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The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of the most frequent chronic health problems in relation to age in people with intellectual disabilities living in residential facilities in the Netherlands. A prospective cohort study was done with four data collections, each with an interval of one year. Data were collected by means of questionnaires which were completed by each person's physician. Striking results included the reported high prevalence and incidence of visual and hearing impairment, which was even more pronounced in people with Down's syndrome than in people with intellectual disability resulting from other causes. Gastrointestinal problems also appeared to have high incidence rates. Dementia was frequently reported in people with Down's syndrome aged 40 years and older. The results reflect the need for a more predictive policy which can anticipate health problems in people with intellectual disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to reach consensus between students, faculty and general practice teachers on the educational objectives and requirements of the clerkship in general practice.Method: The consensus procedure consisted of four steps and all active general practice teachers (n = 116) were asked to participate in the study.Results: We identified 189 educational objectives: 127 complaints (problems, symptoms, syndromes), 29 clinical skills and 37 objectives concerning the theoretical dimensions of general practice. Educational requirements crystallized to 16 essential preconditions of a teaching practice and 35 didactic activities to be performed by the general practice teachers.Conclusions: These consensus results will be used to structure the medical curriculum and as guidelines for the educational process during the clerkship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Knowledge about the circumstances under which injurious falls occur could provide healthcare workers with better tools to prevent falls and fall-related injuries. Therefore, we assessed whether older persons who sustain an injurious fall can be classified into specific fall types, based on a combination of fall location and activity up to the moment of the fall. In addition, we assessed whether specific injurious fall types are related to causes of the fall, consequences of the fall, socio-demographic characteristics, and health-related characteristics. Methods An exploratory, cross-sectional study design was used to identify injurious fall types. The study population comprised 333 community-dwelling Dutch elderly people aged 65 years or over who attended an accident and emergency department after a fall. All participants received a self-administered questionnaire after being discharged home. The questionnaire comprised items concerning circumstances of the injurious fall, causes of the fall, consequences of the fall, socio-demographic characteristics and health-related characteristics. Injurious fall types were distinguished by analyzing data by means of HOMALS (homogeneity analysis by means of alternating least squares). Results We identified 4 injurious fall types: 1) Indoor falls related to lavatory visits (hall and bathroom); 2) Indoor falls during other activities of daily living; 3) Outdoor falls near the home during instrumental activities of daily living; 4) Outdoor falls away from home, occurring during walking, cycling, and shopping for groceries. These injurious fall types were significantly related to age, cause of the fall, activity avoidance and daily functioning. Conclusion The face validity of the injurious fall typology is obvious. However, we found no relationship between the injurious fall types and severity of the consequences of the fall. Nevertheless, there appears to be a difference between the prevalence of fractures and the cause of the fall between the injurious fall types. Our data suggests that with regard to prevention of serious injuries, we should pay special attention to outdoor fallers and indoor fallers during lavatory visits. In addition, we should have special attention for causes of the fall. However, the conclusions reached in this exploratory analysis are tentative and need to be validated in a separate dataset.

Abstract Background Falls are a major health threat to older community-living people, and initiatives to prevent falls should be a public health priority. We evaluated a Dutch version of a successful British fall prevention programme. Results of this Dutch study showed no effects on falls or daily functioning. In parallel to the effect evaluation, we carried out a detailed process evaluation to assess the feasibility of our multidisciplinary fall prevention programme. The present study reports on the results of this process evaluation. Methods Our fall prevention programme comprised a medical and occupational-therapy assessment, resulting in recommendations and/or referrals to other services if indicated. We used self-administered questionnaires, structured telephone interviews, structured recording forms, structured face-to-face interviews and a plenary group discussion to collect data from participants allocated to the intervention group (n = 166) and from all practitioners who performed the assessments (n = 8). The following outcomes were assessed: the extent to which the multidisciplinary fall prevention programme was performed according to protocol, the nature of the recommendations and referrals provided to the participants, participants' self-reported compliance and participants' and practitioners' opinions about the programme. Results Both participants and practitioners judged the programme to be feasible. The programme was largely performed according to protocol. The number of referrals and recommendations ensuing from the medical assessment was relatively small. Participants' self-reported compliance as regards contacting their GP to be informed of the recommendations and/or referrals was low to moderate. However, self-reported compliance with such referrals and recommendations was reasonable to good. A large majority of participants reported they had benefited from the programme. Conclusion The results of the present study show that the programme was feasible for both practitioners and participants. Main factors that seem to be responsible for the lack of effectiveness are the relatively low number of referrals and recommendations ensuing from the medical assessments and participants' low compliance as regards contacting their GP about the results of the medical assessment. We do not recommend implementing the programme in its present form in regular care. Trial registration ISRCTN64716113

