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Introduction: In the context of a GP-based care programme, we implemented an admission, discharge and follow-up programme.Description: The VESPEERA programme consists of three sets of components: pre-admission interventions, in-hospital interventions and post-discharge interventions. It was aimed at all patients with a hospital stay participating in the GP-based care programme and was implemented in 7 hospitals and 72 general practices in southwest Germany using a range of strategies. Its’ effectiveness was evaluated using readmissions within 90 days after discharge as primary outcome. Questionnaires with staff were used to explore the implementation process.Discussion: A statistically significant effect was not found, but the effect size was similar to other interventions. Intervention fidelity was low and contextual factors affecting the implementation, amongst others, were available resources, external requirements such as legal regulations and networking between care providers. Lessons learned were derived that can aid to inform future political or scientific initiatives.Conclusion: Structured information transfer at hospital admission and discharge makes sense but the added value in the context of a GP-based programme seems modest. Primary care teams should be involved in pre- and post-hospital care. Abstrakt Einleitung: Im Rahmen der hausarztzentrierten Versorgung wurde ein Programm zur Verbesserung von Krankenhausaufnahmen und -entlassungen sowie der Nachsorge implementiert.Beschreibung: Das VESPEERA-Programm bestand aus verschiedenen Komponenten, die vor der Aufnahme, während des Krankenhausaufenthalts sowie nach der Entlassung durchgeführt wurden. Das Programm richtete sich an alle Patienten mit einem Krankenhausaufenthalt, die an der hausarztzentrierten Versorgung teilnahmen und wurde in 7 Krankenhäusern und 72 Hausarztpraxen in Südwestdeutschland unter Anwendung einer Reihe von Strategien implementiert. Seine Wirksamkeit wurde anhand des primären Endpunkts “Rehospitalisierungen innerhalb von 90 Tagen nach der Entlassung” bewertet. Anhand einer Fragebogenbefragung beim Personal wurde der Implementierungsprozess untersucht.Diskussion: Ein statistisch signifikanter Effekt konnte nicht gefunden werden, die Effektgröße war jedoch ähnlich wie bei anderen Interventionen. Die Interventionstreue war gering. Kontextfaktoren, die die Implementierung beeinflussten, waren unter anderem verfügbare Ressourcen, externe Anforderungen wie gesetzliche Vorschriften und die Vernetzung von Leistungserbringern. Es wurden Schlussfolgerungen gezogen, die für künftige politische oder wissenschaftliche Initiativen hilfreich sein können.Schlussfolgerung: Eine strukturierte Informationsweitergabe bei der Aufnahme und Entlassung aus dem Krankenhaus ist sinnvoll, doch scheint der zusätzliche Nutzen im Rahmen der hausarztzentrierten Versorgung begrenzt. Teams der Primärversorgung sollten in die prä- und poststationäre Versorgung einbezogen werden. Schlagwörter: Übergänge in der Versorgung; Einweisungsmanagement; Nachsorge nach Entlassung; Krankenhauswiederaufnahmen; Versorgungskontinuität; starke Primärversorgung; integrierte Versorgung

About one third of Europe’s elderly population takes ≥5 drugs. Polypharmacy increases their risk of adverse drug reactions. To ensure drug safety, innovative approaches are needed. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between psychosocial factors and medication-related beliefs and behaviors. Medication lists of 297 patients were recorded according to the ATC classification. Correlations between the dependent variables, Medication Adherence (MARS) and Beliefs about Medicines (BMQ), and independent variables, General Self-Efficacy (GSE), self-efficacy for managing chronic diseases (SES6G), spiritual needs (SpNQ), patient activity (PAM), loneliness (DJG), and social networks (LSNS), were measured. Patients with higher self-efficacy (OR: 1.113, 95% CI [1.056–1.174], p &lt, 0.001) or self-confidence in managing their chronic condition (OR: 1.188, 95% CI [1.048–1.346], 0.007) also showed higher adherence. Lonely patients (OR: 0.420, 95% CI [0.267–0.660], 0.001) and those with a need for inner peace (OR: 0.613, 95% CI [0.444–0.846], p = 0.003) were more likely nonadherent. Stronger positive beliefs about medications’ usefulness weakly correlated with higher scores on the SES6G (ρ = 0.178, p = 0.003) and GSES scale (ρ = 0.121, p = 0.042), patient activity (ρ = 0.155, p = 0.010) and functioning social networks scale (ρ = 0.159, p = 0.008). A weak positive correlation was found between loneliness and the belief that drugs were harmful (ρ = 0.194, p = 0.001). Furthermore, interesting correlations were detected regarding the number of medications and overuse beliefs. Psychosocial factors, such as self-efficacy, loneliness, and spiritual needs and medication-related beliefs and behaviors seem to interrelate. Addressing these factors may improve medication management and drug safety.

Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: The aim of this umbrella review was to summarize the research evidence on programs to improve the transition between ambulatory and hospital care. METHODS: The MEDLINE database and the Cochrane library were searched. Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials published between January 2000 and September 2018 in English or German were included. Studies were eligible if an assessment or coordination intervention had been evaluated and if patients had been transferred between hospital (defined as internal medicine, surgery, or unspecified hospital setting) and home (defined as any permanent residence). Risk of bias was assessed using the AMSTAR criteria. Results are presented descriptively and in table format. RESULTS: Thirty-nine systematic reviews comprising 492 different studies were included. More than half of these studies were conducted in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. All studies evaluated strategies to improve discharge management (introduced after patients' arrival at the hospital); no study assessed strategies to improve admission management (initiated in primary care before patients' transition to hospital). The reviews included focused on a specific patient group, a specific intervention type, or a specific outcome. Overall, interventions focusing on elderly patients and high-intensity interventions seemed to be most effective. An overview of classifications of care transition strategies is provided. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should focus on hospital admission management programs.

