Time to conceive after myomectomy: should we advise a minimum time interval? A systematic review.

The optimal time interval between myomectomy and pregnancy is unclear and no specific guidelines exist. The aim of this review was to study the time interval from myomectomy to pregnancy and the occurrence of uterine rupture after myomectomy. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies and retrospective studies were used to assess the primary objective, and case reports, cases series or letters to the editor for the secondary objective. Only articles reporting myomectomy performed via the vaginal route, laparotomy, laparoscopy or robot-assisted surgery were selected for inclusion. Among 3852 women who wanted to become pregnant after the surgery, 2889 became pregnant, accounting for 3000 pregnancies (77.9%) and 2097 live births (54.4%). Mean time between myomectomy and pregnancy was estimated at 17.6 months (SD 9.2) for 2451 pregnant women. Among 1016 women, a third were advised to delay attempting to conceive for between 3 and 6 months and another third for between 6 and 12 months. A total of 70 spontaneous uterine ruptures with a mean gestational age of 31 weeks at occurrence were identified. No linear relationship was found between gestational age at the event and time interval from myomectomy to conception (P = 0.706). There are insufficient data to advise a minimal time interval between myomectomy and conception.

Tobacco Screening and Treatment during Outpatient Urology Office Visits in the United States.

PURPOSE: Tobacco use is a causative or exacerbating risk factor for benign and malignant urological disease. However, it is not well known how often urologists screen for tobacco use and provide tobacco cessation treatment at the population level. We sought to evaluate how often urologists see patients for tobacco-related diagnoses in the outpatient setting and how often these visits include tobacco use screening and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey public use files for the years 2014-2016 to identify all outpatient urology visits with adults 18 years old or older. Clinic visit reasons were categorized according to diagnoses associated with the encounter: all urological diagnoses, a tobacco-related urological condition or a urological cancer. Our primary outcome was the percentage of visits during which tobacco screening was reported. Secondary outcomes included reported delivery of cessation counseling and provision of cessation pharmacotherapy. RESULTS: We identified 4,625 unique urological outpatient encounters, representing a population-weighted estimate of 63.9 million visits over 3 years. Approximately a third of all urology visits were for a tobacco-related urological diagnosis and 15% were for urological cancers. An estimated 1.1 million visits over 3 years were with patients who identified as current tobacco users. Of all visits, 70% included tobacco screening. However, only 7% of visits with current smokers included counseling and only 3% of patients were prescribed medications. No differences in screening and treatment were observed between visit types. CONCLUSIONS: Urologists regularly see patients for tobacco-related conditions and frequently, although not universally, screen patients for tobacco. However, urologists rarely offer counseling or cessation treatment. These findings may represent missed opportunities to decrease the morbidity associated with tobacco use.

Pretreatment screening and counseling on prolonged erections for patients prescribed trazodone.

PURPOSE: We examined whether patients are appropriately screened for previous prolonged erections or priapism and counseled about trazodone complications, specifically prolonged erections and priapism, prior to trazodone treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified patients under the age of 50 on trazodone as of February 27, 2019 at the VA New Jersey Health Care System. Patients were asked about information provided to them prior to medication initiation, occurrence of prolonged erections/priapism, and reporting rate of side effects. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty nine out of five hundred and twenty four male patients agreed to participate in the study. Forty three out of two hundred and twenty nine of patients were informed about the side effects of prolonged erections and 37/229 of patients were informed of risk of priapism prior to treatment. Only 17/229 of patients were asked if they had had any episodes of prolonged erection or priapism in the past. Eighteen patients developed prolonged erection while taking trazodone. Only 5/18 patients who had developed prolonged erections informed their physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Only a fraction of patients were properly screened for previous prolonged erections or priapism and properly informed about the side effects of trazodone. Urologist should better educate trazodone prescribers, such as family medicine and psychiatric colleagues, regarding the side effects of trazodone. It is imperative that prescribing physicians appropriately screen and educate patients prior to trazodone initiation and instruct patients to report any treatment side effects to avoid potential long-term adverse outcomes.

