Using a Common Form for Consistent Collection and Reporting of FASD Data from Across Canada: A Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of collecting information on individuals newly diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in multi-disciplinary diagnostic programs across Canada. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequencies of specific diagnoses within the spectrum, the frequencies and patterns of specific functional deficits, and the range of recommendations made for intervention and management for children and adults. METHODS: All qualifying clinics in Canada were invited to join this project and complete questionnaires on the patients that were seen during the research period. RESULTS: Over half of all clinics participated (25/45) and submitted the information requested on 307 individuals, ranging in age from 1 to 42 years. Two hundred and eighty-nine individuals had a diagnosis of FASD and were analysed further. The percent of individuals with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was 2.1% of those with FASD diagnoses, which was lower than expected based on the literature. The level of disability among the entire FASD was always significant with at least 3 domains measured as severely impaired via the criteria for diagnosis but almost one-quarter were extremely disabled with 6 of a possible 9 brain domains measured significantly impaired. No specific patterns of functional disability were found to represent any significant subgroup of the patients. An average of 13 new recommendations for intervention and management were made for each patient in health, mental health, social services, and education. CONCLUSION: Although this was a pilot study with a relatively small sample, it is the largest collection of cases of FASD from multiple sites in one country ever published to our knowledge. It illustrates that important patient information can be collected across clinical programs considering the diagnosis of FASD but only with financial support for time and personnel. Using the methodology of a common data form, consistent data collection can be achieved and patterns and trends can be identified that can help with assuring consistency in diagnosis and with planning for improved patient outcomes.

The Relationship Between Dermatologist- and Patient-Reported Acne Severity Measures and Treatment Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Acne treatment recommendations for individual patients may be derived from multiple factors including dermatologist- and patient-reported constructs. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of dermatologist- and patient-reported measures on acne treatment recommendations by dermatologists. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional survey of acne patients was conducted with patient-reported quality of life and dermatologist-reported measures of primary and secondary (scar) acne severity using 3 assessment approaches: maximal regional grade, total grade, and facial grade. RESULTS: The most highly associated factors with acne treatment recommendations were patient emotions, maximal regional acne severity, and total acne scar grade. Better acne-specific quality of life was negatively related to acne treatment recommendation intensity, while all 3 grading approaches were positively related to acne treatment recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: For dermatologists, overall acne severity is most highly associated with maximal regional acne grade, total scar grade, and patient's emotional response to acne.

Effect of provider and patient reminders, deployment of nurse practitioners, and financial incentives on cervical and breast cancer screening rates.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the Provider and Patient Reminders in Ontario: Multi-Strategy Prevention Tools (P-PROMPT) reminder and recall system and pay-for-performance incentives on the delivery rates of cervical and breast cancer screening in primary care practices in Ontario, with or without deployment of nurse practitioners (NPs). DESIGN: Before-and-after comparisons of the time-appropriate delivery rates of cervical and breast cancer screening using the automated and NP-augmented strategies of the P-PROMPT reminder and recall system. SETTING: Southwestern Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 232 physicians from 24 primary care network or family health network groups across 110 different sites eligible for pay-for-performance incentives. INTERVENTIONS: The P-PROMPT project combined pay-for-performance incentives with provider and patient reminders and deployment of NPs to enhance the delivery of preventive care services. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The mean delivery rates at the practice level of time-appropriate mammograms and Papanicolaou tests completed within the previous 30 months. RESULTS: Before-and-after comparisons of time-appropriate delivery rates (< 30 months) of cancer screening showed the rates of Pap tests and mammograms for eligible women significantly increased over a 1-year period by 6.3% (P < .001) and 5.3% (P < .001), respectively. The NP-augmented strategy achieved comparable rate increases to the automated strategy alone in the delivery rates of both services. CONCLUSION: The use of provider and patient reminders and pay-for-performance incentives resulted in increases in the uptake of Pap tests and mammograms among eligible primary care patients over a 1-year period in family practices in Ontario.

Community mobilization, participation, and blood pressure status in a Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program in Ontario.

