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Trends in kidney function testing in UK primary care since the introduction of the quality and outcomes framework: a retrospective cohort study using CPRD.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To characterise serum creatinine and urinary protein testing in UK general practices from 2005 to 2013 and to examine how the frequency of testing varies across demographic factors, with the presence of chronic conditions and with the prescribing of drugs for which kidney function monitoring is recommended. DESIGN:Retrospective open cohort study. SETTING:Routinely collected data from 630 UK general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. PARTICIPANTS:4 573 275 patients aged over 18 years registered at up-to-standard practices between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2013. At study entry, no patients were kidney transplant donors or recipients, pregnant or on dialysis. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES:The rate of serum creatinine and urinary protein testing per year and the percentage of patients with isolated and repeated testing per year. RESULTS:The rate of serum creatinine testing increased linearly across all age groups. The rate of proteinuria testing increased sharply in the 2009-2010 financial year but only for patients aged 60 years or over. For patients with established chronic kidney disease (CKD), creatinine testing increased rapidly in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, and proteinuria testing in 2009-2010, reflecting the introduction of Quality and Outcomes Framework indicators. In adjusted analyses, CKD Read codes were associated with up to a twofold increase in the rate of serum creatinine testing, while other chronic conditions and potentially nephrotoxic drugs were associated with up to a sixfold increase. Regional variation in serum creatinine testing reflected country boundaries. CONCLUSIONS:Over a nine-year period, there have been increases in the numbers of patients having kidney function tests annually and in the frequency of testing. Changes in the recommended management of CKD in primary care were the primary determinant, and increases persist even after controlling for demographic and patient-level factors. Future studies should address whether increased testing has led to better outcomes.

SUBMITTER: Feakins B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6575820 | biostudies-other | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Trends in kidney function testing in UK primary care since the introduction of the quality and outcomes framework: a retrospective cohort study using CPRD.

Feakins Benjamin B Oke Jason J McFadden Emily E Aronson Jeffrey J Lasserson Daniel D O'Callaghan Christopher C Taylor Clare C Hill Nathan N Stevens Richard R Perera Rafael R

BMJ open 20190612 6

<h4>Objectives</h4>To characterise serum creatinine and urinary protein testing in UK general practices from 2005 to 2013 and to examine how the frequency of testing varies across demographic factors, with the presence of chronic conditions and with the prescribing of drugs for which kidney function monitoring is recommended.<h4>Design</h4>Retrospective open cohort study.<h4>Setting</h4>Routinely collected data from 630 UK general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink ...[more]

PMID: 31196901

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Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the effect of withdrawing incentives on recorded quality of care, in the context of the UK Quality and Outcomes Framework pay for performance scheme.DesignRetrospective longitudinal study.SettingData for 644 general practices, from 2004/05 to 2011/12, extracted from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.ParticipantsAll patients registered with any of the practices over the study period-13,772,992 in total.InterventionRemoval of financial incentives for aspects of care for patients with asthma, coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and psychosis.Main outcome measuresPerformance on eight clinical quality indicators withdrawn from a national incentive scheme: influenza immunisation (asthma) and lithium treatment monitoring (psychosis), removed in April 2006; blood pressure monitoring (coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke), cholesterol concentration monitoring (coronary heart disease, diabetes), and blood glucose monitoring (diabetes), removed in April 2011. Multilevel mixed effects multiple linear regression models were used to quantify the effect of incentive withdrawal.ResultsMean levels of performance were generally stable after the removal of the incentives, in both the short and long term. For the two indicators removed in April 2006, levels in 2011/12 were very close to 2005/06 levels, although a small but statistically significant drop was estimated for influenza immunisation. For five of the six indicators withdrawn from April 2011, no significant effect on performance was seen following removal and differences between predicted and observed scores were small. Performance on related outcome indicators retained in the scheme (such as blood pressure control) was generally unaffected.ConclusionsFollowing the removal of incentives, levels of performance across a range of clinical activities generally remained stable. This indicates that health benefits from incentive schemes can potentially be increased by periodically replacing existing indicators with new indicators relating to alternative aspects of care. However, all aspects of care investigated remained indirectly or partly incentivised in other indicators, and further work is needed to assess the generalisability of the findings when incentives are fully withdrawn.