Health advice on alcohol consumption in pregnant women in Seville (Spain) / Consejo sanitario sobre el consumo de alcohol en embarazadas de Sevilla (España)

OBJECTIVE: To analyse to what extent pregnant women remembered having received health advice regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy, what the message they perceived was and whether there is social inequality in this regard. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed with a sample of 426 pregnant women (in their 20th week of pregnancy) receiving care in the outpatient clinics of a university hospital in a southern Spanish city (Seville). The data were collected through face-to-face structured interviews carried out by trained health professionals. RESULTS: 43% of the interviewed women stated that they had not received any health advice in this regard. Only 43.5% of the sample remembered having received the correct message (not to consume any alcohol at all during pregnancy) from their midwife, 25% from their obstetrician and 20.3% from their general practitioner. The women with a low educational level were those who least declared having received health advice on the issue. CONCLUSION: The recommended health advice to avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy does not effectively reach a large proportion of pregnant women. Developing institutional programmes which help healthcare professionals to carry out effective preventive activities of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is needed

OBJETIVO: Analizar en qué medida las gestantes recuerdan haber recibido asesoramiento sanitario sobre el consumo de alcohol durante el embarazo, cuál es el mensaje percibido y si existe desigualdad social al respecto. MÉTODO: Se realizó un estudio transversal descriptivo con 426 mujeres en su semana 20 de embarazo en las consultas externas de un hospital universitario de Sevilla (España). Los datos se recopilaron mediante entrevistas estructuradas cara a cara realizadas por profesionales sanitarias entrenadas. RESULTADOS: El 43% de las entrevistadas afirmaron no haber recibido consejo sanitario alguno al respecto. Solo el 43,5% dijeron que habían recibido el mensaje correcto (no beber absolutamente nada de alcohol durante el embarazo) por parte de la matrona, el 25% por el obstetra y el 20,3% por el médico de atención primaria. Las embarazadas con menor nivel educativo fueron las que menos refirieron haber recibido asesoramiento sanitario sobre el tema. CONCLUSIÓN: El consejo sanitario adecuado (evitar todo consumo de alcohol durante el embarazo) no llega de manera efectiva a una amplia proporción de las gestantes. Es necesario desarrollar programas institucionales que posibiliten que los profesionales sanitarios puedan llevar a cabo con eficacia actividades preventivas de los trastornos del espectro alcohólico fetal

Medication Counselling in Older Patients Prior to Hospital Discharge: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Older patients are regularly exposed to multiple medication changes during a hospital stay and are more likely to experience problems understanding these changes. Medication counselling is often proposed as an important component of seamless care to ensure appropriate medication use after hospital discharge. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the components of medication counselling in older patients (aged ≥ 65 years) prior to hospital discharge and to review the effectiveness of such counselling on reported clinical outcomes. METHODS: Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology (PROSPERO CRD42019116036), a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL was conducted. The QualSyst Assessment Tool was used to assess bias. The impact of medication counselling on different outcomes was described and stratified by intervention content. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies were included. Fifteen different components of medication counselling were identified. Discussing the dose and dosage of patients' medications (19/29; 65.5%), providing a paper-based medication list (19/29; 65.5%) and explaining the indications of the prescribed medications (17/29; 58.6%) were the most frequently encountered components during the counselling session. Twelve different clinical outcomes were investigated in the 29 studies. A positive effect of medication counselling on medication adherence and medication knowledge was found more frequently, compared to its impact on hard outcomes such as hospital readmissions and mortality. Yet, evidence remains inconclusive regarding clinical benefit, owing to study design heterogeneity and different intervention components. Statistically significant results were more frequently observed when counselling was provided as part of a comprehensive intervention before discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial heterogeneity between the included studies was found for the components of medication counselling and the reported outcomes. Study findings suggest that medication counselling should be part of multifaceted interventions, but the evidence concerning clinical outcomes remains inconclusive.

Improving inpatient provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling in Sierra Leone.

