Children and young people's consultation rates for psychosocial problems between 2016 and 2021 in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, there are concerns about declining mental health of children and young people (CYP). OBJECTIVES: To examine trends in GP consultation rates for psychosocial problems and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We performed a population-based cohort study using electronic GP records of CYP (0-24 years) living in the Rotterdam metropolitan area between 2016 and 2021. We calculated monthly consultation rates for psychosocial problems, stratified by age group and sex. We used negative binomial models to model the pre-COVID-19 trend, and estimate expected rates post-COVID-19 onset. We modelled the effect of COVID-19 infection rate and school closure on consultation rates per sex and age group. RESULTS: The cohort increased from 64801 to 92093 CYP between January 2016 and December 2021. Median age was 12.5 years and 49.3% was female. Monthly consultation rates increased from 2,443 to 4,542 consultations per 100,000 patient months over the six years. This trend (RR 1.009, 95%CI 1.008-1.011) started well before the COVID-19 pandemic. Consultation rates of adolescent girls and young women increased most strongly. Between March and May 2020, there was a temporary reduction in consultation rates, whereupon these returned to expected levels. COVID-19 infection rate and school closures showed small but significant associations with consultation rates for psychosocial problems but this did not affect the overall trend. Although consultation rates for psychosocial problems increased, this increment was stable over the entire study period. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly increase consultation rates for psychosocial problems in CYP. The consultation rates increased, especially in adolescent girls and young women.

CYP' consultation rates for psychosocial problems within general practice almost doubled between 2016 and 2021 in the Rotterdam metropolitan area, the Netherlands.This increase was steady over time and was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.Consultation rates in general practice for psychosocial problems increased most strongly in adolescent girls and young women.

Reasons for unsuccessful recruitment of children with atopic dermatitis in primary care in the Netherlands to a cohort study with an embedded pragmatic, randomised controlled open-label trial: a survey.

BACKGROUND: The Rotterdam Eczema Study was an observational cohort study with an embedded pragmatic randomised controlled open-label trial. It was conducted in children with atopic dermatitis (AD) in the Dutch primary care system. The objective of the trial was to determine whether a potent topical corticosteroid (TCS) is more effective than a low-potency TCS. OBJECTIVE: We are aiming to communicate transparently about the poor recruitment for the trial part and to explore the reasons why recruitment was weak. DESIGN: We used a survey to find out what patients in the cohort did when they experienced a flare-up. METHODS: Descriptive statistics were used to present the baseline characteristics of participants in the trial and the results of the survey. RESULTS: In total, 367 patients were included in the cohort. Of these, 32 were randomly assigned to a trial treatment; they had a median age of 4.0 years (IQR 2.0-9.8). A total of 69 of the 86 children (80.2%) who could participate in the survey responded. 39 (56.5%) suffered a flare-up during the follow-up (making them potentially eligible for inclusion in the trial). 26 out of 39 (66.7%) increased their use of an emollient and/or TCS themselves. Only 12 of the 39 (30.7%) contacted their general practitioner (GP) as instructed in the study protocol, but 8 out of these 12 did not meet the inclusion criteria for the trial. CONCLUSION: The main reason why cohort participants did not take part in the trial was that they did not contact their GPs when they experienced an AD flare-up. Furthermore, the majority of patients who contacted their GPs did not match the inclusion criteria of the trial. We expect that the lessons learnt from this study will be useful when developing future studies of children with AD in primary care.

The prevalence, incidence and management of low back pain with radiating leg pain in Dutch general practice: A population-based cohort study in the Rijnmond Primary Care Database.

