Title |
The REFER (REFer for EchocaRdiogram) protocol: a prospective validation of a clinical decision rule, NT-proBNP, or their combination, in the diagnosis of heart failure in primary care. Rationale and design
|
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Published in |
BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, October 2012
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DOI | 10.1186/1471-2261-12-97 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Lynda Tait, Andrea K Roalfe, Jonathan Mant, Martin R Cowie, Jonathan J Deeks, Rachel Iles, Pelham M Barton, Clare J Taylor, Marites Derit, FD Richard Hobbs |
Abstract |
Heart failure is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. As mortality rates are high, it is important that patients seen by general practitioners with symptoms suggestive of heart failure are identified quickly and treated appropriately. Identifying patients with heart failure or deciding which patients need further tests is a challenge. All patients with suspected heart failure should be diagnosed using objective tests such as echocardiography, but it is expensive, often delayed, and limited by the significant skill shortage of trained echocardiographers. Alternative approaches for diagnosing heart failure are currently limited. Clinical decision tools that combine clinical signs, symptoms or patient characteristics are designed to be used to support clinical decision-making and validated according to strict methodological procedures. The REFER Study aims to determine the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of our previously derived novel, simple clinical decision rule, a natriuretic peptide assay, or their combination, in the triage for referral for echocardiography of symptomatic adult patients who present in general practice with symptoms suggestive of heart failure. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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India | 1 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 1 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United Kingdom | 1 | 1% |
Ukraine | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 66 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Student > Master | 11 | 16% |
Researcher | 10 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 7 | 10% |
Other | 6 | 9% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 5 | 7% |
Other | 16 | 24% |
Unknown | 13 | 19% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
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Medicine and Dentistry | 34 | 50% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 6 | 9% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 2 | 3% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 2 | 3% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 2 | 3% |
Other | 7 | 10% |
Unknown | 15 | 22% |