BACKGROUND/SETTING: Only 47% of HIV-positive Sierra Leoneans knew their status in 2017, making expanded HIV testing a priority. National guidelines endorse provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling (PITC) to increase testing coverage, but PITC is rarely provided in Sierra Leone. In response, a Quality Improvement Collaborative (QIC) was implemented to improve PITC coverage amongst adult inpatients. METHODS: Ten hospitals received the intervention between October 2017 and August 2018; there were no control facilites. Each hospital aimed to improve PITC coverage to ≥ 95% of eligible patients. Staff received training on PITC and QIC methods and a package of PITC best practices and tools. They then worked to identify additional contextually-appropriate interventions, conducted rapid tests of change, and tracked performance using shared indicators and time-series data. Supportive supervision bolstered QI skills, and quarterly meetings enabled diffusion of innovations while spurring friendly competition. RESULTS: Baseline PITC coverage was 4%. The hospital teams tested diverse interventions using QI methods, including staff training; data review meetings; enhanced workflow processes and supervision; and patient education and sensitization activities Nine hospitals reached and sustained the 95% target, and all saw rapid and durable improvement, which was sustained for a median of six months. Of the 5,238 patients tested for HIV, 311 (6%) were found to be HIV-positive and were referred for treatment. HIV rapid test kit stockouts occurred during the project period, limiting PITC services in some cases. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention led to swift and sustained improvement in inpatient PITC coverage and to the diagnosis of hundreds of people living with HIV. Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health and Sanitation plans to take the initiative to national scale, with close attention to the issue of test kit stockouts.

Recommendations for spiritual care in cancer patients: a clinical practice guideline for oncology nurses in Iran.

BACKGROUND: In spite of the necessity of implementing spiritual care practices for cancer patients, there is no clear process in this regard in palliative care programs of the health system of countries. The present study was designed with the aim of developing a clinical practice guideline of spiritual care in cancer patients for oncology nurses in the current context. METHODS: This is a multi-method study which was conducted in five stages within the framework of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline. A research committee consisting of four focal and 16 secondary members was formed. The stages included determining the scope of the study, developing guideline (a qualitative study and a systematic review, triangulation of the data, and producing a preliminary draft), consultation stage (validation of the guideline in three rounds of the Delphi study), as well as revision and publication stages. RESULTS: The clinical guideline of spiritual care with 84 evidence-based recommendations was developed in three main areas, including the human resources, care settings, and the process of spiritual care. CONCLUSIONS: We are hoping by applying this clinical guideline in oncology settings to move towards an integrated spiritual care plan for cancer patients in the context of our health system. Healthcare organizations should support to form spiritual care teams under supervision of the oncology nurses with qualified healthcare providers and a trained clergy. Through holistic care, they can constantly examine the spiritual needs of cancer patients alongside their other needs by focusing on the phases of the nursing process.

The present situation of home blood pressure measurement among outpatients in Japan.

Objective: To clarify the present situation of home blood pressure (HBP) measurement among Japanese patients.Methods: A nationwide questionnaire survey regarding HBP measurement was conducted on patients aged 20 years or older who had visited 20 community pharmacies to have their prescriptions filled.Results: In total, 76.7% of 1,103 hypertensives and 40.9% of 1,106 normotensives had their own devices for HBP measurement. Compared with normotensives, a higher proportion of hypertensives recognized the guideline-based reference values for HBP and clinic BP. Compared with hypertensives who did not have a physician's recommendation, those who did more often had their own devices, recognized the guideline-based reference values for HBP, and measured HBP every day (70.4%, 1.5%, and 31.6% vs. 91.1%, 6.9%, and 65.4%, respectively). Among 793 hypertensives who measured HBP, a higher proportion of those with a physician's recommendation measured HBP according to optimal guideline-based procedures compared with those without. Among 560 hypertensives who recorded HBP readings, a higher proportion of those with a physician's recommendation (74.6%) showed all HBP readings to their physicians compared with those without (35.3%).Conclusions: Our findings suggest that physicians should recommend measuring HBP in accordance with the Japanese Society of Hypertension guidelines more aggressively, and provide more detailed explanations to patients regarding how to measure HBP.

Social inequality in lifestyle, motivation to change lifestyle and received health advice in individuals with diabetes: A nationwide study.