Abstract Background To perform out-of-hours primary care, Dutch general practitioners (GPs) have organised themselves in large-scale GP cooperatives. Roughly, two models of out-of-hours care can be distinguished; GP cooperatives working separate from the hospital emergency department (ED) and GP cooperatives integrated with the hospital ED. Research has shown differences in care utilisation between these two models; a significant shift in the integrated model from utilisation of ED care to primary care. These differences may have implications on costs, however, until now this has not been investigated. This study was performed to provide insight in costs of these two different models of out-of-hours care. Methods Annual reports of two GP cooperatives (one separate from and one integrated with a hospital emergency department) in 2003 were analysed on costs and use of out-of-hours care. Costs were calculated per capita. Comparisons were made between the two cooperatives. In addition, a comparison was made between the costs of the hospital ED of the integrated model before and after the set up of the GP cooperative were analysed. Results Costs per capita of the GP cooperative in the integrated model were slightly higher than in the separate model (ε 11.47 and ε 10.54 respectively). Differences were mainly caused by personnel and other costs, including transportation, interest, cleaning, computers and overhead. Despite a significant reduction in patients utilising ED care as a result of the introduction of the GP cooperative integrated within the ED, the costs of the ED remained the same. Conclusion The study results show that the costs of primary care appear to be more dependent on the size of the population the cooperative covers than on the way the GP cooperative is organised, i.e. separated versus integrated. In addition, despite the substantial reduction of patients, locating the GP cooperative at the same site as the ED was found to have little effect on costs of the ED. Sharing more facilities and personnel between the ED and the GP cooperative may improve cost-efficiency.

Abstract Background Demented nursing home patients are at high risk for falls. Falls and associated injuries can have a considerable influence on the autonomy and quality of life of patients. The prevention of falls among demented patients is therefore an important issue. In order to intervene in an efficient way in this group of patients, it is important to systematically evaluate the fall risk profile of each individual patient so that for each patient tailor-made preventive measures can be taken. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to develop a feasible and evidence based multidisciplinary fall risk evaluation tool to be used for tailoring preventive interventions to the needs of individual demented patients. Methods To develop this multidisciplinary fall risk evaluation tool we have chosen to combine scientific evidence on the one hand and experts' opinions on the other hand. Firstly, relevant risk factors for falling in elderly persons were gathered from the literature. Secondly, a group of Dutch experts in the field of falls and fall prevention in the elderly were consulted to judge the suitability of these risk factors for use in a multidisciplinary fall risk evaluation tool for demented nursing home patients. Thirdly, in order to generate a compact list of the most relevant risk factors for falling in demented elderly, all risk factors had to fulfill a set of criteria indicating their relevance for this specific target population. Lastly the final list of risk factors resulting from the above mentioned procedure was presented to the expert group. The members were also asked to give their opinion about the practical use of the tool. Results The multidisciplinary fall risk evaluation tool we developed includes the following items: previous falls, use of medication, locomotor functions, and (correct) choice and use of assistive and protective devices. The tool is developed for the multidisciplinary teams of the nursing homes. Conclusion This evidence and practice based multidisciplinary fall risk evaluation tool targets the preventive interventions aimed to prevent falls and their negative consequences in demented nursing home patients.

Abstract Background Little is known about the care process after patients have contacted a GP cooperative for out-of-hours care. The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of patients who seek follow-up care after contact with a GP cooperative for out-of-hours care, and to gain insight into factors that are related to this follow-up care. Methods A total of 2805 patients who contacted a GP cooperative for out-of-hours care were sent a questionnaire. They were asked whether they had attended their own GP within a week after their contact with the cooperative, and for what reason. To investigate whether other variables are related to follow-up care, a logistic regression analysis was applied. Variables that entered in this analysis were patient characteristics (age, gender, etc.) and patient opinion on correctness of diagnosis, urgency and severity of the medical complaint. Results The response rate was 42%. In total, 48% of the patients received follow-up care from their own GP. Only 20% were referred or advised to attend their own GP. Others attended because their medical condition worsened or because they were concerned about their complaint. Variables that predicted follow-up care were the patient's opinion on the correctness of the diagnosis, patient's health insurance, and severity of the medical problem. Conclusion Almost half of all patients in this study who contacted the GP cooperative for out-of-hours care attended their own GP during office hours within a week, for the same medical complaint. The most important factor that predicted follow-up care from the patient's own GP after an out-of-hours contact was the patient's degree of confidence in the diagnosis established at the GP cooperative. Despite the limited generalisability, this study is a first step in providing insight into the dimension of follow-up care after a patient has contacted the GP cooperative for out-of-hours primary care.

