Quality of sickness certification in primary health care: a retrospective database study
Autor: | Lars G Backlund, Magdalena Fresk, Gunnar Nilsson, Britt Arrelöv, Ylva Skånér, Amanda Waleh Åström |
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Rok vydání: | 2013 |
Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty Certification Quality Assurance Health Care media_common.quotation_subject Health Behavior Quality indicators General practitioners Sick leave Health care Electronic Health Records Humans Medicine Quality (business) Practice Patterns Physicians' Aged Quality Indicators Health Care Retrospective Studies media_common Sweden Primary Health Care Descriptive statistics business.industry Retrospective cohort study Middle Aged Certificate Socioeconomic Factors Family medicine Needs assessment Regression Analysis Female Family Practice business Needs Assessment Research Article Sickness certificates |
Zdroj: | BMC Family Practice |
ISSN: | 1471-2296 |
Popis: | Background In the period 2004–2009, national and regional initiatives were developed in Sweden to improve the quality of sickness certificates. Parameters for assessing the quality of sickness certificates in primary health care have been proposed. The aim of this study was to measure the quality of sickness certification in primary health care by means of assessing sickness certificates issued between 2004 and 2009 in Stockholm. Methods This was a retrospective study using data retrieved from sickness certificates contained in the electronic patient records of 21 primary health care centres in Stockholm County covering six consecutive years. A total number of 236 441 certificates were used in the current study. Seven quality parameters were chosen as outcome measures. Descriptive statistics and regression models with time, sex and age group as explanatory variables were used. Results During the study period, the quality of the sickness certification practice improved as the number of days on first certification decreased and the proportion of duly completely and acceptable certificates increased. Assessment of need for vocational rehabilitation and giving a prognosis for return to work were not significantly improved during the same period. Time was the most influential variable. Conclusions The quality of sickness certification practice improved for most of the parameters, although additional efforts to improve the quality of sickness certificates are needed. Measures, such as reminders, compulsory certificate fields and structured guidance, could be useful tools to achieve this objective. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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