Project description:OBJECTIVES:To estimate trends in HIV testing, positivity and prevalence in UK primary care for 2000-2015 as part of a wider investigation into reasons for late diagnosis of HIV. DESIGN:Retrospective cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) which is derived from computerised clinical records produced during consultations in primary care. SETTING:404 general practices in England. PARTICIPANTS:5 979 598 adults aged ?16 years registered between 2000 and 2015 with 45 093 761 person years of observation. OUTCOMES:Annual HIV testing rates, proportion of positive tests and prevalence of HIV-infected people recorded in primary care 2000-2015. RESULTS:HIV testing in primary care increased from 2000 to 2010, but then declined. Testing was higher in females than in males and in those aged 16-44 years compared with older adults. Rates per 100 000 in women aged 16-44 years were 177 (95% CI 167 to 188); 1309 (95% CI 1282 to 1336); 1789 (95% CI 1757 to 1821) and 839 (95% CI 817 to 862) in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015, respectively, and for non-pregnant women: 22.5 (95% CI 19 to 26); 134 (95% CI 125 to 143); 262 (95% CI 250 to 275); 190 (95% CI 179 to 201). For men aged 16-44 years rates were: 26 (95% CI 22 to 29); 107 (95% CI 100 to 115); 196 (95% CI 185 to 206); 137 (95% CI 127 to 146). Over the study period, there were approximately two positive results per 1000 HIV tests. Men were eightfold more likely to test positive than women. The percentage of HIV diagnoses among adults recorded in CPRD may be as low as 55% in London and 67% in the rest of the UK. CONCLUSIONS:HIV testing rates in primary care peaked in 2010 and subsequently declined. Access to testing was higher for women despite the prevalence of HIV being higher in men. IMPLICATIONS AND FURTHER RESEARCH NEEDED:Opportunities remain in primary care for increasing HIV testing to prevent costly late diagnoses and decrease HIV transmission. Interventions to improve targeting of tests and increase adherence to HIV testing guidelines are needed in primary care.

Project description:Background and objectivesHistorically, length of pretransplant dialysis was associated with premature graft loss and mortality after kidney transplantation, but with recent advancements in RRT it is unclear whether this negative association still exists.Design, setting, participants, &measurementsThis is a retrospective cohort study evaluating 6979 first kidney allograft recipients from the Austrian Registry transplanted between 1990 and 2013. Duration of pretransplant dialysis treatment was used as categoric predictor classified by tertiles of the distribution of time on dialysis. A separate category for pre-emptive transplantation was added and defined as kidney transplantation without any dialysis preceding the transplant. Outcomes were death-censored graft loss, all-cause mortality, and the composite of both.ResultsMedian duration of follow-up was 8.2 years, and 1866 graft losses and 2407 deaths occurred during the study period. Pre-emptive transplantation was associated with a lower risk of graft loss (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.59 to 0.98), but not in subgroup analyses excluding living transplants and transplants performed since 2000. The association between dialysis duration and graft loss did not depend on the year of transplantation (P=0.40) or donor source (P=0.92). Longer waiting time on dialysis was not associated with a higher rate of graft loss, but the rate of death was higher in patients on pretransplant dialysis for >1.5 years (hazard ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.43 to 1.83) compared with pretransplant dialysis for <1.5 years.ConclusionsOur findings support the evidence that pre-emptive transplantation is associated with superior graft survival compared with pretransplant dialysis, although this association was weaker in transplants performed since 2000. However, our analysis shows that length of dialysis was no longer associated with a higher rate of graft loss, although longer waiting times on dialysis were still associated with a higher rate of death.

Project description:OBJECTIVES:In the United States, an estimated 553,000 people are homeless on any given night. Few data provide large-scale, contemporary insight with regard to recent patterns of acute illness in this vulnerable population. We evaluated patterns, causes, and outcomes of acute hospitalization among homeless persons compared with a demographics-standardized and risk-standardized nonhomeless cohort. METHODS:Retrospective study comparing 185,292 hospitalizations for homeless individuals and 32,322,569 hospitalizations for demographics-standardized nonhomeless individuals between 2007 and 2013 in Massachusetts, Florida, and California. Annual hospitalization rates for homeless persons were calculated and causes of hospitalization were compared with a demographics-standardized nonhomeless cohort. Logistic and linear regression models were used to estimate risk-standardized outcomes. RESULTS:From 2007 to 2013, hospitalizations for the homeless increased in Massachusetts (294 to 420 hospitalizations per 1000 homeless residents), Florida (161 to 240/1000), and California (133 to 164/1000). Homeless patients were on average 46 years of age, often male (76.1%), white (62%), and either uninsured (41.9%) or insured by Medicaid (31.7%). Hospitalizations for homeless persons, compared with demographics-standardized nonhomeless, were more frequently for mental illness and substance use disorder (52% vs. 18%, P<0.001). Homeless compared with risk-standardized nonhomeless individuals had lower in-hospital mortality rates (0.9% vs. 1.2%, P<0.001), longer mean length of stay (6.5 vs. 5.9?d, P<0.001), and lower mean costs per day ($1?535 vs. $1?834, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Hospitalizations among homeless persons are rising. Despite greater policy and public health focus over the last few decades, mental illness and substance use remain primary drivers of acute hospitalization among homeless adults. Policy efforts should address barriers to the use of ambulatory care services, and behavioral health services in particular, to help reduce acute care use and improve the long-term health of homeless individuals.