PURPOSE: To determine the feasibility of a community-wide approach integrated with primary care (Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program [CHAP]) to promote monitoring of blood pressure (BP) and awareness of cardiovascular disease risk. DESIGN: Demonstration project. SETTING: Two midsized Ontario communities. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling seniors. INTERVENTION: CHAP sessions were offered in pharmacies and promoted to seniors using advertising and personalized letters from physicians. Trained volunteers measured BP, completed risk profiles, and provided risk-specific education materials. METHOD: We examined the distribution of risk factors among participants and predictors of multiple visits and elevated BP. RESULTS: Opinion leaders aided recruitment of family physicians (n  =  56/63) and pharmacists (n  =  18/19). Over 90 volunteers were recruited. Invitations were mailed to 4394 seniors. Over 10 weeks, there were 4165 assessments of 2350 unique participants (approximately 30% of senior residents). 37.5% of attendees had untreated (16%; 360/2247) or uncontrolled (21.5%; 482/2247) high BP. Participants who received a letter (odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-3.0), had an initial elevated BP (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.5), or reported current antihypertensive medication (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.6) were more likely to attend multiple sessions (p ≤ .05 for all). Older age (≥ 70 years; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.8), BMI ≥ 30 (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.4-2.2), current antihypertensive medication (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-1.9), and diabetes (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.9-3.2) predicted elevated BP (p < .001 for all). CONCLUSION: The program yielded learning about community mobilization and identified a substantial number of seniors with undiagnosed/uncontrolled high BP.

Impact of a computerized system for evidence-based diabetes care on completeness of records: a before-after study.

BACKGROUND: Physicians practicing in ambulatory care are adopting electronic health record (EHR) systems. Governments promote this adoption with financial incentives, some hinged on improvements in care. These systems can improve care but most demonstrations of successful systems come from a few highly computerized academic environments. Those findings may not be generalizable to typical ambulatory settings, where evidence of success is largely anecdotal, with little or no use of rigorous methods. The purpose of our pilot study was to evaluate the impact of a diabetes specific chronic disease management system (CDMS) on recording of information pertinent to guideline-concordant diabetes care and to plan for larger, more conclusive studies. METHODS: Using a before-after study design we analyzed the medical record of approximately 10 patients from each of 3 diabetes specialists (total = 31) who were seen both before and after the implementation of a CDMS. We used a checklist of key clinical data to compare the completeness of information recorded in the CDMS record to both the clinical note sent to the primary care physician based on that same encounter and the clinical note sent to the primary care physician based on the visit that occurred prior to the implementation of the CDMS, accounting for provider effects with Generalized Estimating Equations. RESULTS: The CDMS record outperformed by a substantial margin dictated notes created for the same encounter. Only 10.1% (95% CI, 7.7% to 12.3%) of the clinically important data were missing from the CDMS chart compared to 25.8% (95% CI, 20.5% to 31.1%) from the clinical note prepared at the time (p < 0.001) and 26.3% (95% CI, 19.5% to 33.0%) from the clinical note prepared before the CDMS was implemented (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between dictated notes created for the CDMS-assisted encounter and those created for usual care encounters (absolute mean difference, 0.8%; 95% CI, -8.5% to 6.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The CDMS chart captured information important for the management of diabetes more often than dictated notes created with or without its use but we were unable to detect a difference in completeness between notes dictated in CDMS-associated and usual-care encounters. Our sample of patients and providers was small, and completeness of records may not reflect quality of care.