Aims: The aim was to investigate the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking, motivation to change lifestyle and health advices from general practitioners (GPs) in individuals with diabetes. Methods: Data were provided by the Danish National Health Survey 2013 and 7504 adults (⩾ 40 years) with diabetes were included. Educational level was used as SEP indicator and categorized into low, middle and high SEP. Dependent variables included physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, motivation to change lifestyle and GP lifestyle advices. Multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, body mass index and ethnic background were performed. Results: Higher SEP were associated with reduced odds of being physically inactive (middle SEP odds ratio (OR) men 0.58 (95% confidence intervals 0.47-0.72) and women 0.59 (0.47-0.75)) and non-smoking (middle SEP OR men 0.74 (0.59-0.93) and high SEP OR women 0.54 (0.38-0.77)) compared to participants with a low SEP. Alcohol consumption above the recommended maximum was associated with high SEP in men, OR 1.83 (1.30-2.61). Elevated SEP was associated with a motivation to increase physical activity levels (middle SEP OR men 1.45 (1.19-1.76) and women 1.35 (1.09-1.67)), high SEP was associated with none advice from GPs regarding smoking cessation among women, OR 0.47 (0.25-0.89). Conclusions: Socioeconomic position was strongly associated with lifestyle in individuals with diabetes. The most pronounced inequalities were found in physical activity levels, smoking status and the motivation to become more physically active. Municipalities and GPs may need a greater focus on SEP in interventions to change lifestyle in individuals with diabetes.

Frequency and Variability of Advice Given to Parents on Care of the Uncircumcised Penis by Pediatric Residents: A Need to Improve Education.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the extent to which pediatricians are providing advice on care of the uncircumcised penis and the advice they are providing. We hypothesized that pediatric residents lack preparedness to offer parents advice on caring for the uncircumcised penis and as such are unlikely to offer such advice. METHODS: An IRB approved, anonymous survey was administered to 244 pediatric residents in 5 urban training programs (Appendix). Descriptive statistics were used for clinical and demographic data and Fisher's exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparative analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-three residents completed the survey for a response rate of 34%. Less than half (45%) of the residents surveyed were likely, or extremely likely to voluntarily offer advice to parents on care of the uncircumcised penis. On a scale of 0-100, the median confidence level in offering advice was 48 (interquartile range [IQR] 30-52). Forty-nine percent of residents reported never being taught care of the uncircumcised penis. Of those who received education, 72% reported learning informally from a senior resident or attending and only 9% learned from a formal lecture. Pediatric residents varied greatly on advice given to parents in regards to the frequency of retraction and 40% offered no advice. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that pediatric residents currently lack confidence in providing parents advice on preputial care and are unlikely to offer such advice. When offered, the advice given is highly variable. This study emphasizes the need for improved education of pediatric residents.

Predictors of glycemic control after decline of insulin therapy by patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIM: Decline of insulin therapy by patients is common but poorly investigated. We conducted this study to determine patient and treatment characteristics predictive of glycemic control after declining clinician recommendation to initiate insulin therapy. METHODS: We retrospectively studied adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated at two academic medical centers between 1993 and 2014 who declined their healthcare provider recommendation to initiate insulin. RESULTS: In a multivariable analysis of 300 study patients adjusted for demographics, comorbidities and clustering within providers, higher baseline HbA1c (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.40 to 2.39; p < 0.001) and lifestyle changes (OR 8.39; 95% CI 3.26 to 21.55; p < 0.001) were associated with greater, while non-adherence to diabetes medications (OR 0.014; 95% CI 0.0025 to 0.085; p < 0.001) and discontinuation of a non-insulin diabetes medication (OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.80; p = 0.016) were associated with lower probability of HbA1c decrease after declining insulin therapy. CONCLUSION: We identified patient characteristics and treatment strategies associated with success and failure of glycemic control after insulin therapy decline by the patient. This information can assist in selection of optimal therapeutic approaches for these individuals.

