Development and implementation of work-oriented clinical care to empower patients with kidney disease: an adapted intervention mapping approach.

BACKGROUND: Many people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have problems to stay at work. Patients and health care professionals (HCPs) see the potential benefit of work-oriented clinical care, yet this care is not manifested in current practice. The aim of this study was to develop and implement a program called work-oriented clinical care for kidney patients (WORK) to support sustainable work participation. METHODS: An adapted version of Intervention Mapping (AIM) was used for the systematic development of work-oriented care in a hospital. Based on the needs of patients and (occupational) health professionals, and in close cooperation with both, a theoretical and empirically based program was developed. Feasibility and clinical utility were assessed among patients with CKD, HCPs and hospital managers. To increase the chances of successful implementation we focused on determinants related to the innovation, the users, the organization (hospital), and socio-political context. RESULTS: We developed, implemented, and pilot-tested WORK, an innovative program consisting of a care pathway in the hospital that targets patients with work-related questions and tailors the support they receive to their needs. Several practical tools were developed and an internal and external referral structure with a focus on work was implemented. A labor expert was deployed to the hospital to support patients and HCPs with simple work-related questions. The feasibility and clinical utility of WORK were rated positively. CONCLUSIONS: This work-oriented clinical care program provides HCPs in the hospital with the necessary tools to support patients with CKD in dealing with work challenges. HCPs can discuss work with patients at an early stage and support them in anticipating work-related challenges. HCPs can also bridge the gap to more specialized help if necessary. WORK has the potential for wider application in other departments and hospitals. So far, the implementation of the WORK program was successful, though structural implementation may be challenging.

Sustained employment, work disability and work functioning in CKD patients: a cross-sectional survey study.

INTRODUCTION: Kidney failure negatively affects opportunities for work participation. Little is known about work functioning of employed CKD patients. This study investigates work-related outcomes, and examines associations between patient characteristics and employment status. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional survey study in nine nephrology outpatient clinics in the Netherlands among working age (18-67 years) CKD Stage G3b-G5, dialysis and transplant patients (n = 634; mean age 53.4 years (SD 10); 53% male; 47% Stage G3b-G5, 9% dialysis, 44% transplantation). We assessed employment status, work disability, work-related characteristics (i.e., work situation, working hours, job demands), work functioning (i.e., perceived ability to work, productivity loss, limitations in work), work environment (i.e., work accommodations, psychosocial work environment), as well as health status and fatigue. RESULTS: Sixty-five percent were employed reporting moderate work ability. Of those, 21% received supplementary work disability benefits, 37% were severely fatigued, 7% expected to drop out of the workforce, and 49% experienced CKD-related work limitations. Work accommodations included reduced working hours, working at a slower pace, adjustment of work tasks or work schedule, and working from home. Multivariable analysis of sustained employment showed associations with younger age, male gender, higher level of education, better general and physical health and pre-emptive transplantation. Transplant patients had the highest work ability and highest expectation to maintain work. Dialysis patients had the highest productivity loss and perceived the most limitations regarding functioning in work. Stage G3b-G5 patients reported the lowest social support from colleagues and highest conflict in work and private life. CONCLUSIONS: Employed CKD patients experience difficulties regarding functioning in work requiring adjustment of work or partial work disability. In addition to dialysis patients, stage G3b-G5 patients are vulnerable concerning sustained employment and work functioning.

