Asthma ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; statistics & numerical data

Asthma ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; statistics & numerical data

China ; Humans ; Poverty ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; statistics & numerical data ; Rural Health Services ; statistics & numerical data

The brief history of acupuncture, its current situation, locations for acupuncture practitioners, the manipulation and indications of acupuncture in Jordan are introduced in this paper. The acupuncture treatment in Jordan started in the early 1990s. Now there are more than 20 private acupuncture clinics in different size, most in the capital city of Amman. Acupuncture practitioners are western doctors who studied acupuncture techniques in China. The indications of acupuncture in Jordan are pain and nervous system diseases. Acupuncture therapy can be applied single or combined with physical therapy.
Acupuncture Therapy ; trends ; Humans ; Jordan ; Moxibustion ; trends ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; statistics & numerical data ; trends

OBJECTIVETo understand the use of lipidemia related assistant examinations and lipid-lowering agents, the clinical ability among physicians in district and community hospitals in Beijing, and to evaluate the capability of dislipidemia diagnosis and treatment in these hospitals.

METHODSA survey was carried out in 42 hospitals in Chaoyang and Haidian district, including 9 district level hospitals, and the rest were at the community level. Questionnaire survey and in-depth interview were used to collect information from the leaders of related departments in those hospitals. A total number of 632 physicians in those hospitals were investigated, using a close book examination.

RESULTS100% of the hospitals could perform TC and TG tests; 87.5% and 72.5% of the hospitals had medications as statins and bile acid, respectively; 100% of the hospitals could test ALT and 40.0% of the hospitals could test CK. The correct rates of selecting treatment strategy and determining the appropriate treatment goals were 53.7% and 17.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe hardware condition of community hospitals seem to have satisfied the implicit requirements of dyslipidemia evaluation and treatment but it was essential to improve the knowledge and ability among physicians in community hospitals.

China ; Data Collection ; Dyslipidemias ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Hospitals, Community ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Practice Patterns, Physicians'

Urologists perform the majority of vasectomies in the United States; however, family medicine physicians (FMPs) perform up to 35%. We hypothesized that differences exist in practice patterns and outcomes between urologists and FMPs. Patients who underwent a vasectomy from 2010 to 2016 were identified. Postvasectomy semen analysis (PVSA) practices were compared between urologists and FMPs, before and after release of the 2012 AUA vasectomy guidelines. From 2010 to 2016, FMPs performed 1435 (35.1%) of all vasectomies. PVSA follow-up rates were similar between the two groups (63.4% vs 64.8%, P = 0.18). Of the patients with follow-up, the median number of PVSAs obtained was 1 (range 1-6) in both groups (P = 0.22). Following the release of guidelines, fewer urologists obtained multiple PVSAs (69.8% vs 28.9% pre- and post-2012, P < 0.01). FMPs had a significant but lesser change in the use of multiple PVSAs (47.5% vs 38.4%, P < 0.01). Both groups made appropriate changes in the timing of the first PVSA, but FMPs continued to obtain PVSAs before 8 weeks (15.0% vs 6.5%, P < 0.01). FMPs had a higher rate of positive results in PVSAs obtained after 8 weeks, the earliest recommended by the AUA guidelines (4.1% vs 1.3%, P < 0.01). Significant differences in PVSA utilization between FMPs and urologists were identified and were impacted by the release of AUA guidelines in 2012. In summary, FMPs obtained multiple PVSAs more frequently and continued to obtain PVSAs prior to the 8-week recommendation, suggesting less penetration of AUA guidelines to nonurology specialties. Furthermore, FMPs had more positive results on PVSAs obtained within the recommended window.
Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Physicians, Family/statistics & numerical data* ; Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data* ; Retrospective Studies ; Urologists/statistics & numerical data* ; Vasectomy/statistics & numerical data* ; Wisconsin

INTRODUCTIONChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem in Singapore. Efforts are being made to right-site CKD care (stage 1 to 3) from specialist outpatient clinics (SOCs) to general practitioners (GPs) to ease congestion. This study aims to identify factors influencing screening and management of CKD among GPs in Singapore.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA survey was conducted among the 1202 GPs between April and September 2010. The survey questionnaire was developed in collaboration with experts in nephrology and general practice, it included questions about screening, awareness and management of CKD.

POPULATION STUDIEDGPs registered with the National Healthcare Group General Practitioner (NHG GP) partner database.

RESULTSThree hundred and two GPs completed the survey. A total of 70% of the respondents were males and with their median years of practice as 18. A total of 86% of them reported screening for CKD while 50% of GPs were confident of managing patients with CKD stage 1; and 38% of GPs are aware of CKD guidelines. Majority of GPs (64%) agreed that right-siting of early CKD patients would ease congestion at SOCs. Some of the obstacles in CKD management listed by the GPs were lack of patient trust, experience and communication with the specialist and the inability of the patient to pay.

