Papers by Marie-louise Essink-bot
Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 2011
This study is a contribution by the Dutch participants to the research programme of the EuroQol G... more This study is a contribution by the Dutch participants to the research programme of the EuroQol Group. This collaborative group of researchers engaged in outcome measurement is working towards the development of a standardized, non-disease-specific instrument for describing and particularly valuing health-related quality of life. The present article analyses the test-retest reliability of the valuations collected with the EuroQol questionnaire
Background: Cardiovascular risk management guidelines are 'risk based'; health economists... more Background: Cardiovascular risk management guidelines are 'risk based'; health economists' practice is 'time based'. The 'medical' risk-based allocation model maximises numbers of deaths prevented by targeting subjects at high risk, for example, elderly and smokers. The time-based model maximises numbers of life years gained by treating the young and non-smokers, or 'the one who has will be given more' (Matthew
European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, 2015
To determine the influence of socio-demographic, clinical parameters and obstetric complications ... more To determine the influence of socio-demographic, clinical parameters and obstetric complications on postpartum health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We used data of three randomized controlled trials to investigate HRQoL determinants in women after an obstetric complication. The DIGITAT and HYPITAT trials compared induction of labor and expectant management in women with intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and hypertensive disorders. The WOMB trial randomized anemic women after postpartum hemorrhage to red blood cell transfusion or expectant management. The HRQoL-measure Short-Form36 was completed at six weeks postpartum. Multivariable analyses were used to identify which parameters affected the Short-Form36 physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS). HRQoL analyses included 1391 women (60%) of the 2310 trial participants. HYPITAT and DIGITAT participants had significantly lower MCS than WOMB participants. In multivariable analysis, PCS after elective and ...
Heart, 2000
Background: The objective of the study was to establish a comprehensive and consistent set of dis... more Background: The objective of the study was to establish a comprehensive and consistent set of disability weights for a number of important diseases in a Western European (Dutch) context, to be applied in composite health outcome measures to quantify the burden of disease and in economic evaluation of health care services. The context of the study was the Dutch Public
European journal of public health, Jan 10, 2015
Worldwide, refugees show a poorer mental and physical health than the populations among which the... more Worldwide, refugees show a poorer mental and physical health than the populations among which they resettle. Little is known about the factors influencing health after resettlement. We examined the development of mental and physical health of refugees. As experienced living difficulties might decrease with obtaining a residence permit, we expected this to play a central role in health improvement after resettlement. A two-wave study conducted in the Netherlands among a cohort of 172 recent (n = 68) and longstanding (n = 104) permit holders from Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia between 2003 and 2011. Multivariate mediation analyses were conducted for the effect of changes in living difficulties on the association between change in status and changes in health. Health outcomes were self-reported general health, number of chronic conditions, PTSD and anxiety/depression. Recent permit holders had larger decreases in PTSD score (-0.402, CI -0.612; -0.192) and anxiety/depression score (-0.29...
International journal of nursing studies, Jan 25, 2015
A language barrier has been shown to be a threat for quality of hospital care. International stud... more A language barrier has been shown to be a threat for quality of hospital care. International studies highlighted a lack of adequate noticing, reporting, and bridging of a language barrier. However, studies on the link between language proficiency and patient safety are scarce, especially in Europe. The present study investigates patient safety risks due to language barriers during hospitalization, and the way language barriers are detected, reported, and bridged in Dutch hospital care. We combined quantitative and qualitative methods in a sample of 576 ethnic minority patients who were hospitalized on 30 wards within four urban hospitals. The nursing and medical records of 17 hospital admissions of patients with language barriers were qualitatively analyzed, and complemented by 12 in-depth interviews with care providers and patients and/or their relatives to identify patient safety risks during hospitalization. The medical records of all 576 patients were screened for language barri...