Employment Status and Work Functioning among Kidney Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To date, employment figures of kidney transplant recipients in Europe are inconsistent. Additionally, little is known about work functioning of employed kidney transplant recipients and work functioning trajectories before and after transplantation. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Data from the ongoing TransplantLines Biobank and Cohort study and from community-dwelling employed adults were used. Health-related work functioning of kidney transplant recipients was assessed with the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire 2.0 and compared with potential kidney donors and community-dwelling employed adults. RESULTS: We included 668 kidney transplant recipients of working age (59% men, age 51±11 years) at median 3 (interquartile range, 2-10) years after transplantation, 246 potential kidney donors of working age (43% men, age 53±9 years), and 553 community-dwelling employed adults (70% men, age 45±11 years). The proportion of employed kidney transplant recipients was lower compared with potential kidney donors (56% versus 79%). If employed, the work functioning score of kidney transplant recipients was slightly lower compared with employed potential kidney donors yet higher compared with community-dwelling employed adults (medians 91 [interquartile range, 76-98], 94 [interquartile range, 85-99], and 88 [interquartile range, 79-95], respectively). Backward linear regression analyses revealed that lower educational level, having a kidney from a deceased donor, presence of tingling or numbness of hands or feet, presence of concentration/memory problems, presence of anxiety, and presence of severe fatigue were independently associated with lower work functioning among kidney transplant recipients. Additional subgroup analyses showed that work functioning scores were lower before transplantation than at 12 months after transplantation (83 [interquartile range, 66-93] versus 92 [interquartile range, 88-98], respectively; P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Stable employed kidney transplant recipients report to function well at work. In addition, this study shows that self-reported work functioning is higher after successful kidney transplantation compared with before transplantation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER: TransplantLines Biobank and Cohort study, NCT03272841 PODCAST: This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2022_09_26_CJN05560522.mp3.

Employment and ability to work after kidney transplantation in the Netherlands: The impact of preemptive versus non-preemptive kidney transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Work can have a major positive impact on health and wellbeing. Employment of kidney transplant recipients (KTR) of working age is much lower than in the general population. The first aim of this study was to examine the impact of a preemptive kidney transplantation (PKT) on employment, in addition to other possible influencing factors. The second aim was to explore differences in work ability, absenteeism and work performance among employed KTR with different types of transplantations. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted between 2018 and 2019 in nine Dutch hospitals. PKT as potential predictor of employment was examined. Furthermore, work ability, absenteeism and loss of work performance were compared between employed preemptive recipients with a living donor (L-PKT) and non-preemptive recipients with a living donor (L-nPKT) and with a deceased donor (D-nPKT). RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty four KTR participated; 71% reported having paid work. Paid work was more common among PKT recipients (82% vs. 65% in L-nPKT and 55% in D-nPKT) and recipients who were younger (OR .950, 95%CI .913-.989), had no comorbidities (1 comorbidity: OR .397, 95%CI .167-.942; 2 comorbidities: OR .347, 95%CI .142-.844), had less fatigue (OR .974, 95%CI .962-.987) and had mentally demanding work tasks (only in comparison with physically demanding tasks, OR .342, 95%CI .145-.806). If recipients were employed, D-nPKT recipients worked fewer hours (mean 24.6±11.3 vs. PKT 31.1±9.6, L-nPKT 30.1±9.5) and D-nPKT and L-nPKT recipients received more often supplemental disability benefits (32 and 33.3%, respectively) compared to PKT recipients (9.9%). No differences were found for self-reported ability to work, sick leave (absenteeism) and loss of work performance with the exception of limitations in functioning at work. CONCLUSIONS: Preemptive kidney transplantation recipients with a kidney from a living donor are employed more often, work more hours per week (only in comparison with D-nPKT) and have a partial disability benefit less often than nPKT recipients. More knowledge regarding treatments supporting sustainable participation in the labor force is needed as work has a positive impact on recipients' health and wellbeing and is also beneficial for society as a whole.

