Stepwise treatment of uncontrolled HyperTensioN (Stepwise-HTN): Study design of a cluster randomised controlled trial in primary care.

Background: Uncontrolled hypertension is a major health problem, and a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Most patients are detected and managed in primary care, but approximately 50% remains uncontrolled. Our aim is to assess whether a guided stepwise work-up management strategy for patients with uncontrolled hypertension in primary care would result in better blood pressure control in these patients compared to usual care.

Performance of the SCORE and Globorisk cardiovascular risk prediction models: a prospective cohort study in Dutch general practice.

Background: GPs frequently use 10-year-risk estimations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) to identify high- risk patients.

Aim: To assess the performance of four models for predicting the 10-year risk of CVD in Dutch general practice.

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study.

Referring patients with stable moderate-to-advanced chronic kidney disease back to primary care: a feasibility study.

Background: Care for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) necessitates tailored pathways between primary and secondary care. It is unknown if back referring patients with CKD is safe and effective.

Aim: To study the feasibility of discharging patients with stable moderate-to-advanced CKD from secondary to primary care, and to evaluate quality of care (QoC) and patients' and GPs' experiences.

Referring patients with chronic kidney disease back to primary care: a criteria-based analysis in outpatient renal clinics.

Background: The increased demand for nephrology care for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) necessitates a critical review of the need for secondary care facilities and the possibilities for referral back to primary care. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and numbers of patients who could potentially be referred back to primary care, using predefined criteria developed by nephrologists and general practitioners.

Method: We organised a consensus meeting with eight nephrologists and two general practitioners to define the back referral (BR) criteria, and performed a retrospective cohort study reviewing records from patients under nephrologist care in three hospitals.

Cardiovascular risk screening of patients with serious mental illness or use of antipsychotics in family practice.

Background: Patients with serious mental illness (SMI) and patients on antipsychotics (AP) have an elevated risk for cardiovascular diseases. In the Netherlands, the mental healthcare for these patients is increasingly taken care of by family practitioners (FP) as a result of a shift from secondary to primary care. Therefore, it is essential to increase our knowledge regarding the characteristics of this patient group and the (somatic) care provided by their FPs.