OBJECTIVE: Patients with incurable cancer should receive general palliative care according to their needs, as provided through collaboration between hospital departments, municipalities, and general practices and as outlined in national guidelines. However, the implementation of general palliative care in Denmark has been inadequate. This study aimed to investigate the healthcare professionals\' (HCPs\') perceptions on barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of the Danish National Guideline (NG) for general palliative care.
METHODS: This descriptive, qualitative study was guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Qualitative focus group and individual interviews were conducted with 23 HCPs. The interview guide, coding, analysis, and reporting of findings were developed within the CFIR framework.
RESULTS: The main barriers to implementing NG were as follows: lack of knowledge about the NG, lack of an implementation plan, and insufficient communication and collaboration across sectors. Important facilitators were as follows: HCP motivation to meet palliative care needs, HCPs with special functions taking responsibility for incorporating NG into local guidelines, and the role of district nurses specialised in palliative care as opinion leaders providing security and continuity for the HCPs working in palliative care.
CONCLUSIONS: To address the needs of patients with incurable cancer, greater efforts are required on implementing general palliative care. Although HCPs in our setting were motivated to improve NG implementation, financial resources and strategies are necessary to ensure sufficient knowledge uptake and accommodate identified barriers in order to translate the NG into practice.

We assessed the methodological quality and transparency of all the national clinical practice guidelines that were published in Croatia up until 2017 and explored the factors associated with their quality rating. An in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed using rigorous methodology. We evaluated the guidelines using a validated AGREE II instrument with four raters; we used multiple linear regressions to identify the predictors of quality; and two focus groups, including guideline developers, to further explore the guideline development process. The majority of the guidelines (N = 74) were developed by medical societies. The guidelines\' quality was rated low: the median standardized AGREE II score was low, 36% (IQR 28-42), and so were the overall-assessments. The aspects of the guidelines that were rated best were the \"clarity of presentation\" and the \"scope and purpose\" (median ≥ 59%); however, the other four domains received very low scores (15-33%). Overall, the guideline quality did not improve over time. The guidelines that were developed by medical societies scored significantly worse than those developed by governmental, or unofficial working groups (12-43% per domain). In focus group discussions, inadequate methodology, a lack of implementation systems in place, a lack of awareness about editorial independence, and broader expertise/perspectives in working groups were identified as factors behind the low scores. The factors identified as affecting the quality of the national guidelines may help stakeholders who are developing interventions and education programs aimed at improving guideline quality worldwide.

Physical activity (PA) is a proven strategy to prevent chronic diseases and reduce falls. Furthermore, it improves or at least maintains performance of activities of daily living, and thus fosters an independent lifestyle in older adults. However, evidence on the association of PA with relevant subgroups, such as older adults with utilization of long-term care (LTC), is sparse. This knowledge would be essential for establishing effective, need-based strategies to minimize the burden on healthcare systems due to the increasing need for LTC in old age.
Data originate from the 2011/12 (t1) baseline assessment and 2016 (t2) follow-up of the population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA-)Age study in southern Germany. In 4812 observations of individuals ≥65 years, the association between various types of PA (walking, exercise (i. e., subcategory of PA with the objective to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness), walking+exercise) and utilization of LTC (yes/no) was analyzed using generalized estimating equation logistic models. Corresponding models stratified by sex (females: 2499 observations; males: 2313 observations) examined sex-specific associations. Descriptive analyses assessed the proportion of individuals meeting the suggested minimum values in the German National Physical Activity Recommendations for older adults (GNPAR).
All types of PA showed a statistically significant association with non-utilization of LTC in the entire cohort. \"Walking+exercise\" had the strongest association with non-utilization of LTC in the entire cohort (odds ratio (OR): 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.39-0.70) and in males (OR: 0.41, CI: 0.26-0.65), whereas in females it was \"exercise\" (OR: 0.58; CI: 0.35-0.94). The proportion of individuals meeting the GNPAR was higher among those without utilization of LTC (32.7%) than among those with LTC (11.7%) and group differences were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05).
The GNPAR are rarely met by older adults. However, doing any type of PA is associated with non-utilization of LTC in community-dwelling older adults. Therefore, older adults should be encouraged to walk or exercise regularly. Furthermore, future PA programs should consider target-groups\' particularities to reach individuals with the highest needs for support.