BACKGROUND: Radiating leg pain is common in patients with low back pain (LBP). In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and incidence of LBP with radiating leg pain in Dutch general practice, and to describe the prescribed medications and requested imaging diagnostics. METHODS: The Rijnmond Primary Care Database containing over 500,000 primary care patients was used to select patients ≥18 years with LBP with radiating leg pain between 2013 and 2021. Data on patient characteristics, LBP episodes, prescribed medication and requested imaging in the first 3 months of an episode was extracted. Descriptive statistics were used to present patient characteristics and diagnostic/therapeutic interventions. RESULTS: A total of 27,695 patients were included. The total number of LBP with radiating leg pain episodes in these patients was 36,268. In 2021, the incidence and prevalence were 19.1 and 25.7 per 1000 patient years, respectively. In 60% of patients, the episode duration was shorter than 1 month. In 62% of the episodes, patients visited the general practitioner (GP) one to two times. In 59% of the episodes, at least one medication was prescribed, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) being the most common one (45%). In approximately 11% of the episodes, additional diagnostic imaging was requested. CONCLUSION: LBP with radiating leg pain is common in Dutch general practice patients. About 2/3rd were prescribed pain medications. Dutch request few to none diagnostic imaging for these patients which is in line with clinical practice guidelines. SIGNIFICANCE: In this new study, we have gained insights into the incidence and prevalence of LBP with radiating leg pain in Dutch general practice. Both remained fairly stable over the study period of 9 years (2013-2021). Overall, the care burden regarding seeking contact with the GPs and the requested diagnostics seem not to be that high. In 62% of the care episodes, there were one or two consultations with the GP, and in 11% of the episodes a diagnostic imaging was requested. Pain medications frequently prescribed (i.e. 2/3rd of the episodes), with NSAIDs being the most common ones.

Evaluation of practice nurses' management of paediatric psychosocial problems in general practice.

BACKGROUND: Child mental health services are under major pressure worldwide. In the Netherlands, Youth Mental Health Practice Nurses (YMHPNs) have been introduced in general practice to improve access to care. In this study, we evaluated care delivered by YMHPNs. METHODS: We used medical records of a population-based cohort (21 717 children, 0-17 years). Characteristics of children consulting a YMHPN, type of problem, care delivered by YMHPNs and referrals were assessed using quantitative content analysis. RESULTS: Records of 375 children (mean age 12.9 years, 59.2% girl) were analysed. These children were often in their adolescence (57.3% was between 13 and 17 years), and more often female than male (59.2% vs 40.8%). YMHPNs had a median of four consultations (IQR 2-7) with the child. YMHPNs managed a variety of psychosocial problems. YMHPNs managed 22.4% of children without need of referral, 52.0% were eventually referred for additional care. 13.3% of children dropped out during the treatment trajectory. In the remaining 12.3% of children, the treatment trajectory was stopped because the child was already attending specialized services, the treatment trajectory was still ongoing or the medical record was inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS: YMHPNs successfully managed one in four children with psychosocial problems without need for referral. Nevertheless, most children were eventually referred for additional care.

Musculoskeletal pain in 13-year-old children: the generation R study.

ABSTRACT: Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a common reason for consultation in general practice and frequently reported in children and adolescents. This study examined the prevalence of MSK pain in 13-year-old children and assessed associations with physical and psychosocial factors. Data from the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort, was used. Prevalence and characteristics of MSK pain were assessed, using a pain mannequin, at 13 years of age (N = 3062). Demographics and data on physical activity, sedentary behaviors, previous reported MSK pain, and behavioral problems were extracted from questionnaires. The body mass index (BMI) SD-score was calculated from objectively measured weight and height. A prevalence of 23.3% was found for MSK pain in children of which 87.2% persisted for more than 3 months (ie, chronic), 45.5% experienced pain daily. More physically active children and children with a higher BMI reported MSK pain more frequently compared with non-MSK pain and no pain. The knee was the most often reported location. Children with MSK pain were more likely to have reported MSK pain at 6 years. Multivariable analyses showed significant associations for male sex (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.56-0.98), high maternal educational (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.96), higher BMI (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05-1.35), being physically active (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.03-1.91), and behavioral problems (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.33-2.59) with the presence of MSK pain. The chronic nature of MSK pain in combination with the relatively high prevalence of MSK pain in this study shows that MSK pain is already an important problem at a young age.

Blood pressure measurements for diagnosing hypertension in primary care: room for improvement.

