HKCFP-HKU Primary Care Morbidity Survey in Hong Kong

NCT04736992 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HKUCTR-2916
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 49
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: Information about the health problems of patients presenting in primary care is crucial to understanding the health of the general community for the planning and allocation of health care resources. Practice-based morbidity studies conducted in primary care settings have proven to be helpful in documentation of disease prevalence and for service planning. With the change in morbidity pattern and the aging population, our study will help to inform primary health care policy and guide work force and service planning. Method: This is a prospective practice-based study of health problems presenting in primary care. Doctors who agree to participate in the study will record the health problem and type of management performed in consecutive patient encounters for one of the designated weeks during each season over the course of one year. Analysis: Data collected will be analysed by descriptive statistics, comparison with data from previous morbidity study, and by non-linear mixed effects for factors associated with morbidity and management patterns in primary care. Results: Findings will will 1) provide evidence to support the allocation of resources to continue and to expand primary care initiatives that support the provision of quality chronic disease care in private sector, 2) enable continued surveillance of the morbidity trends in Hong Kong by providing data for comparison with past and future studies, and 3) inform the content of educational curricula for medical and health care students and practitioners to prepare them to better meet the needs of the community.

Conditions

Primary Health Care

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Prevalence of health problems and diseases presenting in primary care

  immediately after completion of data collection, up to 6 months

• Rates of management activities including referral, investigation, prescription and preventive care intervention by primary care doctors

  immediately after completion of data collection, up to 6 months

• Distribution of health problems and diseases presenting in the public compared with the private primary care setting

  immediately after completion of data collection, up to 6 months

• Factors which affect the proportion and distribution of health problems in the public sector compared with the private sector

  immediately after completion of data collection, up to 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Prescription rates of specific classes of drugs including benzodiazepines, antidepressants, NSAIDs, and antibiotics

  immediately after completion of data collection, up to 6 months

• Seasonal variation in primary care morbidity pattern

  immediately after completion of data collection, up to 6 months

• Relationship between patient's presenting problem and doctor's diagnosis

  immediately after completion of data collection, up to 6 months

Interventions

No intervention involved OTHER

No intervention involved

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Primary care doctors in Hong Kong who are working in the public sector (GOPC), Department of Health Clinic, private solo practices, university health services, non-profit organizations and private hospital family medicine clinics

You may qualify if:

• Consented primary care doctors in Hong Kong who are working in:
• the public sector (GOPC), or
• Department of Health Clinic, or
• private solo or group practices, or
• university health services, or
• non-profit organizations, or
• private hospital family medicine clinics

You may not qualify if:

• Doctors who do not consent
• Doctors who are not working as primary care doctors

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Chen JY, Chao D, Wong SY, Tse TYE, Wan EYF, Tsang JPY, Leung MKW, Ko W, Li YC, Chen C, Luk W, Dao MC, Wong M, Leung WM, Lam CLK. Morbidity Patterns in Primary Care in Hong Kong: Protocol for a Practice-Based Morbidity Survey. JMIR Res Protoc. 2022 Jun 22;11(6):e37334. doi: 10.2196/37334.

  PMID: 35731566 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Julie Y Chen, MD

  Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Cindy LK Lam, MD

  Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor (Teaching)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 26, 2021
• First Posted: February 3, 2021
• Study Start: March 7, 2021
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2022
• Study Completion: August 31, 2022
• Last Updated: November 2, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

HK (1)