Introduction: E-cigarettes have been marketed as smoking cessation aids and harm reduction strategies. Prior regional surveys found that physicians are recommending them to patients despite the lack of evidence supporting these industry claims. Yet, little is known about physicians’ beliefs regarding e-cigarettes and whether these beliefs are associated with them recommending e-cigarette use in clinical practice. Methods: This three-manuscript dissertation used a mixed-methods approach including both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The aims were to: (1) Uncover the factors associated with primary care physicians’ (PCPs) decisions to recommend e-cigarettes to their patients for tobacco use cessation; (2) Estimate the prevalence of PCPs who recommend e-cigarettes to their patients as a tobacco use cessation aid; (3) Estimate the influence of factors identified in Aim 1 on PCPs’ decisions to recommend e-cigarettes to their patients for tobacco use cessation; (4) Evaluate the conceptual model which demonstrates the factors contributing to PCPs’ decisions to recommend e-cigarettes to their patients for tobacco use cessation. Results: Study 1 found that PCPs expressed a lack of information about e-cigarette safety and efficacy along with skepticism about the role of e-cigarettes in tobacco control in general and in smoking cessation in particular. However, once a patient initiates a discussion with them, PCPs seem to be endorsing patients’ interests in using e-cigarettes, as well as recommending e-cigarettes to particular types of patients who smoke for both smoking cessation and as a harm reduction strategy. Study 2 found that over three-quarters (82.7%, n=220) of PCPs reported previously discussing e-cigarettes with their patients. Overall, 57.8% (n=155) reported previously recommending e-cigarettes to an adult patient who smoked. Among those recommending e-cigarettes, the majority reported recommending them for smoking cessation and harm reduction (71.6%, n=111), 18.8% for smoking cessation only, and 9.6% for harm reduction only. The likelihood of recommending e-cigarettes to patients was associated with considering their patients’ interest in using e-cigarettes, PCP’s belief that e-cigarettes can help in quitting smoking, and PCP’s belief that e-cigarettes limit secondhand smoke exposure for others. Study 3 found that PCPs intend to recommend e-cigarettes for smokers with prior unsuccessful quit attempts (mean=3.63, ±2.1), followed by heavy smokers wanting to quit (3.57, ±2.2), and heavy smokers refusing to quit (mean=3.50, ±2.2). The mean for PCPs’ recommendation intentions was 3.04 (±2.0) for light smokers wanting to quit, and 3.01 (±1.9) for light smokers refusing to quit. Nevertheless, these recommendation intentions were driven by PCPs’ beliefs and perceptions of e-cigarette benefit and harm; however, these intentions varied by patients’ tobacco use profile. Discussion: Findings across the three studies highlight the significance of PCPs’ beliefs in driving their recommendations of e-cigarettes versus evidence based knowledge, as well as, the importance of patients’ factors and interest in using e-cigarettes for PCPs’ recommendations for e-cigarette use.

Long waitlists and growing numbers of unattached patients are indicative of a Canadian healthcare system which is unable to address the demands of a growing and aging population. Health information technology is one solution offering respite, but brings its own issues. Health information technology includes primary care physician office systems, telehealth and jurisdictional EHRs integrated through interoperability standards to share data across care providers. This dissertation explores effects that health information technology has on primary care. Literature reviews provided context of health information systems adoption. Surveys and semi-structured interviews gathered information from health system actors. Workflow analysis illustrated how technology could change physician office workflow. Exam room observations illustrated how technology affects proxemics and haptics in the patient encounter. This research derived change management models which quantified substantial change management costs related to adoption of physician office systems. We found that physicians have concerns over how health information technology will affect efficiency, financial, quality, liability, safety and other factors. Physicians in smaller suburban physician offices take little time to select a system for their needs. Urban, academic and hospital physicians spend more time networking with colleagues and devote funds to project management and training. Our studies showed that stronger professional networks, more complete training, a managed approach to implementation and in-house technical support are more influential in facilitating adoption than remuneration models. Telemedicine can improve quality of care, the referral process for family physicians and access to services for patients. Teledermatology was shown to make significant improvements in access to services for patients, but referring physicians are concerned about their liability if they follow the recommendations of a dermatologist who has not seen their patient face-to-face. Certification organizations mitigate liability, procurement and financial risk to qualifying family physicians by pre-qualifying vendor solutions, coaching physicians through procurement and reimbursing family physicians for purchasing an approved system. We found that centralization plays a key role in adoption of health information systems at the jurisdictional and primary care level. Online scheduling can reduce human resource requirements used in scheduling, if the system is well implemented, well documented and easy to use. / Engineering Management