BACKGROUND: In the adult population, about 50% have hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and subsequent premature death. Little is known about the quality of the methods used to diagnose hypertension in primary care. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to assess the frequency of use of recognized methods to establish a diagnosis of hypertension, and specifically for OBPM, whether three distinct measurements were taken, and how correctly the blood pressure levels were interpreted. METHODS: A retrospective population-based cohort study using electronic medical records of patients aged between 40 and 70 years, who visited their general practitioner (GP) with a new-onset of hypertension in the years 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2020. A visual chart review of the electronic medical records was used to assess the methods employed to diagnose hypertension in a random sample of 500 patients. The blood pressure measurement method was considered complete if three or more valid office blood pressure measurements (OBPM) were performed, or home-based blood pressure measurements (HBPM), the office- based 30-minute method (OBP30), or 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements (24 H-ABPM) were used. RESULTS: In all study years, OBPM was the most frequently used method to diagnose new-onset hypertension in patients. The OBP-30 method was used in 0.4% (2012), 4.2% (2016), 10.6% (2019), and 9.8% (2020) of patients respectively, 24 H-ABPM in 16.0%, 22.2%, 17.2%, and 19.0% of patients and HBPM measurements in 5.4%, 8.4%, 7.6%, and 7.8% of patients, respectively. A diagnosis of hypertension based on only one or two office measurements occurred in 85.2% (2012), 87.9% (2016), 94.4% (2019), and 96.8% (2020) of all patients with OBPM. In cases of incomplete measurement and incorrect interpretation, medication was still started in 64% of cases in 2012, 56% (2016), 60% (2019), and 73% (2020). CONCLUSION: OBPM is still the most often used method to diagnose hypertension in primary care. The diagnosis was often incomplete or misinterpreted using incorrect cut-off levels. A small improvement occurred between 2012 and 2016 but no further progress was seen in 2019 or 2020. If hypertension is inappropriately diagnosed, it may result in under treatment or in prolonged, unnecessary treatment of patients. There is room for improvement in the general practice setting.

Atopic Dermatitis in Children in the General Population: Baseline Characteristics, Medication Use, and Severity Measures in the Rotterdam Eczema Study.

Background: Real-life data on severity and treatments in children with atopic dermatitis (AD) are needed to evaluate self-management. Objectives: To determine severity and use of topical treatments in children with AD in the general population. Furthermore, we aim to determine agreement and correlation between objective and subjective AD severity measures. Methods: Data were used from the Rotterdam Eczema Study, an observational prospective cohort study with an embedded pragmatic open-label randomized controlled trial. Descriptive statistics were used for baseline characteristics, medication use, and severity. Strength of agreement and correlation were determined using kappa analysis and Pearson correlation. Results: In total, 367 children (mean age 5.7 years) were recruited. The mean eczema area and severity index (EASI) score was 2.1 (±3.2) and mean patient-oriented eczema measure (POEM) score was 10.3 (±6.1). The majority applied emollients on a daily basis (54.9%) and had not used topical corticosteroids (TCSs) over the past week (51%). Based on severity banding of POEM and EASI, 49.9% and 24.9% of the children were undertreated, respectively. No evidence was found for an agreement between EASI and POEM (kappa 0.028, n = 178, P = 0.451). A moderate correlation between POEM, EASI, infants' dermatitis quality of life index, and children's dermatology life quality index was found. POEM showed higher correlation with quality of life (QoL) than EASI. Conclusion: Emollients were used sufficiently in the study population. Based on signs or symptoms, 24.9% and 49.9% of children are undertreated, respectively. POEM scores correlated better with QoL than with EASI scores. We argue that EASI underestimates severity of AD, and treatment based on EASI scores may lead to undertreatment of AD. Treating physicians should be aware of suboptimal use of TCSs.

Patellofemoral pain in general practice: the incidence and management.