Barriers to and Facilitators of Sustained Employment: A Qualitative Study of Experiences in Dutch Patients With CKD.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Although patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at risk for work disability and loss of employment, not all experience work disruption. We aimed to describe the barriers to and facilitators of sustained employment experienced by Dutch patients with CKD. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative study using semistructured interviews. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 27 patients with CKD glomerular filtration rate categories 3b-5 (G3b-G5) from 4 nephrology outpatient clinics in The Netherlands. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Content analyses with constant comparison of interview data based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework. RESULTS: Participants were 6 patients with CKD G3b-G4, 8 patients receiving maintenance dialysis, and 13 patients with functioning kidney transplants. We identified health-related barriers (symptoms, physical toll of dialysis/transplantation, limited work capacity) and facilitators (few physical symptoms, successful posttransplantation recovery, absence of comorbidities, good physical condition), personal barriers (psychological impact, limited work experience) and facilitators (positive disposition, job satisfaction, work attitude, person-job fit), and environmental barriers and facilitators. Environmental barriers were related to nephrology care (waiting time, use of a hemodialysis catheter) and work context (reorganization, temporary contract, working hours, physical demands); environmental facilitators were related to nephrology care (personalized dialysis, preemptive transplant), work context (large employer, social climate, job requiring mental rather than physical labor, flexible working hours, adjustment of work tasks, reduced hours, remote working, support at work, peritoneal dialysis exchange facility), and support at home. Occupational health services and social security could be barriers or facilitators. LIMITATIONS: The study sample of Dutch patients may limit the transferability of these findings to other countries. CONCLUSIONS: The wide range of barriers and facilitators in all International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health components suggests great diversity among patients and their circumstances. These findings underline the importance of personalized nephrology and occupational health care as well as the importance of individually tailored workplace accommodations to promote sustained employment for patients with CKD.

Organization and activities of school health services among EU countries.

BACKGROUND: School health services (SHS) can be defined as health services provided to enrol pupils by health professionals and/or allied professions. The aim of this study was to explore the current state of the governance, organization and workforce of SHS and their provision of preventive activities in European countries. METHODS: Observational study. Data were collected as part of the Horizon 2020-funded project 'Models of Child Health Appraised'. Only 1 expert from each of the 30 included European countries answered a closed-items questionnaire during the years 2017 and 2018. RESULTS: All countries (except Spain and the Czech Republic, which do not have formal SHS) provided school-based individual screening and health-enhancing measures. The majority performed height, weight, vision and hearing checks; some integrated other assessments of limited evidence-based effectiveness. Most countries also delivered health education and promotion activities in areas, such as sexual health, substance use and healthy nutrition. Almost all countries seemed to suffer from a shortage of school health professionals; moreover, many of these professionals had no specific training in the area of school health and prevention. CONCLUSIONS: Many EU countries need better administrative and legal support. They should promote evidence-based screening procedures and should hire and train more school health professionals. Overall, they need to adapt to the evolving health priorities of pupils, adopt a more holistic paradigm and extend their activities beyond traditional screening or vaccination procedures.

Availability and accessibility of primary mental health services for adolescents: an overview of national recommendations and services in EU.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems in adolescence can profoundly jeopardize adolescent current and future health and functioning. We aimed to describe existing recommendations and services regarding the delivery of primary mental health care for adolescents in 31 European countries. METHODS: Data on the availability and accessibility of primary mental health services were collected, as part of the Horizon 2020-funded project Models of Child Health Appraised. One expert from each country answered a closed items questionnaire during years 2017-18. RESULTS: All 31 participating countries had some policy or recommendations regarding the availability and accessibility of primary mental health services for adolescents, but their focus and implementation varied largely between and within countries. Only half of the participating countries had recommendations on screening adolescents for mental health issues and burdens. Merely a quarter of the countries had ambulatory facilities targeting specifically adolescents throughout the whole country. Just over half had some kind of suicide prevention programs. Same-day access to primary care in case of -health emergencies was possible in 21 countries, but often not throughout the whole country. Nineteen countries had strategies securing accessible mental health care for vulnerable adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, around half of European countries had strategies securing access to various primary mental health care for adolescents. They frequently did not guarantee care over the whole country and often tackled a limited number of situations. EU countries should widen the range of policies and recommendations governing the delivery of mental health care to adolescents and monitor their implementation.

