Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34454426›Full record

ArticleBMC family practice2021

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.

Nicola Buono, Michael Harris, Carmine Farinaro, Ferdinando Petrazzuoli, Angelo Cavicchi, Filippo D'Addio, Amedeo Scelsa, Baldassarre Mirra, Enrico Napolitano, Jean K Soler

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC family practice, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 5 countries.

Nicola BuonoDepartment of General Practice, ICPC Club Italia Via Roosevelt 4, 81100, Caserta, Italy. buono.nicola2@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0001-8797-477X
Michael HarrisDepartment for Health, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
Carmine FarinaroDepartment of General Practice, ICPC Club Italia Via Roosevelt 4, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
Ferdinando PetrazzuoliCenter for Primary Health Care Research, Clinical Research Centre, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
Angelo CavicchiDepartment of General Practice, ICPC Club Italia Via Roosevelt 4, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
Filippo D'AddioDepartment of General Practice, ICPC Club Italia Via Roosevelt 4, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
Amedeo ScelsaDepartment of General Practice, ICPC Club Italia Via Roosevelt 4, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
Baldassarre MirraDepartment of General Practice, ICPC Club Italia Via Roosevelt 4, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
Enrico NapolitanoDepartment of General Practice, ICPC Club Italia Via Roosevelt 4, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
Jean K SolerMediterranean Institute of Primary Care, Attard, Malta.
Lund University · SEMediterranean Institute for Primary Care · MTRoosevelt Hospital · GTUniversity of Bern · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInfluenza-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.

methodsCohort 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.

resultsThere 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).

conclusionsIn 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.

Indexed as

Influenza, HumanRespiratory Tract InfectionsCohort StudiesFamily PracticeHumansItalyInfluenzaPrimary careRespiratory infectionsSymptom assessment

Identifiers

PMID34454426
PMCPMC8401359
OpenAlexW3197948746

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.