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis was to perform a scoping review of the current literature and available clinical practice guidelines to generate an understanding of the primary health care needs of women following treatment for breast cancer. Methods: Based on an extensive scoping review of the literature, research findings regarding the complications of breast cancer treatments and corresponding primary care interventions were synthesized. Additionally, validation of the findings of the scoping review was performed through semi-structured interviews with two primary care physicians and three post-treatment breast cancer patients. Results: Eleven broad categories related to the primary health care needs of women after undergoing treatments for breast cancer were identified. These included concerns related to: surgical complications, lymphedema, gynecologic and menopausal symptoms, psychosocial issues, additional primary cancers, cardiovascular implications, osteoporosis, lifestyle changes, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and pregnancy. Additionally, it was determined that the majority of existing clinical practice guidelines for breast cancer were outdated, and related to cancer detection and treatment as opposed to survivorship care. Summary: Findings from the scoping review and interviews demonstrate the vast range of primary care needs of women after undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Additionally, these results highlight the critical need for the development of a comprehensive set of current clinical practice guidelines which target primary care physicians and are specifically focused on the survivorship needs of women following breast cancer treatment. / Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2011-07-22 16:09:35.682

No description available.

There is a paucity of information about the various factors that influence the selection of primary care physicians. Also, the relative significance of these factors is not known, making it difficult to properly address ways to improve the information flow to patients when they select a primary care physician.

Hintergrund: Es ist bislang unklar, inwieweit etablierte Scores zur Abschätzung des kardiovaskulären Risikos (PROCAM-Score, Framingham-Score, ESC-Score Deutschland) untereinander sowie mit der subjektiven Arzteinschätzung übereinstimmen. Methodik: An einer bundesrepräsentativen Stichprobe von 8 957 Hausarztpatienten im Alter von 40–65 Jahren ohne bekannte vorangegangene kardiovaskuläre Ereignisse wurde mittels unterschiedlicher Methoden das Risiko bestimmt, innerhalb der nächsten 10 Jahre einen Herzinfarkt oder Herztod zu erleiden. Ergebnisse: Das mittlere koronare 10-Jahres-Morbiditätsrisiko wurde mit dem PROCAM-Score auf 4,9% und mit dem Framingham-Score auf 10,1% geschätzt, das mittlere kardiovaskuläre 10-Jahres-Mortalitätsrisiko mit dem ESC-Score auf 2,9%. Die behandelnden Ärzte klassifizierten nur 2,7% der Patienten als kardiovaskuläre Hochrisikofälle. Nach Framingham wurden die meisten Patienten in die Hochrisikokategorie eingeordnet (22,6%). Bezüglich der Risikokategorisierung ergab sich eine nur moderate Übereinstimmung zwischen den drei Scores (bei 34% aller Risikofälle). Bei 5,9% der Patienten kamen die drei Scores zu einer komplett unterschiedlichen Risikobewertung. Den nach den verschiedenen Risikoscores in die Hochrisikogruppe kategorisierten Patienten wurde von den behandelnden Ärzten nur in ca. 8% der Fälle ebenfalls ein hohes kardiovaskuläres Risiko zugeordnet, in ca. 48% ein mittleres Risiko und in 41–46% (je nach Score) ein geringes Risiko. Schlussfolgerung: Die Methoden ergeben nur eine relativ geringe Übereinstimmung in der Beurteilung von Risikopatienten. Besonders niedrig fällt die Übereinstimmung bei der Hochrisikogruppe mit der Einschätzung der klinischen Risikoprädiktion durch den behandelnden Hausarzt aus. Die erhebliche Abweichung zur Arztbeurteilung scheint anzudeuten, dass die etablierten Risikoscores in der Praxis derzeit einen nur eingeschränkten praktischen Stellenwert besitzen. Welche der Vorhersagen mit dem tatsächlichen Risiko am besten übereinstimmen, wird derzeit mit den prospektiven DETECT-Studiendaten geprüft.