Do European Union countries adequately address the healthcare needs of adolescents in the area of sexual reproductive health and rights?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are of particular relevance given their potential short-term or long-term health consequences. This study evaluates recommendations and policies regarding access to care in this area in 31 European countries (European Union (EU) plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). METHODS: As part of the EU funded Models of Child Health Appraised project, data were gathered using a 43-item questionnaire sent to experts responsible for collecting information in each country. RESULTS: Ten countries have not developed any formal policy or recommendation that guarantee the respect of confidentiality and the possibility of consulting a physician without parents knowing. Nearly half of the countries do not have centres specialised in adolescent healthcare, tackling comprehensive health issues or focusing specifically on SRH. Access to emergency contraception and information regarding pregnancy, including testing, is easy in most countries. However, oral contraception is delivered free of charge in only 10 countries. Twenty-three countries do not meet current standards in terms of providing policy-based pregnancy care, and only 13 have set up special programmes for pregnant adolescents. In only seven countries can adolescents definitely have their pregnancy terminated without their parents knowing (and in another seven countries in selected situations). CONCLUSION: The provision and availability of adolescent-friendly SRHR care are far from optimal in around half of the surveyed countries. These results call for the review and implementation of policies, specialised healthcare centres and training initiatives for primary care providers.

An exploratory survey on the state of training in adolescent medicine and health in 36 European countries.

The development of adolescent health and medicine as a medical discipline lags behind in Europe compared with other regions of the world. This study aims to evaluate the structure and content of adolescent medicine and health training curricula for medical students, paediatricians, and other primary care physicians in the European region. A questionnaire survey was sent by e-mail to experts in the field from 36 European countries, addressing the content of adolescent health issues. Data was obtained from all 36 countries. At the undergraduate level, seven countries reported some mandatory stand-alone teaching (sessions dealing specifically with adolescents), while seven countries reported optional stand-alone teaching. In only 7 out of 36 countries were issues critical to adolescents covered as stand-alone sessions. At the postgraduate level, 15 countries delivered stand-alone mandatory training sessions to primary, secondary, or tertiary care paediatricians, covering most of the five critical areas listed in the questionnaire. In another 13 countries, such sessions were not mandatory and were inexistent in eight of them. The coverage among school physicians was similar but was much lower among general practitioners.Conclusion: Paediatric associations and academic institutions should advocate for a better coverage of adolescent health and medicine in the training curricula of health care providers. What is known: • In most European countries, adolescent medicine is still poorly represented as a discipline. • Experts have recently published recommendations regarding what form the structure and content of a training curriculum in this field should take. What is new: • This paper gives information on the extent and content of training in adolescent medicine and health as currently offered within under- and postgraduate European training curricula, in terms of stand-alone mandatory (versus optional) sessions. • In many European countries, both medical students and residents are poorly exposed to the basic knowledge and skills pertaining to adolescent health care.

The role of state and trait positive affect and mindfulness in affective reactivity to pain in chronic migraine.

OBJECTIVE: High affective reactivity to pain (i.e., increased negative affect in response to pain) can have an adverse impact on the well-being of individuals with chronic pain. The present study examined the role of momentary and average positive affect and trait mindfulness in protecting against affective reactivity to chronic migraine-related pain. METHODS: The sample included 61 adults with chronic migraine. Following the experience sampling method, participants completed smartphone-based assessments of momentary pain intensity (PI), positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) at nine random moments a day for 7 consecutive days. The Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire was used to assess two dimensions of mindfulness: nonjudging and nonreactivity. RESULTS: Momentary PA inversely predicted the strength of the concurrent but not the time-lagged associations between PI and NA. Average PA predicted neither the strength of the concurrent nor the time-lagged associations between PI and NA. Furthermore, the concurrent associations between PI and NA were weaker in individuals who reported higher "nonjudging" while "nonreactivity" did not significantly moderate these associations. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide partial support for the dynamic model of affect in the context of chronic migraine. State PA seems to play a larger role in momentary affective reactivity to chronic migraine-related pain than trait PA. Results also suggest that the ability to take a nonjudgmental stance toward negative experiences may lower momentary affective reactivity to pain. These factors seem promising targets for interventions aimed at improving the well-being of individuals with chronic migraine. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Living with chronic headache: a qualitative study exploring goal management in chronic headache.

