Reusing routine electronic health record data for nationwide COVID-19 surveillance in nursing homes: barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned.

Background: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, little was known about the spread of COVID-19 in Dutch nursing homes while older people were particularly at risk of severe symptoms. Therefore, attempts were made to develop a nationwide COVID-19 repository based on routinely recorded data in the electronic health records (EHRs) of nursing home residents. This study aims to describe the facilitators and barriers encountered during the development of the repository and the lessons learned regarding the reuse of EHR data for surveillance and research purposes.

Candida auris in Dutch hospitals: are we ready for it?

Background: Candida auris can cause nosocomial outbreaks and provides challenges concerning diagnosis, treatment, eradication and infection prevention. There are no Dutch standards or guidelines for C. auris, and current hospital practices are unknown.

How do citizens with low health insurance literacy choose a health insurance policy in the Netherlands? An interview study.

Various countries have implemented a choice-based health insurance system. For such systems to function as intended, it is crucial that all citizens have the opportunity to make well-informed decisions with regard to their health insurance policy. There is, however, ample research evidence to suggest that many citizens may lack the required skills to do so, thus increasing the likelihood of suboptimal insurance choices and incurring unexpected costs.

Validation of the European Oncology toolkit for the self-assessment of Quality of Life (EUonQoL-Kit) in cancer patients and survivors: study protocol of a pan European survey.

Background: European cancer programmes and policies lack a unified health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment tool. The European oncology quality of life toolkit (EUonQoL-Kit) is a novel set of HRQoL questionnaires, co-designed with cancer patients and survivors, translated and culturally adapted into 31 European languages, and with both static and dynamic electronic administration modes. The main aim of this study is the psychometric assessment of the static version.

Unravelling the art of developing skilled communication: a longitudinal qualitative research study in general practice training.

Doctor-patient communication is a core competency in medical education, which requires learners to adapt their communication flexibly to each clinical encounter. Although conceptual learning models exist, information about how skilled communication develops over time is scant. This study aims to unpack this process of communication learning and to identify its facilitators.

How Inclusive Are Patient Decision Aids for People with Limited Health Literacy? An Analysis of Understandability Criteria and the Communication about Options and Probabilities.

Objective: Patient decision aids (PtDAs) can support shared decision making. We aimed to explore how inclusive PtDAs are for people with limited health literacy (LHL) by analyzing 1) the understandability of PtDAs using established criteria, 2) how options and probabilities of outcomes are communicated, and 3) the extent to which risk communication (RC) guidelines are followed.

Methods: In a descriptive document analysis, we analyzed Dutch PtDAs available in 2021 that met the International Patient Decision Aid Standards.

Enhancing Standardized and Structured Recording by Elderly Care Physicians for Reusing Electronic Health Record Data: Interview Study.

Background: Elderly care physicians (ECPs) in nursing homes document patients' health, medical conditions, and the care provided in electronic health records (EHRs). However, much of these health data currently lack structure and standardization, limiting their potential for health information exchange across care providers and reuse for quality improvement, policy development, and scientific research. Enhancing this potential requires insight into the attitudes and behaviors of ECPs toward standardized and structured recording in EHRs.

Prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis in the Netherlands.

Background: The rising prevalence estimates of multiple sclerosis (MS) globally underscore the imperative for up-to-date epidemiological data specific to the Netherlands.

Methods: Data from two Dutch healthcare databases (Nivel Primary Care Database and Vektis Database) comprising both general practices and hospital electronic health records in 2019 were combined to assess age- and sex-standardized MS prevalence and incidence estimates. Differences in prevalence estimates based on latitude and between primary versus secondary care records were examined.

Visual decision aids to support communication and shared decision-making: How are they valued and used in practice?

Background: It is unknown how visual decision aids support communication and shared decision-making in everyday clinical practice, and how they are perceived by patients with varying levels of health literacy and their healthcare providers. Recently, three visual decision aids have been developed for renal replacement treatment, osteoarthritis of the knee, and osteoarthritis of the hip. This study aims to explore how patients and healthcare providers use and value these visual decision aids.

Pharmacists' perspectives on potential pharmacist prescribing: a nationwide survey in the Netherlands.

Background: Pharmacist prescribing legislation aims to enhance healthcare quality and accessibility. However, in many countries, like the Netherlands, it has not yet been legally established.

Aim: To investigate pharmacists' perspectives on potential pharmacist prescribing in the Netherlands.

Time pressure in diagnosing written clinical cases: an experimental study on time constraints and perceived time pressure.

Objectives: Time pressure and time constraints have been shown to affect diagnostic accuracy, but how they interact is not clear. The current study aims to investigate the effects of both perceived time pressure (sufficient vs. insufficient time) and actual time constraints (lenient vs.

Fostering the Conversation About Complementary Medicine: Acceptability and Usefulness of Two Communication-Supporting Tools for Patients with Cancer.

Both patients and providers experience barriers to discussing complementary medicine during oncology consultations. This study describes the development of two communication tools-a question prompt sheet and a visual slideshow-and aims to evaluate their acceptability, perceived usefulness, and intention to use among patients with cancer. Nine (former) patients with breast cancer were involved in the development of the tools as co-researchers.

Trends of diagnostic adverse events in hospital deaths: longitudinal analyses of four retrospective record review studies.