Abstract Background In recent years, Dutch general practitioner (GP) out-of-hours service has been reorganised into large-scale GP cooperatives. Until now little is known about GPs' experiences with working at these cooperatives for out-of-hours care. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into GPs' satisfaction with working at GP cooperatives for out-of-hours care in separated and integrated cooperatives. Methods A GP cooperative separate from the hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, and a GP cooperative integrated within the A&E department of another hospital. Both cooperatives are situated in adjacent geographic regions in the South of the Netherlands. One hundred GPs were interviewed by telephone; fifty GPs working at the separated GP cooperative and fifty GPs from the integrated GP cooperative. Opinions on different aspects of GP cooperatives for out-of-hours care were measured, and regression analysis was performed to investigate if these could be related to GP satisfaction with out-of-hours care organisation. Results GPs from the separated model were more satisfied with the organisation of out-of-hours care than GPs from the integrated model (70 vs. 60 on a scale score from 0 to 100; P = 0.020). Satisfaction about out-of-hours care organisation was related to opinions on workload, guarantee of gatekeeper function, and attitude towards out-of-hours care as being an essential part of general practice. Cooperation with medical specialists was much more appreciated at the integrated model (77 vs. 48; P < 0.001) versus the separated model. Conclusion GPs in this study appear to be generally satisfied with the organisation of GP cooperatives for out-of-hours care. Furthermore, GPs working at the separated cooperative seem to be more satisfied compared to GPs working at the integrated cooperative.

Abstract Background In recent years out-of-hours primary care in the Netherlands has changed from practice-based to large-scale cooperatives. The purpose of this study is to determine patient satisfaction with current out-of-hours care organised in general practitioner (GP) cooperatives, and gain insight in factors associated with this satisfaction. Methods From March to June 2003, 2805 questionnaires were sent to patients within three weeks after they had contacted the GP cooperative in their region. The study was conducted in the province of Limburg in the South of the Netherlands. One-third of these questionnaires was sent to patients who had only received telephone advice, one-third to patients who attended the GP cooperative for consultation, and one-third to patients who received a home visit. Four weeks after the first reminder, a non-respondents telephone interview was performed among a random sample of 100 patients. Analyses were performed with respect to the type of consultation. Results The total response was 42.4% (1160/2733). Sixty-seven percent of patients who received telephone advice only reported to be satisfied with out-of-hours care. About 80% of patients who went to the GP cooperative for consultation or those receiving a home visit, reported to be satisfied. Factors that were strongly associated with overall satisfaction included, the doctor's assistant's attitude on the phone, opinion on GP's treatment, and waiting time. Conclusion Patients seem generally satisfied with out-of-hours primary care as organised in GP cooperatives. However, patients who received telephone advice only are less satisfied compared to those who attended the GP cooperative or those who received a home visit.

Abstract Background Falls are common among community-dwelling elderly people and can have a considerable impact on quality of life and healthcare costs. People who have sustained a fall are at greater risk of falling again. We replicated a British randomised controlled trial which demonstrated the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary intervention programme to prevent falls. The objective is to describe the design of a replication study evaluating a multidisciplinary intervention programme on recurrent falls and functional decline among elderly persons at risk. The study consists of an effect evaluation, an economic evaluation and a process evaluation. Methods/design The programme is aimed at community-dwelling elderly people aged 65 years or over who have visited an accident and emergency department (A&E department) or a general practitioners' cooperative (GP cooperative) because of a fall. The design involves a two-group randomised controlled trial. Participants are followed for twelve months after baseline. The intervention programme consists of a detailed medical and occupational therapy assessment with referral to relevant services if indicated. People in the control group receive usual care. The main outcome measures of the effect evaluation are number of falls and daily functioning. The economic evaluation will be performed from a societal perspective. A process evaluation will be carried out to evaluate the feasibility of the intervention programme.

