Improving community-based COPD care in general practice in Poland - a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Introduction And Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of intervention on exacerbations of COPD in elderly patients compared to those receiving usual care.

Material And Methods: A 12 month, multicentre, three-arm, pragmatic, cluster randomized controlled trial was performed (CRCT).

Community determinants of COPD exacerbations in elderly patients in Lodz province, Poland: a retrospective observational Big Data cohort study.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence and identify demographic, economic and environmental local community determinants of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations in elderly in primary care using Big Data approach.

Design: Retrospective observational case-control study based on Big Data from the National Health Found, Tax Office and National Statistics Center databases in 2016.

Setting: Primary care clinics in the Lodz province in Poland.

Cost-effectiveness of adding oseltamivir to primary care for influenza-like-illness: economic evaluation alongside the randomised controlled ALICE trial in 15 European countries.

Background: Oseltamivir is usually not often prescribed (or reimbursed) for non-high-risk patients consulting for influenza-like-illness (ILI) in primary care in Europe. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of adding oseltamivir to usual primary care in adults/adolescents (13 years +) and children with ILI during seasonal influenza epidemics, using data collected in an open-label, multi-season, randomised controlled trial of oseltamivir in 15 European countries.

Methods: Direct and indirect cost estimates were based on patient reported resource use and official country-specific unit costs.

Structural equation modeling for identification of patient safety antecedents in primary care.

Background: Patient safety is defined as an activity that minimizes and removes possible errors and injuries to patients. A number of factors have been found to influence patient safety management, including the facilities available in the practice, communication and collaboration, education regarding patient safety and generic conditions. This study tested a theoretical model of patient safety interventions based on safety antecedents.

Risk factors for treatment failure in women with uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection.

Given rising antibiotic resistance and increasing use of delayed prescription for uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections (UTI), patients at risk for treatment failure should be identified early. We assessed risk factors for clinical and microbiological failure in women with lower UTI. This case-control study nested within a randomized clinical trial included all women in the per-protocol population (PPP), those in the PPP with microbiologically confirmed UTI, and those in the PPP with UTI due to Escherichia coli.

Direct and Indirect Costs of Influenza-Like Illness Treated with and Without Oseltamivir in 15 European Countries: A Descriptive Analysis Alongside the Randomised Controlled ALICE Trial.

Background And Objective: Influenza-like illness (ILI) leads to a substantial disease burden every winter in Europe; however, oseltamivir is not frequently prescribed to ILI patients in the primary-care setting. An open-label, multi-country, multi-season, randomised controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of oseltamivir for treating ILI in 15 European countries. We aimed to evaluate whether patients presenting with ILI in primary care and being managed with the addition of oseltamivir to usual care had lower average direct and indirect costs compared to patients with usual care alone.

The Perception of Patient Safety Strategies by Primary Health Professionals.

Almost all European citizens rank patient safety as very or fairly important in their country. However, few patient safety initiatives have been undertaken or implemented in Poland. The aim was to identify patient safety strategies perceived as important in Poland and compare them with those identified in an earlier Dutch study.

Erythromycin versus cefadroxil in the treatment of skin infections.

Erythromycin is often overlooked for the treatment of skin and skin structure infections. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of erythromycin particles in tablets and of cefadroxil in 164 patients with skin infections; both treatments were given as 500 mg twice daily. One hundred percent of erythromycin and 96% of cefadroxil patients were clinically cured or improved, and 98% of susceptible pathogens were eradicated in both groups.