OBJECTIVE:To study the effects on sick leave from an early multidisciplinary assessment at a primary health care centre.DESIGN:Randomized controlled trial.SETTING:Patients who saw GPs at a primary health care centre in mid-Sweden and asked for a sickness certificate for psychiatric or musculoskeletal diagnoses were invited to participate. Patients included were sick-listed for less than four weeks; 33 patients were randomized either to an assessment within a week by a physiotherapist, a psychotherapist, and an occupational therapist or to "standard care". The therapists used methods and tools they normally use in their clinical work.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:Proportion of patients still sick-listed three months after randomization, total and net days on sick leave, and proportion who were on part-time sick leave. Results. At follow-up after three months, in contrast to the pre-trial hypothesis, there was a trend toward a higher proportion of patients still sick-listed in the intervention group (7/18) as compared with the control group (3/15). The intervention group also had significantly longer sick-listing periods (mean 58 days) than the control group (mean 36 days) (p = 0.038). The proportion of patients who were part time sick-listed was significantly higher in the intervention group (10/18) than in the control group (2/15) (p = 0.027).CONCLUSIONS:In this study an early multidisciplinary assessment was associated with longer periods on sick leave and more individuals on part-time sick leave.

Existential and religious dimensions in medical practice: : perspectives from the Nordic risk group

Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) was followed in repeated prevalence surveys in a cohort of non-institutionalized residents (n=330), aged>or=80 y. Urine samples were collected at baseline, and at 6, and at 18 months. Phenotyping (PhenePlate) was performed on isolates of Escherichia coli to evaluate strain relatedness. ASB occurred in 19.0, 19.4, and 19.9% in women, and in 9.4, 9.6 and 7.9% in men, at baseline and at the 6- and 18-months follow-up, respectively, and ASB was found at least once in 37% of women and in 20% of men. Of those with ASB at baseline, 60% also had ASB in the 2 subsequent surveys. Among those with persisting E. coli bacteriuria, 76% and 40%, respectively, carried the same strain at the 6- and 18-months follow-ups. In women, we found that the risk of developing a symptomatic urinary tract infection within 24 months was higher among those with ASB at baseline than in those without bacteriuria (p=0.019). ASB is common and often persistent, but we found a high turnover of strains, indicating a high rate of recolonization.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the association between bacteriuria and frequency and type of urinary incontinence in elderly people living in the community. Bacteriuria and urinary incontinence are common conditions and often coexisting in this population; the authors have previously reported the prevalence of bacteriuria to be 22.4% in women and 9.4% in men. DESIGN:Cross-sectional study. SETTING:The catchment area of a primary healthcare centre in a Swedish middle-sized town. SUBJECTS:Residents, except for those in nursing homes, aged 80 and over. Participation rate: 80.3% (431/537). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Urinary cultures and questionnaire data on urinary incontinence. RESULTS:In women the OR for having bacteriuria increased with increasing frequency of urinary incontinence; the OR was 2.83 (95% CI 1.35-5.94) for women who were incontinent daily as compared with continent women. Reporting urge urinary incontinence increased the risk of having bacteriuria: 3.36 (95% CI 1.49-7.58) in comparison with continent women while there was no significant association between stress urinary incontinence and bacteriuria. The prevalence of bacteriuria among men was too low to make any meaningful calculations about the association between bacteriuria and frequency and type of incontinence. CONCLUSION:Bacteriuria is associated with more frequent leakage and predominantly with urge urinary incontinence. The causes of this association and their clinical implications remain unclear. There might be some individuals who would benefit from antibiotic treatment, but further studies are warranted.

