Sedentary patients with venous or mixed leg ulcers: determinants of physical activity.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study to identify the determinants of physical activity (PA) in patients with venous leg ulcers to develop recommendations for behavioural interventions aimed at enhancing physical activity. BACKGROUND: Physical activity promotes wound healing and prevents the recurrence of wounds in venous patients with leg ulcers. Many patients with leg ulcers, however, have a sedentary lifestyle. METHOD: A random sample of 25 patients from two clinics were interviewed in 2003 using a combination of prestructured and open-ended questions. All these patients were being treated at an outpatient dermatology clinic and had a leg ulcer with venous or mixed aetiology at the time of the interview or in the month prior to the interview. FINDINGS: Only nine of the 25 patients (36%) reported sufficient levels of moderate strenuous physical activity, defined as 30 minutes a day on at least 5 days a week. The results show limited knowledge about the relationship between physical activity and leg ulceration, and low self-efficacy for increasing physical activity. In addition, multi-morbidity, pain and social support were identified as main determinants of physical activity. CONCLUSION: Suggestions for improving physical activity levels include influencing knowledge, beliefs and self-efficacy. Patient's individual physical limitations, pain, adequate footwear and social support should be taken into account. Programmes offered by specialized dermatology nurses to stimulate physical activity might fulfil patient needs and help enhance physical activity levels.

Functional evaluation of the TKA patient using the coordination and variability of rising.

A kinematic analysis of the knee function is important for the evaluation of total knee arthroplasties (TKA). We used the coordination and variability of rising from a chair as functional knee parameters. Twelve knee patients were measured prior to surgery (=pre-TKA group) and one year after surgery (=post-TKA group). A group of 15 healthy, age-matched subjects was selected as control group. The WOMAC questionnaire, frequently used by orthopaedic surgeons, was administered prior to the test. The test consisted of 10 times rising from a low chair and 10 times from a high chair. Knee and hip angles and angular velocities were measured with electrogoniometers. The relative phase (=MRP) between hip and knee was a measure for the coordination of rising and the standard deviation of the relative phase of the 10 trials (=SRP) was a measure for the variability. The coordination and variability of rising of the TKA patients were compared to the control group, and the relationship with the WOMAC questionnaire was calculated. The coordination of rising from a high chair and the variability of rising from both chair heights were significantly different for the pre-TKA group compared to the control group (p<0.05). The post-TKA group showed no significant differences with the control group, which indicates a functional recovery after TKA implantation. The functional parameters correlated adequately with the subjective WOMAC questionnaire. This study showed that our method is an objective measure of functionality and it will be worthwhile to use it as an additional evaluation tool.

Gait and calf muscle endurance in patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

OBJECTIVE: To gain insight in gait and calf muscle endurance in patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency. METHODS: Fifteen patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency (healed or active ulcers) and 19 healthy controls were selected for this study. Subjects had to perform eight trials at preferred walking speed and eight trials at instructed walking speed (1.25 m/s) during which the gait parameters were recorded. The calf muscle endurance was tested by use of the heel-rise test. RESULTS: Patients had a significantly lower preferred walking speed (1.25 m/s +/- 0.31) compared with healthy controls (1.44 m/s +/- 0.0.15) (p = 0.039). During preferred walking speed patients had a wider base of support (p = 0.003), a bigger step time (p = 0.005), and a bigger stride time (p = 0.004) compared with healthy controls. At instructed walking speed only base of support was different between the two groups (p = 0.016). Patients had a significantly (p = 0.003) smaller number of heel rises (14.6 +/- 7.34), indicating decreased calf muscle endurance compared with controls (23.5 +/- 6.54). CONCLUSION: This study indicates a disturbed gait and decreased calf muscle endurance in patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency. The results of this study point to a possible role for gait and strength training in the rehabilitation process of patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency.

Patient satisfaction with out-of-hours primary care in the Netherlands.

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.

Does setting up out of hours primary care cooperatives outside a hospital reduce demand for emergency care?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the reorganisation of out of hours primary care, from practice rotas to GP cooperatives, changed utilisation of primary and hospital emergency care. METHODS: During a four week period before and a four week period after the reorganisation of out of hours primary care in a region in the south of the Netherlands all patient contacts with general practitioners and hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments were analysed. RESULTS: A 10% increase was found in patient contacts with out of hours primary care, and a 9% decrease in patient contacts with out of hours emergency care. The number of self referrals at the A&E department was reduced by about 4%. CONCLUSIONS: The reorganisation of out of hours primary care has led to a shift in patient contacts from emergency care to primary care.

Use of out of hours services: a comparison between two organisations.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate differences in numbers and characteristics of patients using primary or emergency care because of differences in organisation of out of hours care. BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of self referrals at the accident and emergency (A&E) department cause overcrowding, while a substantial number of these patients exhibit minor injuries that can be treated by a general practitioner (GP). METHODS: Two different organisations of out of hours care in two Dutch cities (Heerlen and Maastricht) were investigated. Important differences between the two organisations are the accessibility and the location of primary care facility (GP cooperative). The Heerlen GP cooperative is situated in the centre of the city and is respectively 5 km and 9 km away from the two A&E departments situated in the area of Heerlen. This GP cooperative can only be visited by appointment. The Maastricht GP cooperative has free access and is located within the local A&E department. During a three week period all registration forms of patient contacts with out of hours care (GP cooperative and A&E department) were collected and with respect to the primary care patients a random sample of one third was analysed. RESULTS: For the Heerlen and Maastricht GP cooperative the annual contact rate, as extrapolated from our data, per 1000 inhabitants per year is 238 and 279 respectively (chi(2)((1df))=4.385, p=0.036). The contact rate at the A&E departments of Heerlen (n=66) and Maastricht (n=52) is not different (chi(2)((1df))=1.765, p=0.184). Some 51.7% of the patients attending the A&E department in Heerlen during out of hours were self referred, compared with 15.9% in Maastricht (chi(2)((1df))=203.13, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The organisation of out of hours care in Maastricht has optimised the GP's gatekeeper function and thereby led to fewer self referrals at the A&E department, compared with Heerlen.

Coordination and stability of one-legged hopping patterns in patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: preliminary results.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the intralimb coordination of the lower extremity during one-legged hopping in patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is different and less stable compared to control subjects. DESIGN: Measures of coordination dynamics are applied to study the coordination and stability of movement patterns of the knee and ankle in patients and control subjects. BACKGROUND: Due to several factors, such as loss of proprioceptive function and muscle weakness, the intralimb coordination of the lower extremity might be altered. METHODS: Seven patients and 13 healthy control subjects were instructed to hop in place on one leg for 10 seconds at a comfortable frequency for each leg separately. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The one-legged hopping movement pattern of patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction one-year post-operative is different and less stable compared to healthy subjects, and thus is still impaired. RELEVANCE: This paper shows that patients, one year after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, have a different coordination pattern of the lower limb compared to a matched control group. Intersegmental coordination and stability, features that are often observed by eye during a rehabilitation process, are objectified in this study.