Is patient flow more efficient in Urgent Care Collaborations?

OBJECTIVE: Emergency Departments and out-of-hours General Practitioner services collaborate increasingly in Urgent Care Collaborations (UCCs) by sharing one combined entrance and joint triage. The aim of this study is to examine the difference between UCCs and providers who operate separately with respect to the efficiency of patient flow. METHODS: This study had a cross-sectional observational design comparing three regions with UCC with three regions with usual care. Outcome measures were efficiency of patient flow, defined as a reducing length of stay (LOS), waiting time (WT) and the mean number of handovers. Data were obtained from electronic medical records. RESULTS: LOS (median 34:00 vs. 38:52 min) and WT (median 14:00 vs. 18:43 min) were statistically significantly longer in UCCs compared with usual care. This difference is mainly explained by the prolonged LOS and WT for consulting a General Practitioner. The mean number of interunit handovers was larger in UCCs. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that, on average, UCCs do not enhance the efficiency of patient flow. The median LOS and WT are longer in UCCs and more handovers occur in UCCs compared with usual care.

Depressive symptoms are associated with physical inactivity in patients with type 2 diabetes. The DIAZOB Primary Care Diabetes study.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common complication of type 2 diabetes, associated with poor disease outcomes such as impaired glycaemic control, cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. The mechanisms behind these associations are unclear. Depression might contribute to poor disease outcomes through decreased physical activity. OBJECTIVE: To test whether type 2 diabetes patients with elevated depression scores are more often physically inactive. METHODS: Demographic features, clinical factors, level of physical inactivity and depressive symptoms were assessed in 2646 primary care patients with type 2 diabetes. Sequential multiple logistic regression analyses [odds ratio, 95% confidence interval (CI)] were performed to test the association between depressive symptoms and physical inactivity. RESULTS: About 48% of the respondents were physically inactive. Elevated depressive symptoms were found in 14% of the respondents. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds for being physically inactive were almost doubled in depressed patients with type 2 diabetes 1.74 (95% CI 1.32-2.31). CONCLUSIONS: Presence of depressive symptoms almost doubles the likelihood of physical inactivity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether physical inactivity forms the link between depression and poor disease outcomes.