BACKGROUND:Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is common among the elderly in institutional care, but less is known about its prevalence among the elderly living in community settings. Knowledge of the prevalence of ASB in this population could contribute to a reduction in unnecessary use of antibiotics.OBJECTIVE:To study the prevalence of ASB and associated health and social factors in a population of elderly people, aged 80 and over, in a community setting.DESIGN:A cross-sectional study.SETTING:The catchment area of a primary health care centre in a Swedish middle-sized town.METHOD:All residents, aged 80 and over, except for those in institutional living, were invited. A structured interview was carried out and urinary culture obtained.RESULTS:ASB was found in 14.8% of the participants, in 19.0% of the women and 5.8% of the men. In women independent associations with ASB were found for urinary incontinence (OR: 2.99, CI: 1.60-5.60), reduced mobility (OR: 2.68, CI: 1.42-5.03) and oestrogen treatment (OR: 2.20, CI: 1.09-4.45).CONCLUSION:Bacteriuria is common among the elderly living in non-institutional community settings, especially among women, although not as common as among the elderly in institutional settings. A woman over 80, with urinary incontinence, and needing support to walk has a risk of nearly 50% of presenting with ASB, a condition about which there is consensus not to treat with antibiotics. This should be borne in mind when examining patients with diffuse symptomatology and an accidental finding of bacteriuria.

The aim of this study was to describe attitudes and doctors' practice regarding the sick-listing process. Using a questionnaire distributed among newly sick-listed patients, their doctors,employers ...

OBJECTIVE:To find out whether administrative changes regulating sick-listing benefits affect sick-listing practice among physicians in hospitals and primary health care.SETTING:New sick-listing cases from four social security offices in mid-Sweden.DESIGN:A natural experiment design was used with a sample of newly started sick-listed cases collected 6 months before a sick-listing reform and a further sample taken 6 months after. The data were collected in a 1-year follow-up period in both samples.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Net days of sick-listing and percentage partial sick-listings. Compliance by doctors in providing information asked for in sickness certification forms.RESULTS:Doctors filled in the forms more completely after the reform than they did before it. There was an inverse correlation between completeness of information and length of sick-listing. When potential confounding factors were taken into account, no change was seen in the proportion of partial sick-listing, in the mean number of net days of sick-listing or in the distribution of length of sick-listing periods. The proportion of all sick-listings made by general practitioners increased.CONCLUSIONS:Administrative changes restricting sick-listing benefits did change some aspects of sick-listing practice but had no effect on length of sick-listing.

Objective - To analyse the influence on sick-listing of speciality and sex of the prescribing doctor and of patients' way of presenting their problem. Design - A sample of 360 general practitioners (GPs), 180 psychiatrists and 180 orthopaedic surgeons were presented case vignettes and asked to fill in a sick certificate for each case. The cases were chosen to reflect common causes of sick-listing in Sweden. The vignettes for each case were presented in three versions with uniform biomedical information plus a variation in the patient's attitude to sick-listing. Setting - Swedish general practice and hospital physicians. Main outcome measures - Proportion of cases not being sick-listed and costs for the period certified. Results - The most important factor affecting sick-listing was the patient's attitude to sick-listing. Patients wishing sick-listing were sick-listed to a greater extent than those who were reluctant. In addition, GPs sick-listed more than orthopaedic surgeons and less than psychiatrists. Female doctors sick-listed more than male doctors, irrespective of speciality and patient attitude. Conclusion - Sick-listing is influenced by the physician's speciality and sex. Doctors are strongly influenced by how the patients present their problem.

Objective - To describe sick-listing habits in general practice, how common it is and for how long and for what diagnoses it is granted. Design - Medical audit study. Setting - Primary health care. Subjects - 53 general practitioners (GPs) registering all cases during a 2-week period when sick-listing was considered. Main outcome measures - Percentage of GP consultations that involved sick-listing, number of days of certified sick-leave, percentage of partial sick-listing, GP sex differences. Results - 9% of all consultations included a consideration about sick-listing, and in only 6% of these instances was a certificate not issued. The median length of the certified sickness period was 14 days. Musculoskeletal problems were by far the most common diagnosis. Female patients were more often partially sick-listed than males. Female GPs sick-listed a larger proportion of their patients than male GPs. Risk factors for long certification periods were in fact associated with long certification periods. Even in cases where the GP would not recommend sick-listing a certificate was issued in 87%. Conclusions - Patients appear to have a strong influence on sick-listing practice, and there are important sex differences among GPs in this practice.