BMJ open, 2014
We analysed potential differences in incidence, type, nature, impact and preventability of advers... more We analysed potential differences in incidence, type, nature, impact and preventability of adverse events (AEs) during hospitalisation between ethnic Dutch and ethnic minority patients, and the role of patient-related determinants. We hypothesised an increased AE incidence for ethnic minority patients. We conducted a prospective cohort study in four urban hospitals. 763 Dutch patients and 576 ethnic minority patients aged between 45 and 75, admitted for at least one night, were included in the study. All patients completed a questionnaire on patient-related determinants (eg, language proficiency). Incidence, type (eg, diagnostic AEs), impact and nature of AEs were assessed with a two-stage medical record review. Logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for patient and admission characteristics, and to investigate the contribution of patient-related determinants to AE risk. There was no significant difference in the incidence of AEs: 11% (95% CI 9% to 14%) in Dutch patients an...
Archives of public health = Archives belges de santé publique, 2014
Although literacy is increasingly considered to play a role in socioeconomic inequalities in heal... more Although literacy is increasingly considered to play a role in socioeconomic inequalities in health, its contribution to the explanation of educational differences in health has remained unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of self-rated literacy to educational differences in health. Data was collected from the Healthy Foundation and Lifestyle Segmentation Dataset (n = 4257). Self-rated literacy was estimated by individuals' self-reported confidence in reading written English. We used logistic regression analyses to assess the association between educational level and health (long term conditions and self-rated health). Self-rated literacy and other potential explanatory variables were separately added to each model. For each added variable we calculated the percentage change in odds ratio to assess the contribution to the explanation of educational differences in health. People with lower educational attainment level were more likely to report a...
British journal of cancer, Jan 5, 2010
In lung cancer CT screening, participants often have an indeterminate screening result at baselin... more In lung cancer CT screening, participants often have an indeterminate screening result at baseline requiring a follow-up CT. In subjects with either an indeterminate or a negative result after screening, we investigated whether health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changed over time and differed between groups in the short term. A total of 733 participants in the NELSON trial received four questionnaires: T0, before randomisation; T1, 1 week before the baseline screening; T2, 1 day after the screening; and T3, 2 months after the screening results but before the 3-month follow-up CT. HRQoL was measured as generic HRQoL (the 12-item Short Form, SF-12; the EuroQol questionnaire, EQ-5D), anxiety (the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI-6), and lung-cancer-specific distress (the Impact of Event Scale, IES). For analyses, repeated-measures analysis of variance was used, adjusted for covariates. Response to each questionnaire was 88% or higher. Scores on SF-12, EQ-5D, and STAI...
Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2003
We aimed at developing and testing a Dutch health-related quality of life measure for localized p... more We aimed at developing and testing a Dutch health-related quality of life measure for localized prostate cancer patients. Scales on urinary and bowel function and bother from the UCLA Prostate Cancer Index (PCI) underwent formal linguistic and cultural translation. PCI sexual scales were replaced by an existing Dutch sexual activities module (SAc). After qualitative pilot testing 389 patients with localized prostate cancer (mean age 67 +/- 7 years) completed the measure before and at 2 time points after primary treatment. Psychometric properties (feasibility, score distribution, reliability, construct validity and responsiveness to change) of the new instrument were analyzed. Response rates ranged from 93% at baseline to 87% after treatment. Urinary and bowel function scales showed Cronbach's alphas >0.7. Urinary function and bother, and bowel function and bother were significantly correlated. Pre- vs. post-prostatectomy effect sizes were >0.9 only for urinary scales; whil...
