Sickness certification for patients with acute cough/LRTI in primary care in Poland and Norway.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency and duration of sickness certificates issued by GPs to Polish and Norwegian working adults with acute cough/lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study with clinicians from nine primary care centres in Poland and 11 prima...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2011
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| _version_ | 1826266351305490432 |
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| author | Godycki-Cwirko, M Nocun, M Butler, C Muras, M Fleten, N Melbye, H |
| author_facet | Godycki-Cwirko, M Nocun, M Butler, C Muras, M Fleten, N Melbye, H |
| author_sort | Godycki-Cwirko, M |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency and duration of sickness certificates issued by GPs to Polish and Norwegian working adults with acute cough/lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study with clinicians from nine primary care centres in Poland and 11 primary care centres in Norway. GPs filled out a case report form for all patients, including information on antibiotic prescribing, sickness certification, and advice to stay off work. SETTING: Primary care research networks in Poland and Norway. SUBJECTS: Working adults with a new or worsening cough or clinical presentation suggestive of LRTI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Issuing sickness certificates and advising patients to stay off work. RESULTS: GPs recorded similar symptoms and signs in patients in the two countries. Antibiotics were prescribed more often in Polish than in Norwegian patients (70.4% vs. 27.1%, p < 0.0001). About half of the patients received a formal sickness certificate (50.5% in Norway and 52.0% in Poland). The proportion of patients advised to stay off work was significantly higher in the Polish sample compared with the Norwegian sample (75.2% vs. 56.1%, p = 0.002). Norwegian GPs less often issued sick certificates for more than seven days (5.6% vs. 36.9%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The overall proportion of sickness certification for acute cough/LRTI was similar in Norwegian and Polish patients. However, in the Polish sample, GPs more often advised patients to take time off work without issuing a sick note. When sickness certificates were issued, duration of longer than seven days was more common in Polish than in Norwegian patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T20:37:35Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:332559f7-9162-4d6f-a1d8-627d7b7559c6 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T20:37:35Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:332559f7-9162-4d6f-a1d8-627d7b7559c62022-03-26T13:18:35ZSickness certification for patients with acute cough/LRTI in primary care in Poland and Norway.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:332559f7-9162-4d6f-a1d8-627d7b7559c6EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2011Godycki-Cwirko, MNocun, MButler, CMuras, MFleten, NMelbye, H OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency and duration of sickness certificates issued by GPs to Polish and Norwegian working adults with acute cough/lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study with clinicians from nine primary care centres in Poland and 11 primary care centres in Norway. GPs filled out a case report form for all patients, including information on antibiotic prescribing, sickness certification, and advice to stay off work. SETTING: Primary care research networks in Poland and Norway. SUBJECTS: Working adults with a new or worsening cough or clinical presentation suggestive of LRTI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Issuing sickness certificates and advising patients to stay off work. RESULTS: GPs recorded similar symptoms and signs in patients in the two countries. Antibiotics were prescribed more often in Polish than in Norwegian patients (70.4% vs. 27.1%, p < 0.0001). About half of the patients received a formal sickness certificate (50.5% in Norway and 52.0% in Poland). The proportion of patients advised to stay off work was significantly higher in the Polish sample compared with the Norwegian sample (75.2% vs. 56.1%, p = 0.002). Norwegian GPs less often issued sick certificates for more than seven days (5.6% vs. 36.9%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The overall proportion of sickness certification for acute cough/LRTI was similar in Norwegian and Polish patients. However, in the Polish sample, GPs more often advised patients to take time off work without issuing a sick note. When sickness certificates were issued, duration of longer than seven days was more common in Polish than in Norwegian patients. |
| spellingShingle | Godycki-Cwirko, M Nocun, M Butler, C Muras, M Fleten, N Melbye, H Sickness certification for patients with acute cough/LRTI in primary care in Poland and Norway. |
| title | Sickness certification for patients with acute cough/LRTI in primary care in Poland and Norway. |
| title_full | Sickness certification for patients with acute cough/LRTI in primary care in Poland and Norway. |
| title_fullStr | Sickness certification for patients with acute cough/LRTI in primary care in Poland and Norway. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sickness certification for patients with acute cough/LRTI in primary care in Poland and Norway. |
| title_short | Sickness certification for patients with acute cough/LRTI in primary care in Poland and Norway. |
| title_sort | sickness certification for patients with acute cough lrti in primary care in poland and norway |
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