OBJECTIVES: Effective goal management may potentially prevent or reduce disability in chronic pain. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the nature of goal management in the context of chronic headache (CH). METHODS: Interviews with 20 patients were conducted, coded, and analyzed using a combined data-driven and theory-driven approach. The dual process model (DPM) was used as a theoretical framework for this study. RESULTS: Participants used a combination of strategies to regain and maintain a balance between personal goals and resources available for goal pursuit. Furthermore, their retrospective reports indicated a development in strategy use of time. Three goal management phases were identified: (1) a "persistence phase," characterized by the use of "resource-depleting" assimilative strategies to remain engaged in goals, (2) a "reorientation phase" in accommodative strategies were used to regain balance, and (3) a "balancing phase" in which a combination of "resource-depleting" and "resource-replenishing" assimilative strategies was used to maintain balance. CONCLUSIONS: Goal management is a dynamic process that may contribute to the development of, and recovery from, headache-related disability. Rehabilitation services offered to individuals with CH should target this process to promote optimal functioning. Implications for Rehabilitation Individuals with chronic headache use assimilative and accommodative goal management strategies to be able to pursue personal goals despite the limitations of chronic headache. Before accommodating goals to the limitations of chronic headache, many patients go through a phase of persistence, characterized by the use of resource-depleting assimilative strategies. A reorientation phase, characterized by accommodation of goals to the limitations of chronic headache, allows patients to adopt a more balanced way of pursuing personal goals.

Distinct trajectories of positive and negative affect after colorectal cancer diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: Insight into trajectories of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) across the cancer continuum may improve understanding of the nature of adjustment problems. The primary aim of this study was to identify subgroups of patients with distinct trajectories of PA and NA following diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Secondary to this aim, the co-occurrence between trajectories and their association with goal-related processes was explored. METHOD: CRC patients (n = 186) completed questionnaires within 1 month, 7 months, and 18 months after diagnosis. Multilevel models were used to study the trajectory of PA and NA, as measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). RESULTS: Four classes with distinct PA trajectories were identified: low (18.8%), increasing (6.7%), moderate (68.2%), and high (6.3%); 2 trajectories of NA emerged: low (36.3%) and moderate (63.7%). There was no significant association between PA and NA trajectory class probabilities. The average trajectory of PA covaried with levels of goal disturbance and goal reengagement over time, while the average NA trajectory covaried with goal disturbance and goal disengagement. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the general population, our sample of cancer patients suffered from a lack of positive emotions, but not a high presence of negative emotions. About one fifth of patients reported low PA up to 18 months after diagnosis and may benefit from supportive care. Furthermore, the trajectory of PA was independent of that of NA and related with a distinct goal adjustment process (i.e., goal disengagement vs. goal reengagement). This finding indicates the need to tailor psychological care to the nature of the adjustment problem. (PsycINFO Database Record

Impaired Mood in Headache Clinic Patients: Associations With the Perceived Hindrance and Attainability of Personal Goals.

BACKGROUND: Headache disorders are often accompanied by impaired mood, especially in the headache clinic population. There is a large body of literature demonstrating that an illness or disability may affect the way in which patients perceive their personal goals and that the perception that the attainability of goals is hindered by the illness is a risk factor for impaired mood. However, empirical evidence regarding the extent to which goals are hindered or less attainable as a result of a headache disorder, and how that is related to mood, is currently lacking. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine associations between headache severity, goal hindrance and attainability, and mood in a headache clinic population. METHODS: The sample consisted of 65 adult patients seeking treatment at a tertiary headache clinic. Prior to their first appointment in the clinic, patients completed self-report measures of headache severity, goals and mood (PANAS). RESULTS: Higher self-reported headache intensity was associated with higher goal hindrance (r = .38, P = .004), whereas greater headache frequency was associated with lower goal attainability (r = .30, P = .022). Higher perceived goal hindrance was associated with lower positive mood (r = -.27, P = .032) and higher negative mood (r = .28, P = .027). Furthermore, lower perceived goal attainability was associated with higher negative mood (r = -.34, P = .007). Goal perceptions explained an additional 11.4% of the variance in positive mood (F = 3.250, P = .047 <.05) and 10.5% of the variance in negative mood (F = 3.459, P = .039) beyond the effect of age and headache severity. CONCLUSION: The results of this preliminary study suggest that perceptions of increased goal hindrance and decreased goal attainability may indeed be a risk factor for impaired mood in the headache clinic population and highlight the need for further, longitudinal research. Obtaining more insight into goal processes (eg, what types of goals are specifically disturbed, which goal adjustment strategies are (mal)adaptive) may help to identify ways to improve outcomes in the headache clinic population.