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2015
Ethnic minority elderly have a high prevalence of functional limitations and chronic conditions c... more Ethnic minority elderly have a high prevalence of functional limitations and chronic conditions compared to Dutch elderly. However, their use of home care services is low compared to Dutch elderly. Explore the barriers to access to home care services for Turkish, Moroccan Surinamese and ethnic Dutch elderly. Qualitative semi-structured group interviews and individual interviews. The Netherlands. Seven group interviews (n=50) followed by individual interviews (n=5) were conducted, in the preferred language of the participants. Results were ordered and reported according to a framework of access to health care services. This framework describes five dimensions of accessibility to generate access to health care services, from the perspective of the users: ability to perceive health needs, ability to seek health care, ability to reach, ability to pay and ability to engage. This study shows that while barriers are common among all groups, several specific barriers in access to home care services exist for ethnic minority elderly. Language and communication barriers as well as limited networks and a preference for informal care seem to mutually enforce each other, resulting in many barriers during the navigation process to home care. In order to provide equal access to home care for all who need it, the language and communication barriers should be tackled by home care services and home care nurses.
European journal of public health, Jan 8, 2014
Studies from the USA, New Zealand and Denmark suggest that many ethnic minority citizens obtain h... more Studies from the USA, New Zealand and Denmark suggest that many ethnic minority citizens obtain healthcare in their country of origin. Their reasons for doing so and the possible consequences remain unclear. We used data from the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting study to investigate the magnitude, types, self-reported reasons and determinants of past-year healthcare consumption in the country of origin by ethnic minority people living in the Netherlands. Individuals of African Surinamese (n = 2059), South-Asian Surinamese (n = 1915), Ghanaian (n = 1426), Moroccan (n = 1516) and Turkish (n = 2245) origin were included (recruited 2011-2013). We performed descriptive and stepwise logistic regression analyses. Respondents of Turkish origin reported the highest healthcare utilization in the country of origin (21.3%) compared with Moroccan (9.8%), Ghanaian (6.6%), African Surinamese (4.8%) and South-Asian Surinamese (3.0%) respondents. The main services used were outpatient clinics, pharm...
We compared reported reasons for participation and nonparticipation in colorectal cancer (CRC) sc... more We compared reported reasons for participation and nonparticipation in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening between colonoscopy and computed tomographic (CT) colonography in a randomized controlled trial. We randomly invited 8,844 people for screening by colonoscopy or CT colonography. On a questionnaire, invitees indicated reasons for participation or nonparticipation and indicated the most decisive reason. The most frequently cited reasons to accept screening were early detection of precursor lesions and CRC, and contribution to science. The most frequently cited reasons to decline were the unpleasantness of the examination, the inconvenience of the preparation, a lack of symptoms, and "no time/too much effort." Among colonoscopy nonparticipants, elderly invitees cited inconvenience less often, and absence of symptoms more often, than did the group overall. The reason reported most frequently as the most decisive reason not to participate was the unpleasantness of the examination among colonoscopy nonparticipants, and "no time/too much effort" and lack of symptoms among CT colonography nonparticipants. In light of these results, future screening programs could tailor the information provided to invitees.
British Journal of Cancer, 2010
Patient Education and Counseling, 2014
The newest vital sign assesses individual reading and numeracy skills. The aim of this study was ... more The newest vital sign assesses individual reading and numeracy skills. The aim of this study was to create a Dutch version (NVS-D) and to assess its feasibility, reliability, and validity in The Netherlands. We performed a qualitative study among experts (n=27) and patients (n=30) to develop the NVS-D and to assess its feasibility. For validation, we conducted a quantitative survey (n=329). Reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was examined by analyzing association patterns. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves determined optimal cut-off scores. Cronbach's alpha was 0.76. In accordance with a priori hypotheses we found strong associations between NVS-D, general vocabulary, prose literacy and objective health literacy, and weaker associations between NVS-D and subjective health literacy. A score of ≥4 out of 6 best distinguished individuals with adequate versus inadequate health literacy. The results suggest that the NVS-D is a reliable and valid tool that allows international comparable health literacy research in The Netherlands. The NVS-D can be applied in research on the role of health literacy in health and health care, and the development of interventions. The methods can be applied in cross-cultural adaptation of health literacy measures in other countries.
Uploads
Papers by Marie-louise Essink-bot