Improving Diagnosis and Care for Patients With Sarcoma: Do Real-World General Practitioners Data and Prospective Data Collections Have a Place Next to Clinical Trials?

There has been growing interest in the use of real-world data (RWD) to address clinically and policy-relevant (research) questions that cannot be answered with data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) alone. This is, for example, the case in rare malignancies such as sarcomas as limited patient numbers pose challenges in conducting RCTs within feasible timeliness, a manageable number of collaborators, and statistical power. This narrative review explores the potential of RWD to generate real-world evidence (RWE) in sarcoma research, elucidating its application across different phases of the patient journey, from prediagnosis to the follow-up/survivorship phase.

The prediagnostic general practitioner care of sarcoma patients: A real-world data study.

Background: Limited understanding exists regarding early sarcoma symptoms presented during general practitioner (GP) consultations. The study explores GP visit patterns and recorded diagnoses in the 12 months preceding sarcoma diagnosis.

Methods: Sarcoma cases diagnosed from 2010 to 2020 were identified through the Netherlands Cancer Registry alongside general practice data.

Recruitment, data collection, participation rate, and representativeness of the international cross-sectional PRICOV-19 study across 38 countries.

Background: Recruitment for surveys has been a great challenge, especially in general practice.

Methods: Here, we reported recruitment strategies, data collection, participation rates (PR) and representativeness of the PRICOV-19 study, an international comparative, cross-sectional, online survey among general practices (GP practices) in 37 European countries and Israel.

Results: Nine (24%) countries reported a published invitation; 19 (50%) had direct contact with all GPs/GP practices; 19 (50%) contacted a sample of GPs /GP practices; and 7 (18%) used another invitation strategy.

Improving quality and patient safety in surgical care through standardisation and harmonisation of perioperative care (SAFEST project): A research protocol for a mixed methods study.

Introduction: Adverse events in health care affect 8% to 12% of patients admitted to hospitals in the European Union (EU), with surgical adverse events being the most common types reported.

Aim: SAFEST project aims to enhance perioperative care quality and patient safety by establishing and implementing widely supported evidence-based perioperative patient safety practices to reduce surgical adverse events.

Methods: We will conduct a mixed-methods hybrid type III implementation study supporting the development and adoption of evidence-based practices through a Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative (QILC) in co-creation with stakeholders.

Collaborating with cancer patients and informal caregivers in a European study on quality of life: protocol to embed patient and public involvement within the EUonQoL project.

Background: Patient and public involvement (PPI) has become an essential part of health research. There is a need for genuine involvement in order to ensure that research is relevant to patients. This can then improve the quality, relevance, and impact of health research, while at the same time reducing wasted research and in doing so bringing science and society closer together.

Quality-of-life and beliefs about medication in relation to a therapy adherence intervention in resistant hypertension: the Resistant HYpertension: MEasure to ReaCh Targets trial.

Objective: To assess the impact of personalized feedback on therapy adherence testing results on quality of life and beliefs about medication in patients with resistant hypertension, as well as to identify patient-oriented predictors of therapy adherence.

Methods: This study was a prespecified post hoc analysis of the multicenter randomized controlled trial Resistant HYpertension: MEasure to ReaCh Targets (RHYME-RCT). Patients were randomized to a personalized feedback conversation on measured antihypertensive drug levels additional to standard-of-care, or standard-of-care only.

Influenza vaccination and COVID-19 infection risk and disease severity: A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis of prospective studies.

Background: In light of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the influence of influenza vaccination on the risk and severity of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) has been a subject of debate. This systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies aim to assess the association between influenza immunization and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent COVID-19 disease severity.

Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed and Embase databases was performed to identify prospective studies published before March 2024.

Recommendations on self-management interventions for adults living with obesity: COMPAR-EU project.

Self-management interventions (SMIs) may improve disease management in adults living with obesity. We formulated evidence-based recommendations for SMIs within the context of the COMPAR-EU project. The multidisciplinary panel selected critical outcomes based on the COMPAR-EU core outcome set and established decision thresholds for each outcome.

Regression calibration of self-reported mobile phone use to optimize quantitative risk estimation in the COSMOS study.

The Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health (COSMOS) has repeatedly collected self-reported and operator-recorded data on mobile phone use. Assessing health effects using self-reported information is prone to measurement error, but operator data were available prospectively for only part of the study population and did not cover past mobile phone use. To optimize the available data and reduce bias, we evaluated different statistical approaches for constructing mobile phone exposure histories within COSMOS.

Probable extinction of influenza B/Yamagata and its public health implications: a systematic literature review and assessment of global surveillance databases.

Early after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the detection of influenza B/Yamagata cases decreased globally. Given the potential public health implications of this decline, in this Review, we systematically analysed data on influenza B/Yamagata virus circulation (for 2020-23) from multiple complementary sources of information. We identified relevant articles published in PubMed and Embase, and data from the FluNet, Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, and GenBank databases, webpages of respiratory virus surveillance systems from countries worldwide, and the Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network.

Predicting unplanned admissions to hospital in older adults using routinely recorded general practice data: development and validation of a prediction model.

Background: Unplanned admissions to hospital represent a hazardous event for older people. Timely identification of high-risk individuals using a prediction tool may facilitate preventive interventions.