Project description:Background: Peanut introduction guidelines have undergone significant reversal since 2001 from recommending delayed introduction to rescinding the recommendations in 2008 to actively recommending early introduction of peanut between 4 and 11 months of age in high-risk infants in 2015. This qualitative study aims to explore pediatrician beliefs, practices, facilitators, and barriers regarding peanut introduction and testing. Methods: General pediatricians from academic, private, large group, and underserved practices in Northern California underwent individual semi-structured interviews in 2017. We asked about experiences surrounding infant peanut introduction, strategies for staying up-to-date with current recommendations, and barriers and facilitators to the new peanut introduction and testing recommendations. The data were coded, and using grounded theory methodology, a conceptual framework was developed around early peanut introduction and testing in infants. Results: Eighteen general pediatricians participated. We identified barriers that may contribute to pediatrician reluctance to recommending early peanut introduction or testing including lack of awareness, lack of agreement, lack of resources, and lack of outcome expectancy. A framework was created that suggests that pediatricians need to be knowledgeable about new recommendations, agree with the recommendations, have resources to carry out the counseling and testing, and have buy-in from the parents in order for successful uptake of peanut introduction guidelines. Conclusion: Recommending early peanut introduction or testing causes significant apprehension in some pediatricians, and there are many barriers to following recent early peanut introduction recommendations. A potential limitation of the study is that it was conducted right after the addendum guidelines were changed, leaving the possibility that attitudes and practices may have evolved since 2017. It is still likely that a multifaceted approach that addresses primary care provider guideline awareness, limited primary care resources for education and testing, and includes support and collaboration from subspecialty practices is more likely to lead to improved early peanut introduction uptake.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Innovative care models such as public-private partnerships (PPPs) may help meet the challenge of providing cost-effective high-quality care for the steadily growing and complex chronic kidney disease population since they combine the expertise and efficiency of a specialized dialysis provider with the population care approach of a public entity. We report the five-years main clinical outcomes of a population of patients treated on hemodialysis within a PPP-care model in Italy. METHODS:This descriptive retrospective cohort study consisted of all consecutive hemodialysis patients treated in the NephroCare-operated Nephrology and Dialysis unit of the Seriate Hospital in 2012-2016, which exercises a PPP-care model. Clinical and treatment information was obtained from the European Clinical Database. Hospitalization outcomes and cumulative all-cause mortality incidences that accounted for competing risks were calculated. RESULTS:We included 401 hemodialysis patients (197 prevalent and 204 incident patients) in our study. The mean cohort age and age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index were 67.0?years and 6.7, respectively. Patients were treated with online high-volume hemodiafiltration or high-flux hemodialysis. Parameters of treatment efficiency were above the recommended targets throughout the study period. Patients in the PPP experienced benefits in terms of hospitalization (average number of hospital admissions/patient-year: 0.79 and 1.13 for prevalent and incident patients, respectively; average length of hospitalization: 8.9?days for both groups) and had low cumulative all-cause mortality rates (12?months: 10.6 and 7.8%, 5?years: 42.0 and 35.9%, for prevalent and incident patients, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:Results of our descriptive study suggest that hemodialysis patients treated within a PPP-care model framework received care complying with recommended treatment targets and may benefit in terms of hospitalization and mortality outcomes.

Dataset Information

Trends in kidney function testing in UK primary care since the introduction of the quality and outcomes framework: a retrospective cohort study using CPRD.

Publications

Trends in kidney function testing in UK primary care since the introduction of the quality and outcomes framework: a retrospective cohort study using CPRD.

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