[Impact of therapeutic advice on prescription of psychotropics for patients with serious mental illness]. / Impact sur la prescription de psychotropes des conseils thérapeutiques formalisés dans un centre référent de réhabilitation psychosociale.

INTRODUCTION: The improvement of prescription constitutes a major challenge for public health. In France, medication is the third cause of serious adverse reaction. The report of the Parliamentary Commission for Evaluation of Health Policy on adequate use of psychotropics mentions their overconsumption. Promoting practices' dissemination and guidelines' respect is one of the missions of the referral psychosocial rehabilitation centers. Therapeutic advice that is offered consists of suggestions for revision in the patient's treatment with the aim of improving the patient's health. To our knowledge, to date no study has focused on the evaluation of therapeutic advice in psychiatry. The present study aimed at analyzing benefits of therapeutic advice for the patients. To this end: (1) a state of things related to actual practices was carried out: psychotropics prescriptions' problems and therapeutic advice proposed by psychiatrists (quantitative and qualitative assessment); (2) the impact of advice on prescription was assessed; (3) patients' benefits were identified. METHOD: This monocentric trial was carried out at the referral psychosocial rehabilitation center of Lyon. This audit was a retrospective observation of electronic medical records (software CortexteNet V2.6). This project was developed by a multidisciplinary staff (pharmacists and psychiatrists) during summer 2015. All patients treated in this center between September 2010 and December 2014 were included. The collection of data was made by two auditors (pharmacist students) thanks to a collection grid with six parts: identification and epidemiology of patients with therapeutic advice, coding tips, benefits, quantitative and qualitative assessment of prescriptions before and after advice. RESULTS: Of the 601 records explored during this study, 66 advices (8.3% of patients) were identified. Patients concerned by therapeutic advice were mainly men with schizophrenia between 35 and 40 years, living in a town and addressed by public psychiatrists. Advice was taken into account in 81.7%, partially in 8.1%, and was beneficial in 97%. The main benefits were clinical improvement (48.5%) and reduction of adverse drug events (36.4%). There were no statistically significant differences between prescriptions (quantitatively and qualitatively) before and after therapeutic advice. CONCLUSION: In most cases, prescriptions of psychotropics were adequate since only 66 advices (8.3% of patients) were given. Psychosocial rehabilitation centers give medication prescribing advice and promote respect of the guidelines. The collaboration between rehabilitation's psychiatrists and other psychiatrists optimizes patient management. It reduces iatrogenic disorders and improves quality and safety of care. Very few studies deal with the prescription of psychotropics in adult psychiatry. This work highlights the positive effect of therapeutic advice for this population. Further controlled studies should clarify the benefits of therapeutic advice.

Missed Opportunities in the Preparticipation Physical Examination for High School Athletes.

The preparticipation sports examination (PPE) is required for US high school athletes. We queried members of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) about what they actually include in a PPE, allotted PPE time, and counseling about full contact sports participation. Of 2300 ICAAP members contacted electronically, 228 (10%) responded, yielding 205 usable surveys. When performing a PPE, 34 (25%) always complete all of 6 selected AAP-recommended PPE components and 102 (74%) always get a concussion history. In contrast, 29 (21%) always complete all of the 6 selected AAP PPE components and 70 (49%) always get a concussion history as part of well-child checkup. Main interferences with clinician proficiency are lack of time and training cited by 49% and 37%, respectively. Pediatricians were evenly divided about whether or not to counsel against full contact sports, but were more likely to do so after the athlete sustained a first concussion.

Discussions About Antibiotics During Adolescent Asthma Visits: Implications for Providers.

Children with asthma are exposed to antibiotics more frequently than their peers. The quality of provider-patient discussion about antibiotics is unknown. In this secondary data analysis, we reviewed existing transcripts of audiotaped adolescent asthma visits using a standardized coding sheet to analyze the quality of communication about antibiotics. Of 539 transcripts, we identified 12 discussions about antibiotics. No patient or parent requested antibiotics. In most cases, discussion was limited to assessment of drug allergies and preferred formulation. In 5 cases (42%), the prescribed antibiotic was not named. We propose a set of communication elements that should be included whenever antibiotics are prescribed, classified into ( a) Essential, such as the drug name and dosing schedule; ( b) Encouraged, such as expected response to therapy; or ( c) Situational, such as discussion of alternatives to antibiotics. Future research should further explore the quality of antibiotic-related conversations among different groups of providers and patients.