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a nontraumatic knee problem primarily observed in physically active adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and management of PFP in children and adolescents in general practice. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a regional primary care database containing full electronic health records of over 300,000 patients. Patients with a new PFP diagnosis between the years 2013 and 2019 were extracted using a search algorithm based on International Classification of Primary Health Care coding and search terms in free text. Data on the management of PFP were manually checked and analysed. In addition, a sub-analysis for chronic and nonchronic PFP patients was performed. RESULTS: The mean incidence of PFP over the study period was 3.4 (95% CI 3.2-3.6) per 1,000 person years in the age group of 7-24 years. Girls had a higher incidence rate (4.6 [95% CI 4.3-5.0]) compared to boys (2.3 [95% CI 2.1-2.5]). Peak incidence was at age 13 years for both sexes. The most commonly applied management strategy was advice (55.1%), followed by referral to physiotherapy (28.2%), analgesics prescription (10.4%), and referral to the orthopaedic surgeon (8.9%). No differences were found in age, sex, and treatment between chronic and nonchronic PFP patients. CONCLUSIONS: The average Dutch general practitioner sees approximately 1.4 new child or adolescent with PFP per year. Overall management strategies were in concordance with current Dutch general practice guideline on nontraumatic knee problems. More insight should be gained in the population with chronic complaints.

Patient perspectives on telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods community-based study.

BACKGROUND: Detailed community-based perspectives on patient experiences with telemedicine are currently lacking, yet essential to assess clinical applicability of telemedicine during and beyond pandemics, alike COVID-19. The aim of this study was to expose patient perspectives on virtual compared to in-person consultations, including determinants of these preferences. METHODS: We invited 5864 participants of the population-based Rotterdam Study to fill in a validated questionnaire using both close-ended and free-text questions. The questionnaire was sent on 30 July 2020, following a period of lockdowns and closures of non-essential workplaces. It assessed preferences for physician contact, healthcare utilisation, socioeconomic factors, and overall health. Those who experienced at least one virtual consultation (telephone or video call) between March 2020 and the beginning of July 2020 were asked whether those consultations were more, equally or less pleasant than in-person consultations, and to detail their experiences through free-text comments. These narrative data were examined using thematic analysis. RESULTS: 4514 participants completed the questionnaire (response rate 77.0%, 58.7% women, mean age 70.8 ± 10.5 years). 1103 participants (24.4%) reported having had experience with virtual consultations. Half of these participants considered virtual consultations less pleasant than in-person consultations (N = 556; 50.4%), while 11.5% found it more pleasant. In total, we coded free-text comments of 752 participants. Prominent themes behind patient preferences for virtual or in-person consultations were lack of nonverbal communication, lack of physical examination, consultation scheduling, personal circumstances, and the presence of somatic and/or language barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the experiences of a large elderly patient population, we showed that preference for virtual or in-person consultations is dependent on personal and situational variety, and their interplay. Healthcare providers should consider patients' complex care needs and evaluate the potential added value of nonverbal communication and physical examination before scheduling a virtual consultation.

A systematic review of questionnaires measuring asthma control in children in a primary care population.

Several questionnaires are used to measure asthma control in children. The most appropriate tool for use in primary care is not defined. In this systematic review, we evaluated questionnaires used to measure asthma control in children in primary care and determined their usefulness in asthma management. Searches were performed in the MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Cochrane databases with end date 24 June 2022. The study population comprised children aged 5-18 years with asthma. Three reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed, using the COSMIN criteria for the measurement properties of health status questionnaires. Studies conducted in primary care were included if a minimum of two questionnaires were compared. Studies in secondary or tertiary care and studies of quality-of-life questionnaires were excluded. Heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Five publications were included: four observational studies and one sub-study of a randomized controlled trial. A total of 806 children were included (aged 5-18 years). We evaluated the Asthma Control Test (ACT), childhood Asthma Control Test (c-ACT), Asthma APGAR system, NAEPP criteria and Royal College of Physicians' '3 questions' (RCP3Q). These questionnaires assess different symptoms and domains. The quality of most of the studies was rated 'intermediate' or 'poor'. The majority of the evaluated questionnaires do not show substantial agreement with one another, which makes a comparison challenging. Based on the current review, we suggest that the Asthma APGAR system seems promising as a questionnaire for determining asthma control in children in primary care.

Nocturnal pain and fatigue in middle-aged persons with hip symptoms suspected to be osteoarthritis, is there a link in 10-year follow-up of the CHECK study?