A systematic review of the research literature using Medline, Embase, Psyclit/Psycinfo and the Cochrane Library files 1980 through 2001, identified only eight publications based on well-designed studies involving randomised controlled trials (RCTs)--testing the effects of modification of provider-patient interaction and provider consulting style on patient diabetes self-care and diabetes outcomes, in general practice or hospital outpatient settings. Review of these publications leads to the tentative conclusion that focusing on patient behaviour--directly enhancing patient participation i.e. by assistant-guided patient preparation for visits to doctors, empowering group education, group consultations, or automated telephone management--is more effective than focusing on provider behaviour to change their consulting style into a more patient-centred one. The latter proves hard to sustain, needs intensive support, and is not very effective in improving patient self-care and health outcomes when executed alone. Patient behaviour focused interventions show good efficacy and efficiency, and improve patient self-care and diabetes outcomes. More well-designed intervention studies focusing on enhancing patient participation in primary and hospital outpatient diabetes care are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Identifying and describing successful diabetes-related (SDR) behaviors from reports by experiential experts to support people with diabetes in applying for and participating effectively in paid work., Methods: Data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews with experiential experts with diabetes (N = 47)., Results: A comprehensive set of SDR behaviors that can help people with diabetes apply for and participate in paid work. The most important factors were reported to be the ability to anticipate problems in job applications, effective self-management activities to prevent and/or respond to hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia at work, informing relevant others in the workplace, and successfully negotiating with employers about adjustments to work conditions., Conclusions: A set of work-related SDR behaviors was identified. After validation by experiential experts and professionals, these could be translated into recommendations and tested in experiments in self-management programs.

Dutch nursing home care today includes a broad range of institutional and outreaching care functions. Medical care is an essential part of this care. Nursing home medicine in The Netherlands has developed as an officially acknowledged medical specialty. This is unique because The Netherlands is the only country in which nursing home medicine is a specific medical discipline. Because of this, a continuum in the medical care for the elderly has been developed: the family physician for medical care in the community, the nursing home physician for the institutionalized elderly, and the clinical geriatrician plus other medical specialists for elderly who require hospital care. This article describes the characteristics of Dutch nursing home care and nursing home medicine and the advantages of this system. The article also shows that the combination of the medical knowledge of family physician and nursing home physician can be expected to increase the quality of medical care for the disabled elderly in institutions and in the community.

Background: Joint consultation sessions of a small group of general practitioners (GPs) and a specialist in orthopaedics proved to be an effective way of decreasing the referral rate of orthopaedic patients. Cardiac complaints comprise an important category of health problems with high referral rates., Aims: To study the effects of joint consultation on the quality of care and referrals for patients with cardiac complaints., Design of Study: Randomised controlled trial., Setting: Forty-nine GPs participated in 16 consultation groups, each with one of 13 cardiologists, in monthly joint consultations over a period of about 18 months., Method: The GPs selected patients about whom they were uncertain, and those needing urgent referral were excluded. Patients were randomly assigned to joint consultation or to usual care. After a follow-up period all patients had a joint consultation for outcome assessment. Referral data were provided by two regional health insurance companies and questionnaires were given to the patients, GPs, and cardiologists to gauge their opinion of the trial., Results: One hundred and forty-eight patients in the intervention group and 158 patients in the control group fulfilled the whole protocol. The quality of care was similar in both groups. In the intervention group, 34% of the patients were referred, compared with 55% in the control group (P = 0.001), and fewer patients underwent further diagnostic procedures (7% compared with 16%, P = 0.013). Referrals to cardiology as a proportion of all referrals decreased in the practices of the participating GPs, compared with their reference districts (P = 0.024)., Conclusion: Joint consultation is an effective method that provides a quality of care that at least equals usual care and that contributes to a better selection of patients who need specialist care.