Computerized clinical decision support systems for primary preventive care: a decision-maker-researcher partnership systematic review of effects on process of care and patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Computerized clinical decision support systems (CCDSSs) are claimed to improve processes and outcomes of primary preventive care (PPC), but their effects, safety, and acceptance must be confirmed. We updated our previous systematic reviews of CCDSSs and integrated a knowledge translation approach in the process. The objective was to review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of CCDSSs for PPC on process of care, patient outcomes, harms, and costs. METHODS: We conducted a decision-maker-researcher partnership systematic review. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Ovid's EBM Reviews Database, Inspec, and other databases, as well as reference lists through January 2010. We contacted authors to confirm data or provide additional information. We included RCTs that assessed the effect of a CCDSS for PPC on process of care and patient outcomes compared to care provided without a CCDSS. A study was considered to have a positive effect (i.e., CCDSS showed improvement) if at least 50% of the relevant study outcomes were statistically significantly positive. RESULTS: We added 17 new RCTs to our 2005 review for a total of 41 studies. RCT quality improved over time. CCDSSs improved process of care in 25 of 40 (63%) RCTs. Cumulative scientifically strong evidence supports the effectiveness of CCDSSs for screening and management of dyslipidaemia in primary care. There is mixed evidence for effectiveness in screening for cancer and mental health conditions, multiple preventive care activities, vaccination, and other preventive care interventions. Fourteen (34%) trials assessed patient outcomes, and four (29%) reported improvements with the CCDSS. Most trials were not powered to evaluate patient-important outcomes. CCDSS costs and adverse events were reported in only six (15%) and two (5%) trials, respectively. Information on study duration was often missing, limiting our ability to assess sustainability of CCDSS effects. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence supports the effectiveness of CCDSSs for screening and treatment of dyslipidaemia in primary care with less consistent evidence for CCDSSs used in screening for cancer and mental health-related conditions, vaccinations, and other preventive care. CCDSS effects on patient outcomes, safety, costs of care, and provider satisfaction remain poorly supported.

Computerized clinical decision support systems for chronic disease management: a decision-maker-researcher partnership systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The use of computerized clinical decision support systems (CCDSSs) may improve chronic disease management, which requires recurrent visits to multiple health professionals, ongoing disease and treatment monitoring, and patient behavior modification. The objective of this review was to determine if CCDSSs improve the processes of chronic care (such as diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of disease) and associated patient outcomes (such as effects on biomarkers and clinical exacerbations). METHODS: We conducted a decision-maker-researcher partnership systematic review. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Ovid's EBM Reviews database, Inspec, and reference lists for potentially eligible articles published up to January 2010. We included randomized controlled trials that compared the use of CCDSSs to usual practice or non-CCDSS controls. Trials were eligible if at least one component of the CCDSS was designed to support chronic disease management. We considered studies 'positive' if they showed a statistically significant improvement in at least 50% of relevant outcomes. RESULTS: Of 55 included trials, 87% (n = 48) measured system impact on the process of care and 52% (n = 25) of those demonstrated statistically significant improvements. Sixty-five percent (36/55) of trials measured impact on, typically, non-major (surrogate) patient outcomes, and 31% (n = 11) of those demonstrated benefits. Factors of interest to decision makers, such as cost, user satisfaction, system interface and feature sets, unique design and deployment characteristics, and effects on user workflow were rarely investigated or reported. CONCLUSIONS: A small majority (just over half) of CCDSSs improved care processes in chronic disease management and some improved patient health. Policy makers, healthcare administrators, and practitioners should be aware that the evidence of CCDSS effectiveness is limited, especially with respect to the small number and size of studies measuring patient outcomes.

Development and validation of a Scale for Acne Scar Severity (SCAR-S) of the face and trunk.

BACKGROUND: scarring is an important component of overall acne severity, but there are no global scales for its evaluation inclusive of the face and trunk. OBJECTIVE: our objective was to develop a global scale for acne scar severity inclusive of the trunk and the face. METHODS: a six-category global severity scale (SCAR-S) was developed for assessment of acne scarring at each of the face, chest, and back. We evaluated SCAR-S against acne severity and patient-reported scar severity. RESULTS: of 973 subjects, 73% reported acne scarring. Self-assessment of scarring was associated with facial SCAR-S and overall SCAR-S scores (p < .001, r = .31 and .30, respectively). Acne scarring was observed at the face in 87%, the back in 51%, and the chest in 38%. Clinically relevant scarring (mild or greater) at each of these regions was 55%, 24%, and 14%, respectively. Acne severity correlated with SCAR-S (p < .001) for the back (r = .612), the chest (r = .548), and the face (r = .514). Acne duration correlated with patient-reported severity of scarring (r = .244) and overall SCAR-S scores (r = .152). Clinically relevant scarring increased with acne duration. CONCLUSION: SCAR-S is a practical, validated, global system for acne scar evaluation and is clinically relevant in overall severity grading of acne.

