Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

How are reasons for encounter associated with influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection diagnoses and interventions? A cohort study in eight Italian general practice populations

Buono, Nicola ; Harris, Michael ; Farinaro, Carmine ; Petrazzuoli, Ferdinando LU orcid ; Cavicchi, Angelo ; D’Addio, Filippo ; Scelsa, Amedeo ; Mirra, Baldassarre ; Napolitano, Enrico and Soler, Jean K. (2021) In BMC Family Practice 22(1).
Abstract

Background: Influenza-like illness (ILI) and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) are a considerable health problem in Europe. Most diagnoses are made by family physicians (FPs) and based on symptoms and clinical signs rather than on diagnostic testing. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) advocates that FPs record patients’ ‘Reasons for Encounters’ (RfEs) as they are presented to them. This study analyses the association of patients’ RfEs with FPs’ diagnoses of ILI and ARI diagnoses and FPs’ management of those patients. Methods: Cohort study of practice populations. Over a 4-month period during the winter season 2013–14, eight FPs recorded ILI and ARI patients’ RfEs and how they were managed. FPs recorded details of... (More)

Background: Influenza-like illness (ILI) and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) are a considerable health problem in Europe. Most diagnoses are made by family physicians (FPs) and based on symptoms and clinical signs rather than on diagnostic testing. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) advocates that FPs record patients’ ‘Reasons for Encounters’ (RfEs) as they are presented to them. This study analyses the association of patients’ RfEs with FPs’ diagnoses of ILI and ARI diagnoses and FPs’ management of those patients. Methods: Cohort study of practice populations. Over a 4-month period during the winter season 2013–14, eight FPs recorded ILI and ARI patients’ RfEs and how they were managed. FPs recorded details of their patients using the ICPC format, collecting data in an Episode of Care (EoC) structure. Results: There were 688 patients diagnosed as having ILI; between them they presented with a total of 2,153 RfEs, most commonly fever (79.7%), cough (59.7%) and pain (33.0%). The 848 patients with ARI presented with a total of 1,647 RfEs, most commonly cough (50.4%), throat symptoms (25.9%) and fever (19.9%). For patients with ILI, 37.0% of actions were related to medication for respiratory symptoms; this figure was 38.4% for patients with ARI. FPs referred six patients to specialists or hospitals (0.39% of all patients diagnosed with ILI and ARI). Conclusions: In this study of patients with ILI and ARI, less than half received a prescription from their FPs, and the illnesses were mainly managed in primary care, with few patients’ needing referral. The ICPC classification allowed a standardised data collection system, providing documentary evidence of the management of those diseases.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Influenza, Primary care, Respiratory infections, Symptom assessment
in
BMC Family Practice
volume
22
issue
1
article number
172
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:34454426
  • scopus:85113794267
ISSN
1471-2296
DOI
10.1186/s12875-021-01519-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
41eec0a6-793b-4de8-b6b4-75348c26714f
date added to LUP
2021-09-17 11:20:31
date last changed
2024-06-15 16:27:54
@article{41eec0a6-793b-4de8-b6b4-75348c26714f,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Influenza-like illness (ILI) and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) are a considerable health problem in Europe. Most diagnoses are made by family physicians (FPs) and based on symptoms and clinical signs rather than on diagnostic testing. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) advocates that FPs record patients’ ‘Reasons for Encounters’ (RfEs) as they are presented to them. This study analyses the association of patients’ RfEs with FPs’ diagnoses of ILI and ARI diagnoses and FPs’ management of those patients. Methods: Cohort study of practice populations. Over a 4-month period during the winter season 2013–14, eight FPs recorded ILI and ARI patients’ RfEs and how they were managed. FPs recorded details of their patients using the ICPC format, collecting data in an Episode of Care (EoC) structure. Results: There were 688 patients diagnosed as having ILI; between them they presented with a total of 2,153 RfEs, most commonly fever (79.7%), cough (59.7%) and pain (33.0%). The 848 patients with ARI presented with a total of 1,647 RfEs, most commonly cough (50.4%), throat symptoms (25.9%) and fever (19.9%). For patients with ILI, 37.0% of actions were related to medication for respiratory symptoms; this figure was 38.4% for patients with ARI. FPs referred six patients to specialists or hospitals (0.39% of all patients diagnosed with ILI and ARI). Conclusions: In this study of patients with ILI and ARI, less than half received a prescription from their FPs, and the illnesses were mainly managed in primary care, with few patients’ needing referral. The ICPC classification allowed a standardised data collection system, providing documentary evidence of the management of those diseases.</p>}},
  author       = {{Buono, Nicola and Harris, Michael and Farinaro, Carmine and Petrazzuoli, Ferdinando and Cavicchi, Angelo and D’Addio, Filippo and Scelsa, Amedeo and Mirra, Baldassarre and Napolitano, Enrico and Soler, Jean K.}},
  issn         = {{1471-2296}},
  keywords     = {{Influenza; Primary care; Respiratory infections; Symptom assessment}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Family Practice}},
  title        = {{How are reasons for encounter associated with influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection diagnoses and interventions? A cohort study in eight Italian general practice populations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12875-021-01519-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12875-021-01519-4}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}