The object of this article was to determine the predictive value of risk factors for recurrent falls and the construction of a fall risk model as a contribution to a mobility assessment for the identification of community-dwelling elderly at risk for recurrent falling in general practice. The design was a prospective cohort study (n = 311). There were four primary health care centers. A sample stratified on previous falls, age, and gender of community-dwelling elderly persons aged 70 years or over (n = 311) was taken from the respondents to a mail questionnaire (n = 1660). They were visited at home to assess physical and mental health, balance and gait, mobility and strength. A 36-week follow-up with telephone calls every 6 weeks was conducted. Falls and fall injuries were measured. During follow-up 197 falls were reported by 33% of the participants: one fall by 17% and two or more falls by 16%. Injury due to a fall was reported by 45% of the fallers: 2% hip fractures, 4% other fractures, and 39% minor injuries. A fall risk model for the prediction of recurrent falls with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79, based on logistic regression analysis, showed that the main determinants for recurrent falls were: an abnormal postural sway (OR 3.9; 95% Cl 1.3-12.1), two or more falls in the previous year (OR 3.1; 95% Cl 1.5-6.7), low scores for hand grip strength (OR 3.1; 95% Cl 1.5-6.6), and a depressive state of mind (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.1-4.5). To facilitate the use of the model for clinical practice, the model was converted to a "desk model" with three risk categories: low risk (0-1 predictor), moderate risk (two predictors), and high risk (> or =3 predictors). A fall risk model converted to a "desk model," consisting of the predictors postural sway, fall history, hand dynamometry, and depression, provides added value in the identification of community-dwelling elderly at risk for recurrent falling and facilitates the prediction of recurrent falls.

Objective: To assess whether shared care for stroke patients results in better patient outcome, higher patient satisfaction and different use of healthcare services., Design: Prospective, comparative cohort study., Setting: Two regions in The Netherlands with different healthcare models for stroke patients: a shared care model (stroke service) and a usual care setting., Patients: Stroke patients with a survival rate of more than six months, who initially were admitted to the Stroke Service of the University Hospital Maastricht (experimental group) in the second half of 1997 and to a middle sized hospital in the western part of The Netherlands between March 1997 and March 1999 (control group)., Main Outcome Measures: Functional health status according to the SIP-68, EuroQol, Barthel Index and Rankin Scale, patient satisfaction and use of healthcare services., Results: In total 103 patients were included in this study: 58 in the experimental group and 45 in the control group. Six months after stroke, 64% of the surviving patients in the experimental group had returned home, compared to 42% in the control group (p<0.05). This difference could not be explained by differences in health status, which was comparable at that time. Patients in the shared care model scored higher on patient satisfaction, whereas patients in the usual care group received a higher volume of home care., Conclusions: The Stroke Service Maastricht resulted in a higher number of patients who returned home after stroke, but not in a better health status. Since patients in the usual care group received a higher volume of healthcare in the period of rehabilitation, the Stroke Service Maastricht might be more efficient.

Background: Predictive models of fall risk in the elderly living in the community may contribute to the identification of elderly at risk for recurrent falling., Objectives: Our aim was to investigate occurrence, determinants and health consequences of falls in a community-dwelling elderly population and the contribution of data from patient records to a risk model of recurrent falls., Methods: A population survey was carried out using a postal questionnaire. The questionnaire on occurrence, determinants and health consequences of falls was sent to 2744 elderly persons of 70 years and over, registered in four general practices (n = 27 000). Data were analysed by bivariate techniques and logistic regression., Results: A total of 1660 (60%) responded. Falls (> or =1 fall) in the previous year were reported by 44%: one-off falls by 25% and recurrent falls (> or =2 falls) by 19%. Women had significantly more falls than men. Major injury was reported by 8% of the fallers; minor injury by 49%. Treatment of injuries was by the GP in 67% of cases. From logistic regression, a risk model for recurrent falls, consisting of the risk factors female gender, age 80 years or over, presence of a chronic neurological disorder, use of antidepressants, problems of balance and sense organs and complaints of muscles and joints was developed. The model predicted recurrent falls with a sensitivity of 64%, a specificity of 71%, a positive predictive value of 42% and a negative predictive value of 86%., Conclusion: A risk model consisting of six variables usually known to the GP from the patient records may be a useful tool in the identification of elderly people living in the community at risk for recurrent falls.

Mobility impairments and the consequences of falls can have a considerable impact on community-dwelling elders' autonomy and quality of life. This article describes the development and implementation of a falls and mobility intervention that features preventive home visits by public health nurses; the study accompanying the intervention also is presented. This article offers practical guidelines to health professionals who are considering, developing, implementing, and testing new interventions aimed at the prevention of falls and mobility problems in this population.

This article describes a model changing autonomy which was developed in a grounded theory study among stroke patients on admission into nursing homes for rehabilitation. Three dimensions of autonomy were identified: self-determination, independence, and self-care. On admission, patients' conditions (disabilities, multimorbidity, emotional state, and feeling like a layperson) and patients' strategies (waiting and seeing, and acting as a subordinate) constrain autonomy. Several environmental factors facilitate patient autonomy. The nursing home sustains patient autonomy by providing a hopeful atmosphere and room for autonomy. The health professionals facilitate autonomy by giving therapy, support and information, attentiveness and respect, paternalism and teamwork, Facilitating strategies of the family encompass emotional and instrumental support Care routines, lack of privacy, an unfamiliar environment, waiting periods, boredom, and lack of information were identified as constraining environmental factors. Developing guidelines and multidisciplinary courses regarding the approach to patient autonomy on admission is recommended.