Aim: To develop and validate an easy-to-use prediction model for unplanned admissions to hospital in community-dwelling older adults using readily available data to allow rapid bedside assessment by GPs.

Healthcare utilization patterns of individuals with depression after national policy to increase the mental health workforce in primary care: a data linkage study.

Background: The deployment of the mental health nurse, an additional healthcare provider for individuals in need of mental healthcare in Dutch general practices, was expected to substitute treatments from general practitioners and providers in basic and specialized mental healthcare (psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, etc.). The goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which the degree of mental health nurse deployment in general practices is associated with healthcare utilization patterns of individuals with depression.

The effectiveness of personalised surveillance and aftercare in breast cancer follow-up: a systematic review.

Purpose: Breast cancer follow-up (surveillance and aftercare) varies from one-size-fits-all to more personalised approaches. A systematic review was performed to get insight in existing evidence on (cost-)effectiveness of personalised follow-up.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane were searched between 01-01-2010 and 10-10-2022 (review registered in PROSPERO:CRD42022375770).

Value of the Safety Management System (VMS) frailty instrument as a frailty screener in care for older hospital patients: a systematic review.

Background: Dutch hospitals are required to screen older patients for the risk of developing functional decline using the Safety Management System (VMS) which assesses four domains associated with functional decline; fall risk, risk of delirium, malnutrition, and physical impairment.

Purpose: The aim is twofold, first to compare the VMS frailty instrument as a frailty screener with existing frailty instruments and second to provide an overview of the available evidence.

Methods: We performed a literature search to identify studies that used the VMS instrument as frailty screener to asses frailty or to predict adverse health outcomes in older hospitalized patients.

Costs of care trajectories of people with dementia compared with matched controls. Longitudinal analysis of linked health and administrative data.

Objectives: To provide insight into the health and social care costs during the disease trajectory in persons with dementia and the impact of institutionalization and death on healthcare costs compared with matched persons without dementia.

Methods: Electronic health record data from family physicians were linked with national administrative databases to estimate costs of primary care, medication, secondary care, mental care, home care and institutional care for people with dementia and matched persons from the year before the recorded dementia diagnosis until death or a maximum of 4 years after the diagnosis.

Results: Total mean health and social care costs among persons with dementia increased substantially during the disease trajectory, mainly due to institutional care costs.

Change in Age profile of Respiratory Syncytial Virus disease over the course of annual epidemics: a multi-national study.

Objectives: We aimed to study whether the percentwise age distribution of RSV cases changes over time during annual epidemics.

Methods: We used surveillance data (2008-2019) from the Netherlands, Lyon (France), Portugal, Singapore, Ecuador, South Africa, and New Zealand. In each country, every season was divided into "epidemic quarters", i.

Task shifting in Dutch nursing practice: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of nurses' experiences.

Aim: This study aims firstly to identify shifts in the execution of medical tasks by nurses in the past decade. Secondly, it aims to explore nurses' perspectives on task shifting: how they think task shifting affects the quality of care, the attractiveness of nursing practice and their collaboration with physicians.

Design: A quantitative repeated cross-sectional study.

Fatal Adverse Events in Femoral Neck Fracture Patients Undergoing Hemiarthroplasty or Total Hip Arthroplasty-A Retrospective Record Review Study in a Nationwide Sample of Deceased Patients.

Objectives: Patient safety is a core component of quality of hospital care and measurable through adverse event (AE) rates. A high-risk group are femoral neck fracture patients. The Dutch clinical guideline states that the treatment of choice is cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) or hemiarthroplasty (HA).

Implementing a new living concept for persons with dementia in long-term care: evaluation of a quality improvement process.

Background: Improving quality of nursing home care for residents is a constant focus of stakeholders involved within quality improvement projects. Though, achieving change in long-term care is challenging. Process evaluations provide insight into the nature, exposure and experiences of stakeholders and influencing mechanisms for implementation.

COMPAR-EU Recommendations on Self-Management Interventions in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Self-management interventions (SMIs) offer a promising approach to actively engage patients in the management of their chronic diseases. Within the scope of the COMPAR-EU project, our goal is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the utilisation and implementation of SMIs in the care of adult individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A multidisciplinary panel of experts, utilising a core outcome set (COS), identified critical outcomes and established effect thresholds for each outcome.

Evaluating deviations and considerations in daily practice when double-checking high-risk medication administration: A qualitative study using the FRAM.

Background: Double-check protocol compliance during administration is low. Regardless, most high-risk medication administrations are performed without incidents. The present study investigated the process of preparing and administrating high-risk medication and examined which variations occur in daily practice.

Medical deserts in Spain-Insights from an international project.

Introduction: Medical deserts are a growing phenomenon across many European countries. They are usually defined as (i) rural areas, (ii) underserved areas or (iii) by applying a measure of distance/time to a facility or a combination of the three characteristics. The objective was to define medical deserts in Spain as well as map their driving factors and approaches to mitigate them.

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Self-Management Interventions for Adults Living with Heart Failure to Improve Patient-Important Outcomes: An Evidence Map of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Self-management interventions (SMIs) may enhance heart failure (HF) outcomes and address challenges associated with disease management. This study aims to review randomized evidence and identify knowledge gaps in SMIs for adult HF patients. Within the COMPAR-EU project, from 2010 to 2018, we conducted searches in the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, and PsycINFO.