Objective: To explore the prevalence of nocturnal pain and fatigue in participants with hip symptoms suspected to be early osteoarthritis (OA) and to test the mediating effect of nocturnal pain on the association between hip OA pain and fatigue. Methods: We included participants with hip pain but no knee pain at baseline, from the Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK)-study. Severity of hip OA pain was determined using the Numeric-Rating-Scale-pain-score last week. Fatigue was assessed using the SF-36 Fatigue subscale. Nocturnal pain was determined using the WOMAC-question: "How much pain have you experienced in the last 48 â€‹h at night while in bed?". Hip OA pain, nocturnal pain and fatigue were measured repeatedly during 10-year follow-up. Path analysis were used per time point to determine the direct effect of OA pain on fatigue and the indirect effect through nocturnal pain. Results: In 170 participants (female: 76%; mean age: 55.7 years; mean BMI: 25.5 â€‹kg/m2) the prevalence of nocturnal pain varied between 22 and 35% and the prevalence of fatigue ranged between 14 and 18%. Hip OA pain was associated with nocturnal pain and fatigue. The direct effect of hip OA pain on fatigue was significant at all-time points. No significant mediating effect of nocturnal pain was found. Conclusion: In this cohort of participants suspected to have early hip OA, the prevalence of fatigue remained stable and the prevalence of nocturnal pain decreased slightly over 10-year follow-up. We did not find a mediating effect of nocturnal pain in the pathway between hip OA pain and fatigue.

Clinical response to varying pollen exposure in allergic rhinitis in children in The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) affects 10-15% of children. Symptoms in seasonal AR are influenced by pollen exposure. Pollen counts vary throughout the pollen season and therefore, symptom severity fluctuates. This study investigates the correlation between pollen concentration and symptom load in children with AR in The Netherlands. METHODS: A secondary analysis was performed in a study determining the most effective treatment for children with seasonal AR. Symptoms were measured during three months in 2013 and 2014 using a daily symptom diary. The pollen concentration was measured with a Hirst type volumetric spore trap sampler. A correlation coefficient was calculated for the correlation between the pollen concentration and the mean daily symptom score. The study protocol was approved by the medical ethical review committee of the Erasmus MC and is incorporated in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (EUCTR2012-001,591-11-NL). RESULTS: In 2014, the correlation coefficient for birch pollen concentration and symptom score was 0.423 (p = 0.000). The correlation coefficient for grass pollen concentration and symptom score was 0.413 (p = 0.000) and 0.655 (p = 0.000) in 2013 and 2014, respectively. A delayed correlation between the birch pollen concentration and the symptom scores was seen up to two days after the pollen measurement (0.151, p = 0.031). For grass pollen this effect lasted up to three days after the pollen measurement (0.194, p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: We found comparable correlations between symptom score and pollen concentration as found by EAACI. Birch and grass pollen have an elongated influence on symptom score of several days. This implies patients need to continue on demand medication longer after a measured pollen peak.

Medical students' perception of general practice: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: An increase in the demand for general practitioners is expected in many countries, but only a minority of medical students consider a career in general practice. More detailed and up-to-date knowledge about medical student's perception of general practice would be helpful for efforts to encourage medical students to consider a career in general practice. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional single center survey among Dutch medical students to evaluate their perception of general practice at three different stages in their study: Ba1: first-year bachelor students; Ba3: third-year bachelor students; Ma3: third-year master students. The impact of different factors on their attitudes and perceptions was quantified. A multivariate logistic regression was performed with 'interest in general practice' as the outcome variable. RESULTS: The median age for Ba1 was 18 (IQR: 18-19) and 71.5% were female, for Ba3 the median age was 20 (IQR: 20-21) and 70.6% were female and for Ma3 the median age was 25 years (IQR: 24-26) and 73.3% were female. On average, 31.2% of the respondents had a migration background. The mean response rate for this study was 77.1%. Of the participating Ba1 students (n = 340) only 22.4% considered working as a GP after medical school; for Ba3 students (n = 231) this percentage was 33.8%, and for Ma3 students (n = 210) it was significantly higher at 70.5%; in the final multivariate model this corresponded to an odds ratio (OR) of 4.3 (95%-CI:2.6-6.9) compared to Ba1 students. The strongest predictor in the final model was the opinion that general practice provides a pleasant working environment (OR 9.5; 95%-CI: 6.2-14.5). CONCLUSION: This study showed that multiple factors are significantly related to medical students' interest in general practice. Although students believed that general practice does not have a high status within the medical profession, they acknowledged the social importance and the pleasant working environment of general practice. Knowledge obtained in this study can be used when designing a medical curriculum or a general practice course.