Objective: To evaluate whether a programme of multifactorial home visits reduces falls and impairments in mobility in elderly people living in the community., Design: Randomised controlled trial with 18 months of follow up., Setting: Six general practices in Hoensbroek, the Netherlands., Participants: 316 people aged 70 and over living in the community, with moderate impairments in mobility or a history of recent falls., Intervention: Five home visits by a community nurse over a period of one year. Visits consisted of screening for medical, environmental, and behavioural factors causing falls and impairments in mobility, followed by specific advice, referrals, and other actions aimed at dealing with the observed hazards., Main Outcome Measures: Falls and impairments in mobility., Results: No differences were found in falls and mobility outcomes between the intervention and usual care groups., Conclusion: Multifactorial home visits had no effects on falls and impairments in mobility in elderly people at risk who were living in the community. Because falls and impairments in mobility remain a serious problem among elderly people, alternative strategies should be developed and evaluated.

In a GP database, 318 people with intellectual disability (ID) appeared to have 2.5 times more health problems than people without ID. This short report deals with the nature of the health problems. Consequences for health care policy are discussed.

In this qualitative study stroke patients rehabilitating in nursing homes experienced an increase in their autonomy (particularly in self-determination, independence and self-care) in the last weeks before discharge. The change in autonomy was found to be related to regained abilities and self-confidence, and to patients' strategies (e.g. taking initiative, being assertive). The attitude of health professionals and family, and the nursing home could influence patient autonomy. Overprotection, paternalism, care routines and an inconsistent approach constrain autonomy. Conversely, attentiveness, tailored interventions and a respectful dialogue facilitate autonomy, like moderate instrumental and emotional support by the family. Nursing homes can enhance autonomy by minimizing care routines and by providing room for doing activities independently and privately. Attention to patient autonomy may improve patients' active participation in rehabilitation, quality of life, and autonomous living after discharge. Multidisciplinary guidelines based on the results may increase attention to the stroke patients' autonomy and stimulate a team approach.

Although health care in The Netherlands is of a high quality with strong emphasis on primary care and high accessibility to hospital care, care deficits may arise in patients with chronic complex health problems who need the attention of several caregivers. Because no regular coordinating centre or person exists, coordination of care may be deficient leading to a poor continuity of care. This may be particularly true for those patients being cared for by both primary and hospital care teams, as is the case for most terminal cancer patients. Therefore, a transmural home care intervention programme for terminal cancer patients was introduced which intended to optimize coordination of care and thereby improve continuity of care. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of this intervention (intervention group 79 patients) on indicators of coordination and continuity of care. When compared to standard care (control group 37 patients) moderate positive effects (mainly for the nursing disciplines) on the various indicators of coordination and continuity of care by the transmural home care intervention programme were found. Future prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the effects of transmural care on these aspects of care.

This article describes the results of a grounded theory study among stroke patients (N=17, aged 50-85) in rehabilitation wards in nursing homes. Patient autonomy (dimensions: self-determination, independence and self-care) increases during rehabilitation due to patient factors (conditions and strategies of patient) and environmental factors (nursing home and strategies of health professionals and family). During rehabilitation patients are in a state of transition regarding autonomy: patients need support to enhance autonomy, gradually regain autonomy, and thereby need less support. Although facilitating environmental factors were discovered, patients also experienced constraining factors regarding patient autonomy. Health professionals should give more attention to self-determination and independence; the nursing home should offer stroke patients more opportunities to do familiar activities autonomously.

Objective: To assess the effects of preventive home visits to elderly people living in the community., Design: Systematic review., Setting: 15 trials retrieved from Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane controlled trial register., Main Outcome Measures: Physical function, psychosocial function, falls, admissions to institutions, and mortality., Results: Considerable differences in the methodological quality of the 15 trials were found, but in general the quality was considered adequate. Favourable effects of the home visits were observed in 5 out of 12 trials measuring physical functioning, 1 out of 8 measuring psychosocial function, 2 out of 6 measuring falls, 2 out of 7 measuring admissions to institutions, and 3 of 13 measuring mortality. None of the trials reported negative effects., Conclusions: No clear evidence was found in favour of the effectiveness of preventive home visits to elderly people living in the community. It seems essential that the effectiveness of such visits is improved, but if this cannot be achieved consideration should be given to discontinuing these visits.