Studying learning in the healthcare setting: the potential of quantitative diary methods.

Quantitative diary methods are longitudinal approaches that involve the repeated measurement of aspects of peoples' experience of daily life. In this article, we outline the main characteristics and applications of quantitative diary methods and discuss how their use may further research in the field of medical education. Quantitative diary methods offer several methodological advantages, such as measuring aspects of learning with great detail, accuracy and authenticity. Moreover, they enable researchers to study how and under which conditions learning in the health care setting occurs and in which way learning can be promoted. Hence, quantitative diary methods may contribute to theory development and the optimization of teaching methods in medical education.

Increased systemic and adipose tissue inflammation differentiates obese women with T2DM from obese women with normal glucose tolerance.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is strongly related to type-2 diabetes (T2DM), but there is a subset of obese individuals that remains relatively insulin sensitive and metabolically healthy. This study determined to what extent differences in metabolic health in obese women are associated with differences in adipose tissue and/or systemic inflammation. METHODS: The subject group consisted of age comparable lean (n=12) and obese women either with T2DM (n=28) or normal glucose tolerance (NGT; n=26). Number of crown like structures (CLS) and adipocyte size were measured in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue of the obese women. Circulating cytokine and free fatty acid (FFA) levels, as well as number and activation status of peripheral leukocytes were determined. RESULTS: Obese T2DM subjects showed higher circulating levels of IL-6, FFA and glycerol as compared to obese NGT subjects. Obese T2DM subjects had higher absolute numbers of peripheral leukocytes which were mainly due to an increase of T helper cells. Activation status of circulating cytotoxic T (CD8+CD25+) and B (CD19+CD38+) cells was significantly increased in obese NGT subjects as compared to lean but was not different between the two obese groups. Subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese T2DM subjects contained more CLS than adipose tissue of obese NGT subjects. CONCLUSION: Obese T2DM subjects show higher FFA levels and adipose tissue macrophage infiltration in addition to higher levels of circulating IL-6 and numbers of CD4+ T cells than obese NGT subjects. Hence, obese T2DM subjects show a higher extent of inflammation at both the systemic and adipose tissue level.

Exploration of the difference in incidence of renal replacement therapy between Flanders and the Netherlands--investigation of explanatory variables.

AIM: This study investigates the difference in the incidence of renal replacement therapy (RRT) between Flanders and the Netherlands and possible explanations for this difference. METHODS: End-stage renal disease incidence data were obtained from the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA). Additional sources were the National Institute of Statistics (NIS), the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) health data and the WHO Health For All database (WHO-HFA). RESULTS: There is remarkable difference in incidence rate of RRT between Flanders and the Netherlands, with a higher rate in Flanders. This difference is already present in patients aged 45-64 years and increases with age, being >2-fold higher in subjects of ≥ 75 years. With respect to the renal diagnoses leading to need for RRT, a higher share of especially diabetes mellitus type 2 and renovascular disease was observed in Flanders. Remarkably, the difference in incidence rate of RRT is not associated with a difference in survival on RRT, not even in the elderly, arguing against a restricted access to RRT in the Netherlands. In the general population, the expected number of healthy life years at birth is lower in Belgium than in the Netherlands, and in Belgium, the hospital discharge rates for diabetes, acute myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident and the number of coronary bypass procedures and percutaneous coronary interventions per capitum is higher, as is the prevalence of obesity. CONCLUSION: Our data do not support the assumption that the differences in RRT incidence in the elderly between Flanders and the Netherlands are due to a more restricted access to RRT in the Netherlands but may be due to differences in underlying comorbidity and life style between the two populations.