In 2015, more than 890,000 asylum seekers were registered in Germany. The provision of medical and psychosocial care for asylum seekers is facing numerous obstacles. Access to health care is mostly insufficient, particularly in initial reception centres. The present article describes the development and implementation of an interdisciplinary outpatient clinic for asylum seekers at the main registration authority in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg operated by physicians of the University Hospital of Heidelberg and the local Medical Association in Heidelberg. A steering committee was appointed to plan and implement the interdisciplinary outpatient clinic. Semi-structured interviews with nine steering committee members were conducted to elucidate perceived barriers during the planning and implementation phase. The steering committee's strong personal commitment and the health authorities' impartial management were cited as the main contributing factors to the success of the implementation process. Significant barriers were seen in the funding of personnel, equipment, and language mediation as well as in legal liability and billing-related aspects. Results are discussed with a focus on financing, administrative and legal framework as well as language mediation, documentation and further matters that are essential to ensure high-quality care.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Hausarzte zahlen zu den Facharztgruppen mit den haufigsten Medikamenten-verordnungen. Die Vertiefung pharmakologischer Kenntnisse ist deshalb ein wichtiger Bestandteil der hausarztlichen Fort- und Weiterbildung. Das hausarztliche Selbstverstandnis, als erster Ansprechpartner bei allen Gesundheitsproblemen zu helfen, macht es zu einer Herausforderung, Weiterbildungsinhalte zu definieren und zu erwerben. Wahrend das von der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Allgemeinmedizin entwickelte „Kompetenzbasierte Curriculum Allgemeinmedizin" essentielle Diagnosen, Beratungsanlasse und Kompetenzen fur die hausarztliche Tatigkeit definiert, fehlt eine solche Orientierung fur den pharmakologischen Bereich. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist, Wirkstoffe zu identifizieren und zu charakterisieren, die jeder Hausarzt so gut beherrschen sollte, dass er dazu beraten und Monitoringmasnahmen einleiten und durchfuhren kann. Methodik Es wurden die Verordnungen von Privat- und Kassenrezepten aller am CONTENT-Projekt teilnehmenden Praxen des Zeitraums 2009 bis 2014 analysiert. Die Analyse wurde auf oral applizierbare Wirkstoffe beschrankt, die von mindestens 25% (n=11) der Hausarztpraxen mindestens einmal verordnet wurden. Wahrend die hundert am haufigsten verordneten Wirkstoffe, die bereits uber 80% der Gesamtverordnungen ausmachten, aufgrund ihrer Verordnungshaufigkeit eingeschlossen wurden, wurden die weniger haufig verordneten Wirkstoffe in einem Rating-Verfahren zusatzlich nach ihrem Risikopotential und der hausarztlichen Relevanz beurteilt. Die auf dieser Basis eingeschlossenen Wirkstoffe wurden nach Beratungsanlassen/Diagnosen klassifiziert dargestellt. Ergebnisse Es wurden 1.912.896 Einzelverordnungen auf Basis der anatomisch-therapeutisch-chemischen Klassifikation (ATC) aus 44 Hausarztpraxen von 112.535 Patienten analysiert. Nach Anwendung der Einschlusskriterien verblieben 453 Wirkstoffe, von denen 302 Wirkstoffe als hausarztlich-relevant eingeschatzt wurden. Diese konnten 45 Beratungsanlassen/Diagnosen zugeordnet werden. Schlussfolgerung Das Ergebnis dieser Arbeit kann als Entwicklungsversion eines hausarztlich-pharmakologischen Curriculums gesehen werden und perspektivisch das kompetenzbasierte Curriculum Allgemeinmedizin sinnvoll erganzen.

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a patient-held health record (PHR) for asylum seekers on the availability of health-related information.MethodsAn explorative, cluster-randomised stepped-wedge trial with reception centres as unit of randomisation was conducted. All reception centres (n=6) in two large administrative areas in South Germany with on-site health services were included. All physicians working at these centres were invited to participate in the study. The intervention was the implementation of a PHR. The primary outcome was the prevalence of written health-related information. Secondary outcomes were the physicians’ dissatisfaction with the available written information and the prevalence of missing health-related information. All outcomes were measured at the level of patient–physician contacts by means of a standardised questionnaire, and analysed in logistic multi-level regression models.ResultsWe obtained data on 2308 patient–physician contacts. The presence of the PHR increased the availability of health-related information (adjusted OR (aOR), 20.3, 95% CI: 12.74 to 32.33), and tended to reduce missing essential information (aOR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.26) and physicians’ dissatisfaction with available information (aOR 0.5, 95% CI: 0.24 to 1.04). The availability of health-related information in the post-intervention period was higher (aOR 4.22, 95% CI: 2.64 to 6.73), missing information (aOR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.42 to 1.88) and dissatisfaction (aOR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.16 to 1.14) tended to be lower compared with the pre-intervention period.ConclusionsHealthcare planners should consider introducing PHRs in reception centres or comparable facilities. Future research should focus on the impact of PHRs on clinical outcomes and on intersectoral care.Trial registrationISRCTN13212716. Registered 24 November 2016. Retrospectively registered. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13212716