In a cross-sectional, population-based study among community-dwelling persons of 55 years and over the incidence of falls, risk indicators for falls, specifically age, and the impact of gait problems, falls and other risk factors on functioning was determined. A randomly age-stratified sample (n = 655) was taken from all independent living persons of 55 years and over (n = 2269) and registered in a primary health care centre. They received a mail questionnaire concerning demographic data, history of falls and injuries due to falls, physical and mental health status, gait problems, functional status, including social activities. The response rate was 62% (n = 405). Of the subjects aged 55 years and of those aged 65 years and over, 25% and 31% respectively fell at least once in the previous year. Half of the people reporting falls fell more than once. Serious injury occurred in 9% of the fallers, with 4% fractures. There is a significant association between falling and age and, even more clearly, between gait problems and age. The main risk factors of single and recurrent falls were female gender, physical health status and gait problems. Logistic regression analysis reveals that the main determinants of falling in general are gait problems and female gender and, of recurrent falling female gender, physical complaints and gait problems. Falls have some negative effect on functioning, i.e. mobility range and social activities, but this is overshadowed by mental status indicators and gait problems.

The economic implications of home care service programmes for oncology patients remain unclear. This quasi-experimental study investigated the costs of a transmural home care programme for terminal cancer patients and compared them to those of the standard care available. The programme intended to optimize communication, cooperation and coordination between the intra- and extra- mural health care organizations (transmural care). Complete sets of data could be retrieved for 57 of the 79 patients in the intervention group, and for 29 of the 37 patients in the control group. Comparison of the intervention and control group revealed significantly lower pharmaceutical and rehospitalization costs in the intervention group, whilst community nursing and home help costs were significantly higher. However, no significant difference could be found for total health care costs between the groups. In view of this, and that the programme has proved to have significantly positive effects on both the patient's and direct caregiver's quality of life, the installation of such programmes in every hospital with a multidisciplinary oncology unit is recommended.

Despite their wishes, terminal cancer patients are frequently readmitted to hospitals. This appears in part to be due to poor communication amongst professional caregivers and/or the overburdening of their (informal) caregivers. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of a transmural home care programme on re-hospitalization, quality of life and place of death for terminal cancer patients. The programme intended to optimize communication, cooperation and coordination between intra- and extra-mural health care organizations (transmural care). Initial patient characteristics of the intervention group (n = 79) matched those of the control group (n = 37) well. When compared to the control group, which received the standard community care, patients in the intervention group underwent significantly less re-hospitalization during the terminal phase of their illness (5.8 versus 11.5 days; P < 0.01) while the intervention contributed significantly positive to the patients' "physical" quality of life 1 month after the start of the intervention. A higher, but not significant (P = 0.06) percentage of patients in the intervention group also died at home (81 versus 65%). The introduction of measures to enhance coordination and cooperation of intra- and extramural care, seems to be an improvement compared to standard community care.

Objective: To investigate whether for patients with incurable cancer comprehensive home care programmes are more effective than standard care in maintaining the patients' quality of life and reducing their "readmission time" (percentage of days spent in hospital from start of care till death)., Design: Systematic review., Methods: A computer aided search was conducted using the databases of Medline, Embase, CancerLit, and PsychLit. The search for studies and the assessment of the methodological quality of the relevant studies were performed by two investigators, blinded from each other. Prospective, controlled studies investigating the effects of a home care intervention programme on patients' quality of life or on readmission time were included in the analyses., Results: Only 9 prospective controlled studies were found; eight were performed in the United States and 1 in the United Kingdom. Their methodological quality was judged to be moderate (median rating 62 on a 100 point scale). None of the studies showed a negative influence of home care interventions on quality of life. A significantly positive influence on the outcome measures was seen in 2 out of the 5 studies measuring patients' satisfaction with care, in 3/7 studies measuring physical dimensions of quality of life, in 1/6 studies measuring psychosocial dimensions, and in 2/5 studies measuring readmission time. The incorporation of team members' visits to patients at home or regular multidisciplinary team meetings into the intervention programme seemed to be related to positive results., Conclusions: The effectiveness of comprehensive home care programmes remains unclear. Given the enormity of the problems faced by society in caring for patients with terminal cancer, further research is urgently needed.

