Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34465298›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2021

Primary care clinical provider knowledge and experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne illness: a qualitative assessment from a Lyme disease endemic community.

Stephanie Mattoon, Caitlin Baumhart, Ana C Barsallo Cochez, Douglas MacQueen, Jeffrey Snedeker, Caroline B Yancey, Melissa Gatch, Emily M Mader

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Understanding the Perspectives, Experiences, Beliefs, and Knowledge of Health Care Practitioners on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease in Canada.Journal of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada = Journal officiel de l'Association pour la microbiologie medicale et l'infectiologie Canada · 2025
    Article
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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

8 authors.

Stephanie MattoonDepartment of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, 618 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Caitlin BaumhartDepartment of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, 618 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Ana C Barsallo CochezDepartment of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, 618 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Douglas MacQueenCayuga Center for Infectious Diseases, 1301 Trumansburg Road, Suite 6, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
Jeffrey SnedekerNortheast Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 10 Graham Road West, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
Caroline B YanceyDepartment of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, 618 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Melissa GatchTompkins County Health Department, 55 Brown Road, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
Emily M MaderDepartment of Entomology, Cornell University, 2126 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA. emm367@cornell.edu.

Funding

CDC HHS 1U01CK000509-01NCEZID CDC HHS U01 CK000509
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrimary care and frontline healthcare providers are often the first point of contact for patients experiencing tick-borne disease (TBD) but face challenges when recognizing and diagnosing these diseases. The specific aim of this study was to gain a qualitative understanding of frontline and primary care providers' knowledge and practices for identifying TBDs in patients.

methodsFrom fall 2018 to spring 2019, three focus groups were conducted with primary care providers practicing in a small-town community endemic to Lyme disease (LD) and with emerging incidence of additional TBDs. A follow up online survey was distributed to urgent and emergency care providers in the small-town community and an academic medical center within the referral network of the local clinical community in spring and summer 2019. Qualitative analysis of focus group data was performed following a grounded theory approach and survey responses were analyzed through the calculation of descriptive statistics.

resultsFourteen clinicians from three primary care practices participated in focus groups, and 24 urgent and emergency care clinicians completed the survey questionnaire. Four overarching themes emerged from focus group data which were corroborated by survey data. Themes highlighted a moderate level of awareness on diagnosis and treatment of LD among participants and limited knowledge of diagnosis and treatment for two other regionally relevant TBDs, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Providers described challenges and frustrations in counseling patients with strong preconceptions of LD diagnosis and treatment in the context of chronic infection. Providers desired additional point-of-care resources to facilitate patient education and correct misinformation on the diagnosis and treatment of TBDs.

conclusionsThrough this small study, it appears that clinicians in the small-town and academic medical center settings are experiencing uncertainties related to TBD recognition, diagnosis, and patient communication. These findings can inform the development of point-of-care resources to aid in patient-provider communication regarding TBDs and inform the development of continuing medical education programs for frontline and primary care providers.

Indexed as

Lyme DiseaseTick-Borne DiseasesTicksAnimalsHealth PersonnelHumansPrimary Health CareClinicianClinician–patient communicationFocus groupLyme diseaseQualitativeTick-borne disease

Identifiers

PMID34465298
PMCPMC8408947

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.