Identifying and prioritizing educational content from a malpractice claims database for clinical reasoning education in the vocational training of general practitioners.

Diagnostic reasoning is an important topic in General Practitioners' (GPs) vocational training. Interestingly, research has paid little attention to the content of the cases used in clinical reasoning education. Malpractice claims of diagnostic errors represent cases that impact patients and that reflect potential knowledge gaps and contextual factors. With this study, we aimed to identify and prioritize educational content from a malpractice claims database in order to improve clinical reasoning education in GP training. With input from various experts in clinical reasoning and diagnostic error, we defined five priority criteria that reflect educational relevance. Fifty unique medical conditions from a malpractice claims database were scored on those priority criteria by stakeholders in clinical reasoning education in 2021. Subsequently, we calculated the mean total priority score for each condition. Mean total priority score (min 5-max 25) for all fifty diagnoses was 17,11 with a range from 13,89 to 19,61. We identified and described the fifteen highest scoring diseases (with priority scores ranging from 18,17 to 19,61). The prioritized conditions involved complex common (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, renal insufficiency and cancer), complex rare (e.g., endocarditis, ectopic pregnancy, testicular torsion) and more straightforward common conditions (e.g., tendon rupture/injury, eye infection). The claim cases often demonstrated atypical presentations or complex contextual factors. Including those malpractice cases in GP vocational training could enrich the illness scripts of diseases that are at high risk of errors, which may reduce diagnostic error and related patient harm.

Nocturnal pain, is the pain different compared with pain during the day? An exploratory cross-sectional study in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore characteristics of nocturnal pain and to identify differences in participants' characteristics and osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms between hip and knee OA participants with and without nocturnal pain. METHODS: Data for this exploratory cross-sectional study were obtained from an online survey, distributed through social media and patient associations in the period from April 2020 until May 2020, which was conducted in 101 participants with (self-reported) hip or knee OA. Descriptive statistics were used to provide insight into the characteristics of the study population. Pain intensity, localization, dimension, and impact of (nocturnal) pain on sleep were described and compared with daytime pain. RESULTS: Nocturnal pain was reported by 76/101 (75%) participants. Participants with nocturnal pain scored higher visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for their nocturnal pain compared with their pain at the moment (respectively: median VAS score 49.5 vs. 40.0). Their day pain rating indexes of sensory-discriminative dimension were higher compared with their nocturnal pain. Comparison between participants with and without nocturnal pain showed that participants with nocturnal pain were affected by intermittent, constant, and radiating pain. Pain had more impact on their sleep and they scored their pain at its worst higher compared with participants without nocturnal pain. CONCLUSION: In participants with nocturnal pain (75%), we found that their VAS pain scores were not in harmony with their pain expressed in words. This study increases awareness of nocturnal pain in OA patients in general practice. More research is needed to provide general practitioners possible interventions for patients with OA and nocturnal pain.

Nocturnal pain is an important part of the pain experience in osteoarthritis (OA) and highlighted as key concern by patients with hip and knee OA. Reports have shown a wide range in prevalence of nocturnal hip and knee pain in OA patients (14%­85%). We found that participants with nocturnal pain (76/101 = 75%) were more often affected by both intermittent and constant pain, reported higher pain scores for pain at its worst and pain had more impact on their sleep compared with those without nocturnal pain. Participants with nocturnal pain scored higher visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for their nocturnal pain compared with their pain at the moment. On the other hand, they scored the pain expressed in words higher for their day pain than for their nocturnal pain. More research is needed to explore factors that associate with nocturnal pain and to explore how healthcare professionals can support people with nocturnal pain.