Detection of cognitive impairment and dementia using the animal fluency test: the DECIDE study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of a one-minute screening test measured against a validated 10-minute screening test for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in detecting CI in patients aged > or = 65 years with two or more vascular risk factors (VRF). METHODS: Patients (n=1523) aged 65 years or older without documented CI symptoms or dementia with two or more VRF participated in this study set in Canadian primary care practice. Baseline data was collected, followed by the 1-minute animal fluency (AF) test and the 10-minute Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Physicians (n=122) completed case reports during patient interviews and reported their diagnostic impression. AF test sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in predicting a positive MoCA was assessed. RESULTS: Study sample mean age was 79.7 years, 55% were female, 97.6% were Caucasian and 75% had < or = 12 years of education. The AF test and MoCA detected CI in 52 and 56 percent of the study population, respectively. The AF test demonstrated sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in predicting a positive MoCA of 67 percent each. Physicians diagnostic impression of MCI was reported for 37% of patients, and of dementia for 6%. CONCLUSION: In an elderly population with at least two VRF, using AF can be useful in detecting previously unknown symptoms of CI or dementia. Screening for CI in this high risk population is warranted to assist physician recognition of early CI. The short AF administration time favours its incorporation into clinical practice.

Effect of quality of life impact and clinical severity on adherence to topical acne treatment.

BACKGROUND: Topical medications are the most commonly prescribed treatments for acne patients. However, adherence to these treatments and possible associations with clinical severity and quality of life (QoL) impact are unclear. PURPOSE: We evaluated the association between sociodemographic factors, clinical severity, and QoL impact and adherence to topical acne treatments. METHODS: This was an observational study of acne patients referred for usual care to community-based dermatologists. Adherence was assessed with questionnaires after 2 months of acne therapy. The associations of adherence with factors of interest were evaluated by chi-square analysis and Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS: In 152 acne patients treated with topical medications, low adherence was observed in 26%, medium in 49%, and high in 24%. Age, gender, duration of acne, education level, third-party drug plan coverage, smoking history, recreational drug use, ingestion of alcohol, and number of prescribed topical agents were not significantly associated with adherence. Adherence was significantly positively correlated with QoL impact (r = .24, p = .003), with the role-emotional and self-perception domains having the highest correlations. In contrast, adherence was weakly negatively correlated with facial acne severity (r = -.16, p = .047). LIMITATIONS: This study focused on facial acne, and adherence was based on patient reporting. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to topical acne therapy increases with impact on QoL but decreases with increasing acne severity.

Women's views on reminder letters for screening mammography: Mixed methods study of women from 23 family health networks.

OBJECTIVE: To explore women's perspectives on the acceptability and content of reminder letters for screening mammography from their family physicians, as well as such letters' effect on screening intentions. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mailed survey followed by focus groups with a subgroup of respondents. SETTING: Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: One family physician was randomly selected from each of 23 family health networks and primary care networks participating in a demonstration project to increase the delivery of preventive services. From the practice roster of each physician, up to 35 randomly selected women aged 50 to 69 years who were due or overdue for screening mammograms and who had received reminder letters from their family physicians within the past 6 months were surveyed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Recall of having received reminder letters and of their content, influence of the letters on decisions to have mammograms, and interest in receiving future reminder letters. Focus group interviews with survey respondents explored the survey findings in greater depth using a standardized interview guide. RESULTS: The response rate to the survey was 55.7% (384 of 689), and 45.1% (173 of 384) of responding women reported having mammograms in the past 6 months. Among women who recalled receiving letters and either making appointments for or having mammograms, 74.8% (122 of 163) indicated that the letters substantially influenced their decisions. Most respondents (77.1% [296 of 384]) indicated that they would like to continue to receive reminders, and 28.9% (111 of 384) indicated that they would like to receive additional information about mammograms. Participants in 2 focus groups (n = 3 and n = 5) indicated that they thought letters reflected a positive attitude of physicians toward mammography screening. They also commented that newly eligible women had different information needs than women who had had mammograms done in the past. CONCLUSION: Reminder letters were considered by participants to be useful and appeared to influence women's decisions to undergo mammography screening.

Limitations of statin monotherapy for the treatment of dyslipidemia: a projection based on the Canadian lipid study--observational.