Acceptability and feasibility of delegating HIV counseling and testing for TB patients to community health workers in the Philippines: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: The Philippines has a high burden of TB and HIV, yet the WHO estimates that only 13% of Filipino TB patients know their HIV status. This is partly attributable to the lack of trained HIV counselors and medical technologists (or laboratory technicians) at the primary healthcare level. In Africa where resources and manpower are also scarce, TB/HIV care is already delegated to community health workers. Evidence is scant however about the acceptability and feasibility of engaging community health workers to provide HIV counseling and testing (HCT) among TB patients in the Philippines. The objective of this paper is to describe and assess the acceptability and feasibility of delegating HCT among TB patients to barangay (community) health workers (BHWs) in the Philippines. METHODS: Mixed methods study that utilized surveys with patients (n = 89), BHWs (n = 81), and ten focus group discussions with key stakeholders (n = 49) in San Jose del Monte, a city with high HIV prevalence. A facility assessment (n = 17) was done using a modified version of WHO-Service Availability and Readiness Assessment questionnaire to assess feasibility (scale of 1 to 4) while acceptability from the perspective of patients and BHWs was determined using surveys. RESULTS: Only 47% of TB patients agreed to receive HIV counseling from BHWs, while 30% agreed to receive HIV testing. Doctors were preferred by patients as HIV counselors, while medical technologists were preferred as HIV test providers. Two out of three BHWs also disagreed to provide HCT but the same number felt that they could provide HCT if additional trainings were given to them. In the group discussions, BHWs preferred to only provide HIV counseling. Stakeholders said that only select BHWs who meet certain criteria should provide HIV counseling. Program managers and stakeholders rated delegation of HCT to BHWs as moderately feasible. CONCLUSIONS: Delegation of both HIV counseling and testing among TB patients to BHWs is feasible, but only delegation of HIV counseling is acceptable. Further studies are needed to guide revision of Philippine HCT policies to accommodate lay HIV counselors, and strengthen the mechanisms for delivering integrated TB and HIV services especially at the primary healthcare level.

Women's experiences of encounters with healthcare professionals' regarding work after breast-cancer surgery and associations with sickness absence: a 2-year follow-up cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women, and half of those diagnosed are of working age. Positive encounters regarding work from healthcare professionals have been shown to promote return to work among sickness absentees in general. However, the knowledge about encounters possible associations with sickness absence (SA) in women with BC is scarce. AIM: To explore if women had experienced encounters regarding work from healthcare professionals during the first year after BC surgery and if this was associated with SA during the second year after surgery, controlled for treatment and sociodemographic effects. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 690 Swedish women with primary BC, aged 24-63 years included after surgery. Descriptive statistics and adjusted logistic regression (age, birth country, education, self-rated health, treatment) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used. RESULTS: Eighty percent of the women had experienced encounters regarding work. Women who got advice and support regarding work (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.5; 0.3-0.9) or were encouraged to work (adjusted OR 0.6; 0.3-0.9) had less SA. A larger proportion of those encouraged to work had less advanced cancer, surgery, hormone, or radiotherapy. Consistently, women encouraged to be on SA had more SA, but this was partly explained by disease or treatment factors (crude OR 1.6; 1.1-2.4, adjusted OR 1.2 (0.8-1.9) since a larger proportion of those with more advanced cancer, surgery, or chemotherapy had more SA. CONCLUSION: Most women experienced encounters regarding work, and the nature of these encounters were associated with SA 2 years after BC surgery.

