clinical and microbiological cure rates after three- versus five-day treatment with trimethoprim.

Objectives: Epidemiological studies indicate that acute uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) in women can be successfully treated with short treatment regimens. However, the findings from the literature do not match experiences in daily practice.

Methods: A randomised, controlled trial evaluating the microbiological and clinical (self-reported) cure rates of a three-day vs.

Incidence of epilepsy and predictive factors of epileptic and non-epileptic seizures.

Purpose: To estimate the incidence of unprovoked seizures (US) and epilepsy in a general population from the southern part of the Netherlands, in relation to age, sex, etiology and seizure type, and to identify predictive factors of the epileptic and non-epileptic seizures.

Methods: All patients aged > or =14 years with a first seizure or who had undiagnosed seizures before the study period were included. Patients were identified from different sources and were independently evaluated and classified by a team of neurologists.

The diagnosis of epileptic and non-epileptic seizures.

The aim of this prospective population-based study was to systematically define a cluster of diagnostic items which can assist in the early identification and classification of epileptic and non-epileptic seizures. A cohort of patients aged > or =14 years, suspected with a first epileptic seizure, were included in this study. A team of neurologists evaluated and classified all cases.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of incidence studies of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures.

Purpose: To evaluate the methodology of incidence studies of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures and to assess the value of their findings by summarizing their results.

Methods: A Medline literature search from January 1966 to December 1999 was conducted. In each selected study, key methodologic items such as case definition and study design were evaluated.