OBJECTIVE: Several randomized controlled trials indicate that a low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target <2.0 mmol/L is appropriate for individuals at high risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Recently released Canadian lipid management guidelines (2006) have incorporated this evidence into their recommendations. A cross-sectional study of patients treated with statins for at least 8 weeks (CALIPSO) was used as a basis to project the ability of statin monotherapy in getting high CAD-risk patients to an LDL-C level <2.0 mmol/L. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The analysis was restricted to CALIPSO patients on statin monotherapy who were at high CAD-risk (including patients with established CAD). Assuming all patients could have their statin titrated up to the maximum dose, the proportion of patients that would reach an LDL-C level of <2.0 mmol/L was projected. To do this, the additional LDL-C reduction patients would achieve with maximal titration of their statin was estimated based on a meta-analysis of clinical trials evaluating LDL-C responses to various statin regimens, and applied to patients' current LDL-C level. RESULTS: A total of 1795 high CAD-risk patients treated with statin monotherapy were included in the analysis, of whom 69.8% had an LDL-C > or =2.0 mmol/L. Depending on the statin that was used, it was projected that between 28.2% and 62.7% of high CAD-risk patients would not attain an LDL-C of <2.0 mmol/L following statin titration to maximum dose. CONCLUSIONS: Although the accuracy of our projections may be limited by the application of clinical trials data to an external sample of patients, our results suggest that for 38% of patients at high CAD-risk, titration of statin monotherapy will not be sufficient to achieve an LDL-C target of <2.0 mmol/L. For these patients, additional treatment approaches may be needed to further reduce the risk of coronary events.

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (HSFO) high blood pressure strategy's hypertension management initiative study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Achieving control of hypertension prevents target organ damage at both the micro and macrovascular level and is a highly cost effective means of lowering the risk for heart attack and stroke particularly in people with diabetes. Clinical trials demonstrate that blood pressure control can be achieved in a large proportion of people. Translating this knowledge into widespread practice is the focus of the Hypertension Management Initiative, which began in 2004 with the goal of improving the management of this chronic health condition by primary care providers and patients in the community. METHODS: This study will test the effect of a systems change on the management of high blood pressure in real world practice in primary care in Ontario, Canada. The systems change intervention involves an interprofessional educational program bringing together physicians, nurses and pharmacists with tools for both providers and patients to facilitate blood pressure management. Each of two waves of subjects were enrolled over a 6 month period with the initial enrollment between waves separated by 9 months. Blood pressure will be measured with the BpTru automated blood pressure device. To determine the effectiveness of the intervention, a before and after analysis within all subjects will compare blood pressure at baseline to annual measurements for the three year study. To assess whether the intervention has an impact on blood pressure control independent of community trends, a betwen group comparison of baseline blood pressures in the delayed wave will be made with the immediate wave during the same time period, so that the immediate wave has experienced the intervention for at least 9 months. The total enrollment goal is 5,000 subjects. The practice locations include 10 Family Health Teams (FHTs) and 1 Community Health Centre (CHC) and approximately 49 primary care physicians, 15 nurse practitioners, 37 registered nurses and over 150 community pharmacists across the 11 communities throughout the province of Ontario. The 11 primary care sites will be divided into immediate and delayed groups based on geography and the use of an electronic versus a traditional chart patient record. DISCUSSION: Initial consideration was given to randomizing the groups, however, for a number of reasons, this was deemed to not be possible. In order to ensure that the sites in the immediate intervention and delayed intervention groups are not different from each other, the sites will be assigned to the intervention groups manually to ensure a distribution of the variables as evenly as possible. Given that HSFO approached this particular group of health care providers to participate in a program relating to hypertension, this may have heightened their awareness of the issue and affected their management of patients with hypertension. Thus, data will be collected to allow an assessment of previous practice patterns and determine any impact of the Hawthorne Effect. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00425828.

Divergence of demographic factors associated with clinical severity compared with quality of life impact in acne.