UNASSIGNED: As the provision of Mindfulness-Based Programs (MBPs) in health care settings progresses, more research is needed to develop guidelines and structures for implementation in various contexts. This study is part of a larger project were MBP provision in Sweden is explored.
UNASSIGNED: The objective is to provide knowledge for the next steps of MBP implementation both in Sweden and internationally. The specific aim of the study is to explore how MBP teachers and other relevant stakeholders experience the implementation of MBP.
UNASSIGNED: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 MBP providers and 2 other stakeholders from a range of health care settings in Sweden.
UNASSIGNED: The results, presented in 3 themes, provide insights into the factors that are crucial for facilitating or hindering MBP implementation; (1) MBP teachers and their training, including the importance of champion individuals and the benefit and shortcomings of various forms of MBP; (2) Patients and patient referrals, including patient characteristics and referral pathways; (3) Organizational prerequisites to successful implementation, highlighting the importance of financial factors and managers\' and colleagues\' knowledge and acceptance of MBP; and (4) the need for structural changes, including future recommendations on quality assessment and guidelines.
UNASSIGNED: This study highlights the need for national guidelines for MBP provision and teacher training pathways, as well as improved availability of teacher training. Also, the benefit of a stepped-care model of MBP provision is indicated by the findings. Finally, increasing awareness of MBPs among referrers, managers, and the public may enable successful implementation.

Background: National guidelines are important instruments in reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. Low adherence to guidelines is an acknowledged problem that needs to be addressed.Method: We evaluated established characteristics for guidelines in the guidelines for lower respiratory tract infection, acute otitis media and pharyngotonsillitis in primary care. We studied how doctors used these guidelines by analysing interviews with 29 general practitioners (GPs) in Sweden.Results: We found important between-guidelines differences, which we believe affects adherence. The GPs reported persistent preconceptions about diagnosis and treatment, which we believe reduces their adherence to the guidelines.Conclusion: To increase adherence, it is important to consider doctors\' preconceptions when creating new guidelines.

Our primary aim was to calculate the head computed tomography (CT) scan rate in children with a minor head injury (MHI) when the Dutch National guidelines were followed in clinical practice. The secondary aim was to determine the incidence of CT abnormalities and the guideline predictors associated with traumatic abnormalities.
We performed a multi-centre, prospective observational cross-sectional study in the emergency departments of six hospitals in The Netherlands between 1 April 2015 and 31 December 2016.
Data on 1002 patients were studied and 69% of cases complied with the guidelines. The overall CT rate was 44% and the incidence of traumatic abnormal CT findings was 13%. CT scans were performed in 19% of children under two years of age, 48% of children between two and five years and 63% of children aged six years or more. Multivariate regression analysis for all age categories showed that CT abnormalities were predicted by a Glasgow Coma Scale of less than 15, suspicion of a basal skull fracture, vomiting and scalp haematomas or external lesions of the skull.
Strict adherence to the Dutch national guidelines resulted in CT overuse. New guidelines are needed to safely reduce CT scan indications.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between patient-related and histopathological factors, as well as the influence of national programs for diagnosing and treatment of colon cancer and a lymph node yield (LNY) ≥ 12.
METHODS: An analysis was carried out of the LNY in a nationwide Danish cohort treated by curative resection of stage I-III colon cancer in the period 2003-2011. The association between a LNY ≥ 12 and age, sex, body mass index, open vs. laparoscopic surgery, acute vs. elective surgery, pT stage, tumour sub-site and year of diagnosis was analysed.
RESULTS: A total of 13,766 patients were eligible for the analysis. In total, 71.4 % of the patients had a LNY ≥ 12. In multivariate analysis, age, pT stage, tumour sub-site and priority of surgery were independently associated with the probability of a LNY ≥ 12. Odds ratios (ORs) were as follows: age <65 1, 65-75 0.685 (confidence interval (CI) 0.586-0.800), >75 0.517 (CI 0.439-0.609); T1 1, T2 2.750 (CI 2.168-3.487), T3 6.016 (CI 4.879-7.418), T4 6.317 (CI 4.950-8.063); right colon 1, left colon 0.568 (0.511-0.633); elective surgery 1, acute surgery 0.748 (CI 0.625-0.894). Moreover, year of diagnosis was associated with the probability of a LNY ≥ 12: OR 1.480 (CI 1.445-1.516) for each increasing year in the study period.
CONCLUSIONS: A LNY ≥ 12 is significantly associated with age, pT stage, tumour sub-site and priority of surgery. A significant increase in the LNY over the period of the study was observed, probably reflecting the effect of national programmes initiated by the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group.