Epidemiology and management of hepatitis B and C in primary care in the Netherlands: data from the Rijnmond Primary Care database.

BACKGROUND: The Dutch guideline for general practitioners (GPs) advises biannual surveillance of hepatitis B (HBV) patients and referral of every hepatitis C (HCV) patient. We aimed to study the prevalence, incidence, and the management of hepatitis B and C in primary care. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using the Rijnmond Primary Care database (RPCD), including health care data of medical records of GPs of approximately 200,000 patients in the area of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Patient records were selected based on laboratory results, International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) codes, and free-text words. RESULTS: In total, 977 patients were included: 717 HBV, 252 HCV, and 8 HBV/HCV coinfected patients. Between 2013 and 2019, the prevalence of HBV and HCV declined from 5.21 to 2.99/1,000 person-years (PYs) and 1.50 to 0.70/1,000 PYs, respectively. We observed that the majority of the patients had been referred to a medical specialist at least once (71% HBV and 89% HCV patients). However, among chronic patients, we observed that 36.2% of the HBV patients did not receive adequate surveillance by their GP (≥2 alanine aminotransferase checks within 3 years) or a medical specialist. In addition, 44.4% of the HCV patients had no record about successful antiviral treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a declining prevalence in viral hepatitis B and C in primary care in the Netherlands. However, a substantial part of the patients did not receive adequate surveillance or antiviral therapy. It is therefore crucial to involve GPs in case finding and in follow-up after treatment.

Determinants of dropout and compliance of children participating in a multidisciplinary intervention programme for overweight and obesity in socially deprived areas.

BACKGROUND: Children with overweight and obesity in socially deprived areas (SDAs) are less likely to complete and be compliant to a weight-loss programme. OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with dropout and compliance of a multidisciplinary weight-loss programme in SDA. METHODS: This prospective longitudinal cohort study included children (6-12 years) with overweight and obesity in a 12-week multidisciplinary intervention living in SDA in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Potential predictive variables for dropout and compliance included were age, sex, the weight of the child and parents, quality of life, and referral status (self-registration or referral). A Cox proportional hazards model was performed to study the association between dropout and its potential predictive variables, whereas logistic regression analyses were used for the potential predictors for compliance. RESULTS: A total of 121 children started the intervention programme. Forty-one (33.9%) children dropped out and 68 (56.2%) were compliant with the intervention. The risk of dropping out of the intervention was significantly lower for a child with overweight parents than for those with parents with normal weight (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.22 [95% confidence interval, CI 0.063-0.75]), and for those with parents with obesity (adjusted HR 0.18 [95% CI 0.060-0.52]). No other potential predictive variables were associated with dropout or compliance. CONCLUSION: Children from SDA participating in a weight-loss programme have a relatively high dropout and a low compliance rate. Parental weight seems to be an important predictor for dropout of children from SDA, where children with normal weight or obese parents have the highest risk of dropout compared with children of overweight parents.