We first studied factors associated with the rate of colonoscopy by primary care physicians (PCPs) in Ontario between the years 1996 and 2005. Next, we conducted an Instrumental Variable Analysis (IVA) to estimate the effect of colonoscopy on colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality on average-risk subjects aged 50-74 years. Finally, we explored two study cohorts, one by including subjects who had the outcomes during the exposure period (unselected cohort) and the other cohort by excluding those subjects (restricted cohort). We estimated the absolute risk reduction associated with colonoscopy in preventing CRC incidence and mortality using traditional regression analysis, propensity score analysis and IVA. PCPs who were Canadian medical graduates and with more years of experience were more likely to use colonoscopy. PCPs were more likely to use colonoscopy if their patient populations were predominantly women, older, had more illnesses, and if their patients resided in less marginalized neighborhoods (lower unemployment, fewer immigrants, higher income, higher education, and higher English/French fluency). Using PCP rate of discretionary colonoscopy as an instrumental variable, receipt of colonoscopy was associated with a 0.60% absolute reduction in 7-year CRC incidence and a 0.17% absolute reduction in 5-year risk of death due to CRC. The unselected cohort showed an increase in CRC incidence and mortality associated with colonoscopy, whereas the restricted cohort showed a reduction in CRC incidence and mortality associated with colonoscopy. In the restricted cohort, using different statistical models, the absolute risk reduction varied from 0.52-0.60% for CRC incidence and 0.08-0.17% for CRC mortality. There were social disparities in the use of colonoscopy by PCPs and this disparity increased as the overall use of colonoscopy increased over time. Colonoscopy is effective in reducing incidence and mortality due to CRC. Different methods of subject selection and statistical analysis provided different estimates of colonoscopy effectiveness.

We first studied factors associated with the rate of colonoscopy by primary care physicians (PCPs) in Ontario between the years 1996 and 2005. Next, we conducted an Instrumental Variable Analysis (IVA) to estimate the effect of colonoscopy on colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality on average-risk subjects aged 50-74 years. Finally, we explored two study cohorts, one by including subjects who had the outcomes during the exposure period (unselected cohort) and the other cohort by excluding those subjects (restricted cohort). We estimated the absolute risk reduction associated with colonoscopy in preventing CRC incidence and mortality using traditional regression analysis, propensity score analysis and IVA. PCPs who were Canadian medical graduates and with more years of experience were more likely to use colonoscopy. PCPs were more likely to use colonoscopy if their patient populations were predominantly women, older, had more illnesses, and if their patients resided in less marginalized neighborhoods (lower unemployment, fewer immigrants, higher income, higher education, and higher English/French fluency). Using PCP rate of discretionary colonoscopy as an instrumental variable, receipt of colonoscopy was associated with a 0.60% absolute reduction in 7-year CRC incidence and a 0.17% absolute reduction in 5-year risk of death due to CRC. The unselected cohort showed an increase in CRC incidence and mortality associated with colonoscopy, whereas the restricted cohort showed a reduction in CRC incidence and mortality associated with colonoscopy. In the restricted cohort, using different statistical models, the absolute risk reduction varied from 0.52-0.60% for CRC incidence and 0.08-0.17% for CRC mortality. There were social disparities in the use of colonoscopy by PCPs and this disparity increased as the overall use of colonoscopy increased over time. Colonoscopy is effective in reducing incidence and mortality due to CRC. Different methods of subject selection and statistical analysis provided different estimates of colonoscopy effectiveness.

Abstract available in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.

Objective: Because of the increasing shortage of general practitioners (GPs) in many countries, this study aimed to explore factors related to GP career choice in recent medical graduates. Particular focus was placed on the impact of specific practice-orientated GP courses at different stages of the medical undergraduate curriculum. Design: Observational study. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to reveal independent associations with career choice. Setting: Leipzig Medical School, Germany. Subjects: 659 graduates (response rate = 64.2%). Main outcome measure: Choice of general practice as a career. Results: Six student-associated variables were found to be independently related to choice of general practice as a career: age, having family or friends in general practice, consideration of a GP career at matriculation, preference for subsequent work in a rural or small-town area, valuing the ability to see a broad spectrum of patients, and valuing long-term doctor – patient relationships. Regarding the curriculum, after adjustment independent associations were found with a specifi c pre-clinical GP elective (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.3 – 5.3), a four-week GP clerkship during the clinical study section (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.3 – 5.0), and a four-month GP clinical rotation during the final year (OR = 10.7, 95% CI 4.3 – 26.7). It was also found that the work-related values of the female participants were more compatible with those of physicians who opt for a GP career than was the case for their male colleagues. Conclusion: These results support the suggestion that a practice-orientated GP curriculum in both the earlier and later stages of undergraduate medical education raises medical schools’ output of future GPs. The findings are of interest for medical schools (curriculum design, admission criteria), policy-makers, and GPs involved in undergraduate medical education. More research is needed on the effectiveness of specific educational interventions in promoting interest in general practice as a career.