BACKGROUND: Previous smaller studies suggest that age, gender, and duration of acne may individually be associated with clinical acne severity and quality of life (QoL) impact. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to concurrently evaluate the association of demographic factors with clinical acne severity and with QoL impact. METHODS: Clinical acne severity was assessed using the Investigators Global Assessment, whereas QoL impact was evaluated by the patient-completed Acne-QoL. These outcomes were correlated with sociodemographic variables, including age, gender, and duration of acne. RESULTS: In 862 acne patients, clinical severity was associated with younger age, male gender, and shorter acne duration (1-5 years). In contrast, greater impact on QoL was associated with older age, female gender, and longer acne duration (> 5 years). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and QoL measures each differentiate between groups of patients most severely affected by acne. Our findings reinforce the imperative for clinicians to use both measures for comprehensive patient management. LIMITATIONS: Study limitations include referral population of acne patients and the restriction of outcome measures to facial acne.

Enhancing hypertension awareness and management in the elderly: lessons learned from the Airdrie Community Hypertension Awareness and Management Program (A-CHAMP).

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure (BP) is an established and modifiable cardiovascular risk factor; however, awareness and management of this primarily asymptomatic disease remains suboptimal. OBJECTIVES: The Airdrie Community Hypertension Awareness and Management Program (A-CHAMP) was a community-based BP program for seniors designed to improve public and health care provider awareness and management of hypertension. METHODS: Volunteer peer health educators (VPHEs) were recruited from the community and trained to manage BP screening sessions in local pharmacies. Airdrie (Alberta) residents 65 years of age and older were invited by their family physicians (FPs) to attend the A-CHAMP sessions. VPHEs identified participants' cardiovascular risk factors, assessed BP with a validated automated device and implemented a management algorithm. Participants with BP higher than 159/99 mmHg were directed to their pharmacists and FPs. All participants with elevated BP at the initial A-CHAMP session were invited to return to a follow-up session four to six months later. RESULTS: Thirty VPHEs were recruited and trained. All 15 FPs and all six pharmacies in Airdrie participated. VPHEs assessed 406 seniors (approximately 40% of Airdrie seniors) during the three-month program. One hundred forty-eight participants (36.5%) had elevated BP at their first session. Of these, 71% returned for the follow-up session four to six months later. The mean (+/- SD) systolic BP decreased by 16.9+/-17.2 mmHg (P<0.05, n=105) compared with their first visit, and 56% of participants (59 of 105) reached Canadian targets for BP. CONCLUSIONS: A-CHAMP raised awareness, and identified and managed seniors with hypertension. At follow-up, BP showed statistically and clinically significant and sustained improvement. Participating health care providers and VPHEs indicated that A-CHAMP was effective and feasible in improving awareness and control of hypertension.

Prevalence and severity of facial and truncal acne in a referral cohort.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of information on the prevalence and severity of acne of the face, chest, and back. PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine the prevalence and severity of acne on the face, chest, and back in a referral cohort of patients with acne using a validated global acne severity scale. METHODS: Acne patients referred to dermatologists were evaluated at the face, chest, and back. Chi-square testing was performed to assess consistency between patient and physician assessments of each region. The correlation of acne severity between regions was evaluated by Spearman's rank correlation. RESULTS: In 965 patients, the prevalence of acne on the face, chest, and back was 92%, 45%, and 61%, respectively. Acne severity was significantly correlated for all regional pairs (P<.001): face and back (r=0.11); face and chest (r=0.12); and chest and back (r=0.67). The consistency of patient reporting and clinical evaluation for the presence of acne varied by region: face=92%, chest=69%, and back=74%. The proportions of patients reporting no occurrence of acne when clinical acne was indeed absent (negative predictive value) were 67% and 65% for the chest and back, respectively. LIMITATIONS: The operational threshold for clinical acne (>mild) may underestimate the total proportion of affected patients. These patients were referred to dermatologists for care and may represent a more severe cohort. CONCLUSION: Acne affected the face in 92% and the trunk in just over 60% (with the back more frequently and severely affected than the chest). Acne severity was observed to have a much higher correlation between chest and back than face and back or face and chest. Patient-reporting evaluations of absence of acne on the chest and back are frequently erroneous, mandating clinical evaluations of these sites for assessment of overall extent.