CONCLUSIONGPs screen patients for CKD, however their awareness of guidelines is limited. Opportunities exist for improving physician recognition of CKD, awareness of CKD guidelines, improving collaborative care and reimbursement for the patient and the provider. This study has identified factors which when addressed could lead to wider acceptance of CKD right-siting by both the patients and the GPs.

Ambulatory Care Facilities ; utilization ; Female ; General Practice ; Health Care Surveys ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; statistics & numerical data ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Singapore

BACKGROUNDThe self-consciousness and practicality of preferentially prescribed essential medicines (EMs) are not high enough in county hospitals. The purposes of this study were to use the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model to identify the predictors of essential medicines prescribing behavior (EMPB) among doctors and to examine the association between demographic variables, IMB, and EMPB.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was carried out to assess predictive relationships among demographic variables and IMB model variables using an anonymous questionnaire administered in nine county hospitals of Anhui province. A structural equation model was constructed for the IMB model to test the instruments using analysis of moment structures 17.0.

RESULTSA total of 732 participants completed the survey. The average age of the participants was 37.7 ± 8.9 years old (range: 22-67 years old). The correct rate of information was 90.64%. The average scores of the motivation and behavioral skills were 45.46 ± 7.34 (hundred mark system: 75.77) and 19.92 ± 3.44 (hundred mark system: 79.68), respectively. Approximately half (50.8%) of respondents reported that the proportion of EM prescription was below 60%. The final revised model indicated a good fit to the data (χ2 /df = 4.146, goodness of fit index = 0.948, comparative fit index = 0.938, root mean square error of approximation = 0.066). More work experience (β = 0.153, P < 0.001) and behavioral skills (β = 0.449, P < 0.001) predicted more EMPB. Higher income predicted less information (β = -0.197, P < 0.001) and motivation (β = -0.204, P < 0.001). Behavioral skills were positively predicted by information (β = 0.135, P < 0.001) and motivation (β = 0.742, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONThe present study predicted some factors of EMPB, and specified the relationships among the model variables. The utilization rate of EM was not high enough. Motivation and behavior skills were crucial factors affecting EMPB. The influence of demographic variables, such as income and work experience, on EMPB should be fully appreciated. Comprehensive intervention measures should be implemented from multiple perspectives.

Adult ; Aged ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Hospitals, County ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; statistics & numerical data

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prescription behavior for outpatients in primary health care institutions of Yiyang and to provide scientific basis for promoting the rational use of drugs.
 METHODS: A multi-stage random sampling method was conducted in 21 primary health care institutions from Yiyang. Fifteen prescriptions were randomly selected in every month from each institution and a total of 3780 prescriptions were eventually collected in a year.
 RESULTS: Both the number of drugs and percentage of injection in a prescription were greater than the international standards. Children were more likely to be prescribed by multiple prescriptions, antibiotics prescriptions, hormones and injections prescriptions. The utilization of essential drug was more frequent in female. Antibiotics and hormones were more frequently used in summer and autumn season. Polypharmacy, antibiotics, injections and essential drugs were more frequently used in hospitals of small town. The skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases were often treated with multiple prescriptions, while the respiratory diseases were often treated with antibiotics, hormones and injections. Most primary health care institutions were at the upper limit of rational drug use.
 CONCLUSION The usage of prescription drug in most primary health care is rational, but some still surpass international standards. Thus, primary health care physicians should strictly control their prescriptions behavior.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Drug Prescriptions ; statistics & numerical data ; Drug Utilization Review ; Drugs, Essential ; Hormones ; Humans ; Injections ; Outpatients ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; Primary Health Care

Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) are one of the most effective ways to translate evidence of medical improvement into everyday practice. This study evaluated the dissemination and implementation of the Sexually Transmitted Infections-Korean Guidelines (STIKG) by applying the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. A survey questionnaire was administered to clinicians via the internet. Among the 332 respondents, 190 (57.2%) stated that they were aware of STIKG and 107 (33.2%) implemented STIKG in their practice. The odds that a physician was exposed to STIKG (dissemination) were 2.61 times greater among physicians with previous training or education for any CPG than those who did not. Clinicians who indicated that STIKG were easy to understand were 4.88 times more likely to implement STIKG in their practice than those who found them not so easy. When a clinician's workplace had a supporting system for CPG use, the odds of implementation was 3.76 times higher. Perceived level of effectiveness of STIKG did not significantly influence their implementation. The findings of this study suggest that, ultimately, knowing how to engage clinicians in CPG implementation is as important as how to disseminate such guidelines; moreover, easy-to-use guidelines and institutional support are key factors.
Adult ; Female ; Guideline Adherence/*statistics & numerical data ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; *Health Plan Implementation ; Humans ; *Information Dissemination ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Physicians ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; Public Health Surveillance ; Quality of Health Care ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/*therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires