Background: Little is known about clinicians' experiences of using a point-of-care test (POCT) to inform management of urinary tract infection (UTI) in general practice.
Aim: To explore experiences of using the Flexicult test to inform management of UTI and views on requirements for an optimal POCT to inform successful implementation.
Design & Setting: Telephone interviews with 35 primary care clinicians and healthcare professionals in Wales, England, Spain, and the Netherlands, who had participated in a trial of the Flexicult POCT for UTI based on urine culture.
Method: Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews.
Results: Most primary care clinicians interviewed agreed on the need for a POCT in UTI management, and that the Flexicult POCT delivered quicker results than laboratory results used in usual care, reassured patients, boosted their confidence in decision-making, and reminded them about antibiotic stewardship. However, clinicians also reported difficulties in interpreting results, limitations on when the Flexicult could be used, and concerns that testing all patients would strain care delivery and prolong patient discomfort when delaying decisions until a non-rapid POCT result was available. An optimal POCT would produce more rapid results, and be reliable and easy to use. Uptake into routine care would be enhanced by: clear guidance on which patients should be tested; training for interpreting 'grey area' results; reiterating that even 'straightforward' cases might be better managed with a test; clear messages about stopping unnecessary antibiotics versus completing a course; and better self-management strategies to accompany implementation of delayed, or non-prescription of, antibiotics.
Conclusion: Primary care clinicians believe that POCT tests could play a useful role in the management of UTI and gave clear recommendations for successful implementation.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6662873 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3399/bjgpopen18X101630 | DOI Listing |
J Int Med Res
January 2025
Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Objective: To evaluate whether there is an association between maternal mental health, purchase of psychotropic drugs, socioeconomic status and major congenital anomalies in offspring.
Methods: A register-based cohort study of 6189 Finnish primiparous women who had a singleton delivery between 2009 and 2015. Data on pregnancy and delivery outcomes, psychiatric diagnosis, prescription drug purchases and offspring congenital anomalies were obtained from Finnish national registers.
J Int Med Res
January 2025
Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital; Eye Diseases and Optometry Institute; Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Retinal and Choroid Diseases; College of Optometry, Peking University Health Science Center. Address: No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of preoperative intravenous mannitol on the capsulorhexis process and intraoperative complications in patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG).
Methods: In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 65 PACG eyes were randomized into the mannitol and control groups. The capsulorhexis duration, number of forceps grasps, need for viscoelastic re-injection, and intraoperative complications were recorded.
Eur J Clin Invest
January 2025
URC PNVS, CIC-EC 1425, INSERM, Bichat - Claude Bernard Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is a potentially fatal disease with a multifactorial nature, impacting different medical and surgical specialties. Recently, new guidelines and direct oral anticoagulants facilitated early discharge for most DVT patients and non-severe PE patients.
Objective: The aim of this study is to illustrate the distribution of VTE patients throughout the hospital and map their care pathway from Emergency Department (ED) to hospital discharge.
Disabil Rehabil
January 2025
Discipline of Public Health Medicine, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Republic of South Africa.
Purpose: The necessity to enhance physical rehabilitation services in Zambia has been recognised. To achieve this through expanding human resources for health in rehabilitation and increasing service coverage, it is essential to comprehensively understand the current issues and challenges in physical rehabilitation within the country. This paper aimed to conduct a situational assessment of physical rehabilitation services in Zambia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Med Open
June 2025
University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chicago, IL, USA.
The burden of cirrhosis and chronic liver disease is growing, yet there is a projected worsening deficit in hepatology providers. As such, cirrhosis and liver disease have been important inclusions within the core curricula of Internal Medicine. Formal assessments of provider preparedness resulting from the curriculum are lacking though.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!