Sex-specific patterns and lifetime risk of multimorbidity in the general population: a 23-year prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity poses a major challenge for care coordination. However, data on what non-communicable diseases lead to multimorbidity, and whether the lifetime risk differs between men and women are lacking. We determined sex-specific differences in multimorbidity patterns and estimated sex-specific lifetime risk of multimorbidity in the general population. METHODS: We followed 6,094 participants from the Rotterdam Study aged 45 years and older for the occurrence of ten diseases (cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, diabetes, dementia, asthma, heart failure, parkinsonism). We visualised participants' trajectories from a single disease to multimorbidity and the most frequent combinations of diseases. We calculated sex-specific lifetime risk of multimorbidity, considering multimorbidity involving only somatic diseases (1) affecting the same organ system, (2) affecting different organ systems, and (3) multimorbidity involving depression. RESULTS: Over the follow-up period (1993-2016, median years of follow-up 9.2), we observed 6334 disease events. Of the study population, 10.3% had three or more diseases, and 27.9% had two or more diseases. The most frequent pair of co-occurring diseases among men was COPD and cancer (12.5% of participants with multimorbidity), the most frequent pair of diseases among women was depression and dementia (14.9%). The lifetime risk of multimorbidity was similar among men (66.0%, 95% CI: 63.2-68.8%) and women (65.1%, 95% CI: 62.5-67.7%), yet the risk of multimorbidity with depression was higher for women (30.9%, 95% CI: 28.4-33.5%, vs. 17.5%, 95% CI: 15.2-20.1%). The risk of multimorbidity with two diseases affecting the same organ is relatively low for both sexes (4.2% (95% CI: 3.2-5.5%) for men and 4.5% (95% CI: 3.5-5.7%) for women). CONCLUSIONS: Two thirds of people over 45 will develop multimorbidity in their remaining lifetime, with women at nearly double the risk of multimorbidity involving depression than men. These findings call for programmes of integrated care to consider sex-specific differences to ensure men and women are served equally.

GPs' and practice nurses' views on their management of paediatric anxiety problems: an interview study.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety problems are common in both children and adolescents, and many affected children do not receive appropriate treatment. Understaffing of mental healthcare services and long waiting lists form major barriers. In the Netherlands, practice nurses have been introduced into general practice to support general practitioners (GPs) in the management of psychosocial problems. In this study we investigated the views of GPs and practice nurses on their management of paediatric anxiety problems. METHODS: We performed an exploratory study using semi-structured interviews with 13 GPs and 13 practice nurses in the greater Rotterdam area in 2021. Interviews were transcribed and coded into topics, which were categorized per research question. RESULTS: In their management of paediatric anxiety problems, both GPs and practice nurses try to explore the case and the needs of affected children and their parents. GPs rarely follow up affected children themselves. They often refer the child, preferably to their practice nurse. Practice nurses regularly initiate follow-up consultations with affected children themselves. Practice nurses reported using a variety of therapeutic techniques, including elements of cognitive behavioural therapy. In more severe cases, practice nurses refer the child to external mental healthcare services. GPs reported being satisfied with their collaboration with practice nurses. Both GPs and practice nurses experience significant barriers in the management of paediatric anxiety problems. Most importantly, long waiting lists for external mental health care were reported to be a major difficulty. Improving cooperation with external mental healthcare providers was reported to be an important facilitator. CONCLUSIONS: In their management of paediatric anxiety problems, GPs and practice nurses experience major challenges in the cooperation with external mental healthcare providers and in the long waiting lists for these services. GPs and practice nurses believe that thanks to their shared approach more children with anxiety problems can remain treated in general practice. Future research is needed to evaluate the treatment outcomes of the shared efforts of GPs and practice nurses in their management of paediatric anxiety problems.

General practitioners' explanation and advice on childhood eczema and factors influencing their treatment strategy: A qualitative study.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is common in children and the majority of children can be treated by the general practitioner (GP). Various factors can influence the GP's treatment strategy and may lead to less effective treatment. The objective is to gain insight into the treatment goal, treatment strategy, explanation and advice given by GPs when dealing with AD in children and to explore which factors play a role in the choice of pharmacological treatment. Methods: Semi-structured interviews in primary care in the Netherlands were audio-recorded and transcribed. All data were analysed according to the six-steps approach of inductive thematic analysis. Results: We interviewed 16 GPs. Treatment goals mainly focussed on the short term. GPs discussed the importance of emollient use and emphasised emollients as the basis of treatment. We found that several factors played a role in prescribing topical corticosteroids (TCS); severity of the AD, age of the child, skin type, corticophobia among parents and GPs, experience of side effects and dermatological experience. GPs reported giving limited advice about the use of TCS and prescribed medication that is not recommended by the guideline. Conclusion: Various factors seem to influence GPs' treatment strategy for AD in children. More attention and education about the use and safety of TCS in children during GP training, continuous medical education, probably improve treatment in line with guidelines and can lead to more confidence and knowledge about TCS among GPs, which ultimately may improve the education and self-management of patients.