Objectives: To investigate longitudinal trends in the incidence, preventability, and causes of DAEs (diagnostic adverse events) between 2008 and 2019 and compare DAEs to other AE (adverse event) types.

Methods: This study investigated longitudinal trends of DAEs using combined data from four large Dutch AE record review studies. The original four AE studies included 100-150 randomly selected records of deceased patients from around 20 hospitals in each study, resulting in a total of 10,943 patient records.

Primary prevention in hospitals in 20 high-income countries in Europe - A case of not "Making Every Contact Count"?

This article provides a snapshot of primary prevention activities in hospitals in 20 European high-income countries, based on inputs from experts of the Observatory's Health Systems and Policies Monitor (HSPM) network using a structured questionnaire. We found that in the vast majority of countries (15), there are no systematic national policies on primary prevention in hospitals. Five countries (Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom) reported systematic primary prevention activities in hospitals, although in one of them (Cyprus) this was due to the fact that small hospitals in rural areas or less populated districts host providers of primary care.

The impact of tinnitus on Dutch general practices: A retrospective study using routine healthcare data.

Purpose: Global prevalence of tinnitus (15%) is rising, indicating an increase in patients seeking help for this common symptom and potentially affecting the accessibility of care. The aim of this retrospective study is twofold; describing the morbidity trends and healthcare utilization among patients with recorded tinnitus at Dutch general practices (GP), and comparing overall healthcare utilization before and after tinnitus to similar patients without recorded tinnitus.

Patients And Methods: Routine electronic health records data from general practices participating in Nivel Primary Care Database were used to describe trends in age- and sex-specific incidence, contact prevalence and healthcare utilization (contacts, prescriptions, and referrals to secondary care) for tinnitus from 2012 to 2021.

Mental healthcare and pragmatic shared decision-making in general practice: An interview study.

Background: Healthcare providers in general practice are expected to deliver mental healthcare to patients through shared decision-making (SDM). It is unclear if they perceive their SDM to be affected by challenging circumstances in mental healthcare, eg, how waiting time for therapy plays a role.

Aim: To explore how healthcare providers and patients in general practice engage in SDM, given the challenging circumstances in mental healthcare.

Case studies on the impact of ex-post legislative evaluations in Dutch healthcare: a within and cross-case analysis.

Globally, ex-post legislative evaluations are becoming increasingly important for understanding how laws function in practice and identifying their limitations and their effects upon stakeholders. This study delves into the impact of ex-post legislative evaluations within the Dutch healthcare system. Building upon insights from previous literature, we aim to refine existing ideas within the field through empirical data.

Management of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in Dutch healthcare institutes: a nationwide survey.

Background: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) is an opportunistic pathogen, which can cause outbreaks in hospitals. In the Netherlands, several national guidelines and guidance documents on different aspects of VRE management are available. Most available guidelines are written towards the hospital setting and only few on long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

Factors influencing the impact of ex-post legislative evaluations: a scoping review.

This article explores the factors that influence the impact of ex-post legislative evaluations and suggests that these factors can be divided into three main categories: context, research quality, and interaction. Contextual factors, including the evaluation's initiation, it's place in the legislative process, the varied functions given by stakeholders, and the level of political or social attention, are beyond researchers' control. However, researchers can influence research quality and interaction with stakeholders, such as the evaluations' commissioner, as well as the society at large, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving impactful results.

Looking beyond the eyes of the patient: The importance of effective communication in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: Patients with exudative and nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can experience physical, mental, social, administrative or financial burden that are associated with the treatment of this progressive chronic disease. The role of healthcare providers in supporting patients who experience high treatment burden can be important, especially when it comes to effective communication. Despite previous research underlining the need to improve patient-provider communication in AMD care, patient experiences with communication, and how these are related to perceived treatment burden, remain underexplored.

Communication and information about complementary medicine in a Dutch oncology setting: Interviewing patients and providers on their experiences and needs.

Background: Complementary medicine such as yoga, massage and art therapy has become increasingly popular among patients with cancer. However, the topic remains under-discussed during oncology consultations: patients seem hesitant to disclose complementary medicine use, and healthcare providers lack resources to discuss complementary medicine. This study aims to gain an understanding of how to improve communication and information provision in oncological settings about complementary medicine by assessing the experiences and needs of patients and healthcare providers.

Longitudinal assessment of health-related quality of life after SARS-CoV-2 infection and the associations with clinical and social characteristics in a general practice population.

Background: We aimed to investigate the longitudinal impact of COVID-19 and the effects of clinical and psychosocial factors, accounting for post-COVID conditions (PCC), on the mental and physical aspect of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Methods: Data from the Nivel Corona Cohort were used, which includes individuals with an established SARS-CoV-2 infection that received four questionnaires over a year's time with questions regarding HRQoL (SF-12), symptoms and social characteristics. PCC was determined based on questionnaire data.

Responding to COVID-19: an exploration of EU country responses and directions for further research.

Background: During COVID-19, scientists advising policymakers were forced to deal with high uncertainty and risks in an environment of unknowns. Evidence on which policies and measures were effective in responding to the pandemic remains underdeveloped to answer the key question 'what worked and why?'. This study aims to provide a basis for studies to go further to answer this critical question, by starting to look efficacy or how countries ensured that health services remained available and what measures were enacted to protect and treat their populations and workers.