This study investigated both professional caregiver workload as well as the patients' and caregivers' satisfaction with a transmural home care program. Seventy-nine patients were included in the intervention program. The specialist nurse coordinator, general practitioner, community nurse providing 'intensive' community care, community nurses providing 'standard' community care, and the home helper spent in total an average of 7.5, 4.4, 55.6, 55.0, and 112.3 h, respectively, on each patient during the care process (mean survival of the 79 patients was 101.2 days). The 24 h telephone service and transmural home team were contacted in total 100 and 8 times, respectively. Patient and caregiver satisfaction with the care provided scored (very) high. Considering this acceptable workload and given that the program did not interfere with existing standard health care structures, it can be concluded that such care may easily be introduced by other hospitals and related primary care teams.

Background: The burden of caring for terminal cancer patients has a negative effect on the informal caregivers' quality of life., Objectives: To investigate the effects of a transmural home care intervention program for terminal cancer patients on the direct caregivers' (the patient's principal informal caregiver) quality of life, compared with standard care programs. The intervention program intended to optimize the cooperation and coordination between the intramural and extramural health care organizations (transmural care)., Methods: Direct caregivers of terminal cancer patients (estimated prognosis of less than 6 months) could be included in this quasi-experimental study. The direct caregivers' quality of life was measured in a multidimensional way 1 week before (T1), 1 week after (T2), and 4 weeks after (T3) the patient's discharge from the hospital (discharge being the starting point of the intervention), then again at 3 months after the patient's death (T4). Factor analyses on the four outcome measures yielded one factor. This was considered the primary outcome measure and was named the Overall Quality of Life Index (OQOLI)., Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that the intervention contributed significantly positively to the direct caregivers' OQOLI at T2 (beta=.30; p < .05) and T4 (beta=.28; p < or = .05), compared with standard care., Conclusion: Transmural care forms a significantly positive contribution to the OQOLI of direct caregivers of terminal cancer patients 1 week after the patient's discharge from the hospital and 3 months after the patient's death. Good terminal care also appears to be important for direct caregivers as well, with respect to perceived quality of life.

This article presents a concept analysis of autonomy in relation to the rehabilitation of stroke patients. Analysis of the results of a literature survey provided three important concepts of autonomy in the field of biomedical ethics: self-governance, self-realization and actual autonomy. These concepts are compared with concepts from caring sciences and summarized in a table. The results indicate the importance of the social environment (formal and informal caregivers) for the restoration of autonomy. Because of the patient's condition and context, a social concept of autonomy makes more sense in the rehabilitation of stroke patients in nursing homes than does an individual concept. The concept analysis sheds light on the fact that the majority of studies regarding patient autonomy are primarily based on theoretical reflections, not on empirical studies. More research is warranted to gather information on how patients themselves consider and appreciate autonomy during rehabilitation, to explore the views of stroke patients' formal and informal caregivers and to investigate whether a social concept of autonomy is suitable for all phases of rehabilitation. Concerning the practice of rehabilitation, no definite conclusion can be given as yet.

Chronically ill elderly clients in three communities in the Netherlands were provided with the services of care coordinators. Two studies were performed to evaluate the effects of this intervention. A study among 38 coordinators addressed the effects on the continuity of care. A second study among 72 elderly clients addressed the effects on client satisfaction. While the study among coordinators clearly revealed effects on continuity (especially for interpersonal continuity), hardly any effects on satisfaction with care were reported by clients. Therefore, the appointment of care coordinators seems valuable when aimed at increasing continuity, but other interventions can be more appropriate for the improvement of client care.

The Dutch GP is in a unique (potential) position within the health care system with regard to clinical health promotion. An essential feature is the integration in the regular consultation. The concept of anticipatory care seems fit to understand this integration. Because of the GP's (anticipatory) knowledge of the patient's medical history, lifestyle, risk factors, living conditions, health perceptions and family context, he has the opportunity to include during the consultation, aspects of health promotion and disease prevention. The production of evidence-based guidelines by the Dutch College of General Practitioners greatly enhances the integration of health promotion within the consultation. Strategies for the implementation are needed on three different levels: encouragement of the patient to ask questions, training of the GP and organization of the practice. An important aspect of the last strategy concerns systematic delegation of health promotion tasks, usually related to the guidelines, to the practice assistant or practice nurse. Recent legislation in the Netherlands underlines and advances the above mentioned trends.