Patient views on reminder letters for influenza vaccinations in an older primary care patient population: a mixed methods study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the perspectives of older adults on the acceptability of reminder letters for influenza vaccinations. METHODS: We randomly selected 23 family physicians from each Family Health and Primary Care network participating in a demonstration project designed to increase the delivery of preventive services in Ontario. From the roster of each physician, we surveyed 35 randomly selected patients over 65 years of age who recently received a reminder letter regarding influenza vaccinations from their physician. The questionnaires sought patient perspectives on the acceptability and usefulness of the letter. We also conducted follow-up telephone interviews with a subgroup of respondents to explore some of the survey findings in greater depth. RESULTS: 85.3% (663/767) of patients completed the questionnaire. Sixty-five percent of respondents recalled receiving the reminder (n=431), and of those, 77.3% found it helpful. Of the respondents who recalled the letter and received a flu shot (n=348), 11.2% indicated they might not have done so without the letter. The majority of respondents reported that they would like to continue receiving reminder letters for influenza vaccinations (63.0%) and other preventive services (77.1%) from their family physician. The interview participants endorsed the use of reminder letters for improving vaccination coverage in older adults, but did not feel that the strategy was required for them personally. CONCLUSIONS: The general attitude of older adults towards reminder letters was favourable, and the reminders appear to have contributed to a modest increase in influenza vaccination rates.

Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP): a community cluster-randomised trial among elderly Canadians.

OBJECTIVE: High blood pressure is an important and modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factor that remains under-detected and under-treated. Community-level interventions that address high blood pressure and other modifiable risk factors are a promising strategy to improve cardiovascular health in populations. The present study is a community cluster-randomised trial testing the effectiveness of CHAP (Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program) on the cardiovascular health of older adults. METHODS: Thirty-nine mid-sized communities in Ontario, Canada were stratified by geographic location and size of the population aged >or=65 years and randomly allocated to receive CHAP or no intervention. In CHAP communities, residents aged >or=65 years were invited to attend cardiovascular risk assessment sessions held in pharmacies over 10 weeks in Fall, 2006. Sessions included blood pressure measurement and feedback to family physicians. Trained volunteers delivered the program with support from pharmacists, community nurses and local organisations. RESULTS: The primary outcome measure is the relative change in the mean annual rate of hospital admission for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and stroke (composite end-point) among residents aged >or=65 years in intervention and control communities, using routinely collected, population-based administrative health data. CONCLUSION: This paper highlights considerations in design, implementation and evaluation of a large-scale, community-wide cardiovascular health promotion initiative.

Practice and physician characteristics associated with influenza vaccination delivery rates following a patient reminder letter intervention.

As part of the "Provider and Patient Reminders in Ontario: Multi-strategy Prevention Tools" demonstration project, the purpose of this study was to explore the practice and physician characteristics associated with influenza vaccination rates following a reminder letter intervention for patients 65 years of age and older. Using a sample of 179 physicians, we estimated a multiple linear regression model to examine variables predictive of vaccination delivery rates. Several provider characteristics, including certification with the College of Family Physicians of Canada and practicing in an urban area, were predictive of the success of the reminder letter campaign. Examining other physician and practice factors associated with vaccination delivery following a reminder letter campaign may help improve such prevention efforts.

Development and validation of a comprehensive acne severity scale.

BACKGROUND: Although more than 25 acne grading systems exist, only 2 are inclusive of truncal acne. There is neither a gold standard nor a consistently used standardized system. PURPOSE: Our purpose was to develop and validate an acne grading system incorporating severity at the face, chest, and back. METHODS: We developed a comprehensive acne severity scale (CASS) by modifying a preexisting facial acne scale, the Investigator Global Assessment, to include truncal acne. The validity and responsiveness of CASS grades were correlated with Leeds scores at baseline and after 6 months of standard acne treatment. RESULTS: Spearman correlations were significant between Leeds and CASS grades for the face (0.823), chest (0.854), and back (0.872), respectively (p < .001). After 6 months of therapy, changes in these scores were also significantly correlated (p < .001) at all three sites. CONCLUSION: Concurrent validity of CASS is demonstrated by a very strong correlation with Leeds grading. CASS is simpler to use than the Leeds system and more appropriate for translation of research trial results to clinical practice.