Follow-up of abnormal or inadequate cervical smears using two guidance systems: RCT on effectiveness.

Background: To improve follow-up compliance after an initial inadequate or abnormal cervical smear, two follow-up guidance systems were tested for effectiveness. A comprehensive system (cytopathology laboratory monitored the follow-up of all abnormal and inadequate smears) was compared to a selective system (monitoring was left to the smear taker; laboratory acted as a safety net).

Methods: In an RCT on all family practices (N = 171) in the catchment areas of two cytopathology laboratories (Nijmegen region, The Netherlands, 1998-2000), practices were allocated at random to one of the follow-up guidance systems.

From best evidence to best practice: effective implementation of change in patients' care.

Major difficulties arise when introducing evidence and clinical guidelines into routine daily practice. Data show that many patients do not receive appropriate care, or receive unnecessary or harmful care. Many approaches claim to offer solutions to this problem; which ones are as yet the most effective and efficient is unclear.

Patient characteristics as predictors of primary health care preferences: a systematic literature analysis.

Objective: To identify associations between various cultural and demographic factors and patients' primary health care preferences.

Search Strategy: Searches were performed in MEDLINE (1966-December 2000), PsycINFO (1977-May 2001) and Sociological Abstracts (1963-December 2000). Identified papers were checked for more papers.

Multifaceted support to improve clinical decision making in diabetes care: a randomized controlled trial in general practice.

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention to improve the clinical decision making of general practitioners (GPs) for patients with diabetes. To identify practice characteristics which predict success.

Methods: Cluster randomized controlled trial with 124 practices and 185 GPs in The Netherlands.

Health perception of patients after cardiovascular risk detection and after intervention in general practice.

BACKGROUND. To explore unfavorable effects, health perception was assessed in patients enrolled in a cardiovascular program in general practice. METHODS.

Feedback of patients' evaluations of general practice care: a randomised trial.

Objective: To assess the effects of feedback of patients' evaluations of care to general practitioners.

Design: Randomised trial.

Setting: General practice in the Netherlands.

Comparison of patients' preferences and evaluations regarding aspects of general practice care.

Background: Although patients' views on health care are perceived to be crucial, insight into the different constructs capturing these views remains limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between patients' preferences and their evaluations of general practice care.

Methods: Patients visiting five rural practices in The Netherlands were asked to complete a questionnaire measuring either their evaluations or their preferences on 44 aspects of general practice care.

General practice care and patients' priorities in Europe: an international comparison.

Insight into patients' priorities with respect to health care should complement the views of professionals and policy makers on what is thought to be appropriate health care. To determine the strengths and weaknesses of general practice care from patients' perspectives written surveys were performed among patients in Denmark, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and United Kingdom (n = 3540). The potential quality problems identified were spread over the different countries: the low involvement of general practitioners in out-of-hours services in Portugal; the low provision of routine screening in Sweden, Norway and The Netherlands; the lack of a defined patient population in Germany; the lack of a formal gatekeeper role to secondary care in general practice in Germany and Sweden; and the low number of home visits in Sweden.

Changing preventive practice: a controlled trial on the effects of outreach visits to organise prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Objectives: To assess the effects of outreach visits by trained nurse facilitators on the organisation of services used to prevent cardiovascular disease. To identify the characteristics of general practices that determined success.

Design: A non-randomised controlled trial of two methods of implementing guidelines to organise prevention of cardiovascular disease: an innovative outreach visit method compared with a feedback method.

Indicators of the quality of general practice care of patients with chronic illness: a step towards the real involvement of patients in the assessment of the quality of care.

Objective: To develop a list of indicators of the general practice care of people with chronic illnesses considered important by both patients and practitioners and to identify the indicators that are considered relevant for patient assessment of health care quality.

Design: Qualitative study with focus group interviews and a written consensus procedure.

Setting: General practice in the Netherlands in 1993.