Intimacy and sexuality in women with breast cancer: professional guidance needed.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 60-70% of breast cancer survivors experience sexuality problems resulting from treatment. This study investigated information and communication preferences with professionals on the topic intimacy and sexuality of women diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS: Members of the Dutch Breast Cancer Patient Association were surveyed regarding their experiences and preferences about information on intimacy and sexuality. An online questionnaire was developed that included five close-ended and one open-ended question regarding: information received; type of professional preferred; method and timing of communication on the topics of intimacy and sexuality. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. A deductive framework analysis was performed on the open-ended answers to enrich the data of the close-ended questions. RESULTS: In total, 667 female breast cancer (ex-)patients participated. In 46% of the women, the information received matched their needs. Most women preferred to receive information about the impact on intimacy and sexuality from a nurse (66.4%) or primary doctor (27.9%). The preferred method of communication was a conversation with a professional together with their partner (51.6%) or a personal conversation with a professional. Respondents emphasized the importance of appropriate timing of information, preferably at least shortly after the treatment started (45.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that intimacy and sexuality should be repeatedly included in consultations, at every stage of the disease but especially shortly after treatment started. Women with breast cancer expect that professionals (preferably nurse or primary doctor) initiate this subject via a personal conversation (alone or with their partner).

Health Care Providers' Advice on Lifestyle Modification in the US Population: Results from the NHANES 2011-2016.

OBJECTIVE: Health care providers are encouraged to prescribe lifestyle modifications for preventing and managing obesity and associated chronic conditions. However, the pattern of lifestyle advice provision is unknown. We investigate the prevalence of advised lifestyle modification according to weight status and chronic conditions in a US nationally representative sample. METHODS: Adults ages 20-64years (n = 11,467) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2011 and 2016 were analyzed, with weight status and chronic conditions (high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus). Lifestyle modification advice by health care providers included: increase physical activity/exercise, reduce dietary fat/calories, control/lose weight, and all of the above. RESULTS: High blood pressure (32.7%) and cholesterol (29.3%) were highly prevalent compared with osteoarthritis (7.4%), type 2 diabetes (5.7%), and coronary heart disease (3.7%). Those with type 2 diabetes received considerably more frequent advice (56.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 52.4%-60.6%) than those with high blood pressure (31.4%; 95% CI, 29.3%-33.6%) and cholesterol (27.0%; 95% CI, 24.9%-29.3%). Prevalence of lifestyle advice exhibited substantial increases with graded body mass index and comorbidity (all P < .001). After adjusting for comorbid conditions, advice was more commonly reported among women, those overweight/obese, nonwhite, or insured. A remarkably low proportion of overweight (21.4; 95% CI, 18.7%-24.3%) and obese (44.2%; 95% CI, 41.0%-47.4%) adults free of chronic conditions reported receiving any lifestyle advice. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of lifestyle modification advised by health care providers is generally low among US adults with chronic conditions, and worryingly low among those without chronic conditions, however overweight or obese. Prescribed lifestyle modification is a missing opportunity in implementing sustainable strategies to reduce chronic condition burden.

Guideline adherence in hospital recruited and population based COPD patients.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from several studies show poor guideline adherence to COPD treatment, but no such study has been undertaken in Norway. The objectives of this study, was to estimate and compare the guideline adherence to COPD treatment in general population-based and hospital-recruited COPD patients, and find possible predictors of guideline adherence. METHODS: From the prospective, observational EconCOPD-study, we analysed guideline adherence for 90 population-based COPD cases compared to 245 hospital-recruited COPD patients. Overall guideline adherence was defined as correct pharmacological treatment, and influenza vaccination the preceding year, and having received smoking cessation advice. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed with the dichotomous outcome overall guideline adherence adjusting for relevant variables. RESULTS: The overall guideline adherence for population-based COPD cases was 6.7%, significantly lower than the 29.8% overall guideline-adherence amongst hospital-recruited COPD patients. Adherence to pharmacological treatment guidelines was 10.0 and 35.5%, for the two recruitment sources, respectively. GOLD-stage 3 to 4 was associated with significantly better guideline adherence compared to GOLD-stage 2 (OR (95% CI) 18.9 (8.37,42.7)). The unadjusted difference between the two recruitment sources was completely explained by degree of airflow obstruction. CONCLUSION: Overall guideline adherence was very low for both recruitment sources. We call for increased attention from authorities and healthcare personnel to improve the quality of care given to this patient group.