Publicaties

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether CO2 laser treatment is more effective than sham application in relieving the most bothersome symptom (MBS) in women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). DESIGN: Single-centre, sham-controlled, double-blind, ...

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is based on the analysis of human metabolic excretion products (biomarkers) of xenobiotics in wastewater, to gain information about various lifestyles and health aspects of a population in an evidence-based mann...

Wastewater surveillance plays an important role in the management of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic all over the world. Using different wastewater collection points in Leuven, we wanted to investigate the use of wastewater survei...

BACKGROUND: In 2015, a plan for integrated care was launched by the Belgium government that resulted in the implementation of 12 integrated care pilot project across Belgium. The pilot project Zorgzaam Leuven consists of a multidisciplinary local ...

BACKGROUND: Anticholinergic burden has been associated with adverse outcomes such as falls. To date, no gold standard measure has been identified to assess anticholinergic burden, and no conclusion has been drawn on which of the different measure ...

BACKGROUND: To address the many challenges health systems and communities face, primary care is constantly searching for new strategies to improve quality of care. One of the strategies is to focus on patients' personal goals to direct the care pr...

BACKGROUND: Diabetes patients with comorbidities need regular and comprehensive care for their disease management. Hence, it is essential to assess the primary care preparedness for managing diabetes patients and the perspectives of the diabetes p...

Although public health and medical care advancements have enabled an increased lifespan among many populations around the world, there is an ongoing need to enhance the health span of adults and older adults. Due to the increasingly substantial pr...

COVID-19 severely affected nursing home residents from March 2020 onwards in Belgium. This study aimed to model the impact of vaccination and facility characteristics on cluster occurrence, duration and severity in this setting. Possible clusters ...

BACKGROUND: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in general practice remains uncertain. Several studies showed an increase in terms of mental health problems during the pandemic. In Belgium, especially during the first waves of the...

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infection (UTI) affects half of women at least once in their lifetime. Current diagnosis involves urinary dipstick and urine culture, yet both methods have modest diagnostic accuracy, and cannot support decision-making in...

BACKGROUND: Long-term use of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs) remains common despite European guidelines advising that these drugs be used in the lowest possible dose and for the shortest possible duration. Half of all BZRAs are prescribed...

no abstract required for a letter.

nvasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a serious and potentially fatal disease, but also preventable through vaccination. General practitioners play a crucial role in prevention. This article discusses the vaccination strategy in relation to the e...

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is one of the greatest challenges facing health and social care systems globally. It is associated with high rates of health service use, adverse healthcare events, and premature death. Despite its importance, little is ...

BACKGROUND: Early detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) can prevent further deterioration and complications. Previous studies suggested that the diagnosis is often made when advanced renal failure occurs. The aims of this study w...

Over the last decade, Point of Care testing (POCT) in primary care has become a crucial part of family practice, enabling general practitioners and healthcare personnel to provide better services to patients. COVID-19 has elevated the importance o...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak had an important impact on general practice, for example the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the switch to telephone consultations. We installed a monitoring instrument and reported the burden the ...

interview in De Standaard

BACKGROUND: Postpartum care is an expanding concept in China, and it is gaining vast attention in Chinese society. However, due to some Chinese traditions and rituals during the postpartum period, the utilization of modern postpartum care should b...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s10433-021-00668-w.].

Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether the use of an e-health tool, guided by a healthcare provider, can improve health literacy (HL) in primary care. Methods: We set up a longitudinal prospective cohort study in a primary care clinic in Brus...

Objective To determine the rate and appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing for acutely ill children in ambulatory care in high-income countries. Design On 10 February 2021, we systematically searched articles published since 2000 in MEDLINE, Em...

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationships between weight, leisure time physical activity (PA), and the onset and persistence of neck pain in adults with nonspecific neck pain (NSNP). DESIGN: Etiology and prognosis systematic review. LITERATURE SEARCH:...