Exploration of the difference in incidence of renal replacement therapy in elderly patients in Flanders and the Netherlands--a comparison of referral policy.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of renal replacement therapy (RRT) among patients aged ≥65 years is much higher in Flanders, the Dutch speaking region of Belgium, than in the Netherlands. We studied whether differences in referral policy to nephrologists by primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists between Flanders and the Netherlands may play a role. METHODS: A vignette study was performed among 329 PCPs and 96 specialists in Flanders and compared to the vignette study that was conducted among 209 PCPs and 162 specialists in the Netherlands. Physicians were offered six vignettes concerning case reports of patients with chronic kidney disease and varying co-morbidities or social circumstances. Each vignette was presented for a 65- and an 80-year-old patient. Physicians were asked about the likelihood of referral of the patients in the given circumstances. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify whether country affected the likelihood of referral. RESULTS: Univariate analyses showed that the percentage of PCPs who would probably or definitely refer a 65- or an 80-year-old patient with less severe co-morbidity was significantly (P ≤ 0.001) higher in the Netherlands than in Flanders. However, the likelihood of referral of PCPs-concerning patients with more severe co-morbidity did not differ significantly. Specialists in Flanders did not differ in the likelihood to refer patients from that of specialists in the Netherlands. Logistic regression analysis showed that country (higher referral in the Netherlands) was an important predictor for the referral of PCPs, and this was especially the case for patients with less severe co-morbidity. These patterns persisted, even after controlling for other possible predictors as physicians' age, gender, religion and years in practice. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the lower RRT incidence in the Netherlands cannot be explained by a more restrictive referral policy among physicians in the Netherlands. The data suggested that the latter group had a similar or even more liberal attitude to the referral of older patients than physicians in Flanders.

Adolescents' emotional reactions to parental cancer: effect on emotional and behavioral problems.

OBJECTIVES: We examined adolescents' emotional reactions to parental cancer and explored relationships between emotional reactions and adolescents' emotional/behavioral problems. METHODS: Two studies were performed: retrospective and prospective. A total of 221 adolescents (105 sons) of 138 patients (retrospective) and 70 adolescents (31 sons) of 70 patients (prospective) participated. Adolescents reported on cancer-specific uncertainty, loneliness, helplessness and positive emotions (Situation-Specific Emotional Reactions Questionnaire), and filled in the Youth Self-Report once retrospectively during the period of 1-5 year(s) after diagnosis and three times prospectively during the first year (4 months post-diagnosis, 6 and 12 months after T1). RESULTS: Emotional reactions were similar between pro- and retrospective studies. Prospectively, uncertainty and helplessness decreased over time. Uncertainty and loneliness related significantly to adolescents' dysfunction (prospective and retrospective). Relationships between emotions and functioning were stronger and more often significant for daughters. Prospectively, adolescents' post-diagnosis emotional reactions were largely unrelated to later functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Uncertainty and loneliness related to adolescents' emotional and behavioral problems. Daughters' emotions seem more strongly related to functioning than sons'.

Family-oriented multilevel study on the psychological functioning of adolescent children having a mother with cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the predictive power of adolescents', parents', and illness characteristics on the functioning of adolescents when a mother has cancer. METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-one adolescents, 128 mothers with cancer, and 96 spouses completed standardized questionnaires 1-5 years after diagnosis. Stress response symptoms (SRS), internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed in adolescents. Parents' SRS, trait anxiety, marital satisfaction, and parent-adolescent communication were assessed in parents. Descriptive statistics and multilevel analyses accounting for non-independence of observations within groups were used. RESULTS: Descriptive analyses showed clinically elevated SRS in 20% of the sons and 30% of the daughters. Daughters experienced more internalizing problems than norm group girls. Multilevel analyses showed that adolescents' female gender and older age were associated with impaired child functioning. Higher levels of parents' trait anxiety and SRS, marital dissatisfaction, and poorer parent-adolescent communication were significant predictors also. Recurrent disease was associated with SRS and internalizing problems, and more intensive treatment with externalizing problems. Female gender and poorer parent-adolescent communication were overall the best predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Having a mother with cancer may have far-reaching consequences for more than a quarter of the adolescent offspring. The multilevel approach of this study identified individual-level adolescent' risk characteristics as well as family-level risk characteristics for mental health problems. Adolescents at risk should be referred to health-care professionals specialized in working with families to help them to adapt to their parent's illness.