Latest Family Practice research

Top 10 this week

Week of 20 September 2026

1. 1

   Effectiveness of high-dose versus standard-dose influenza vaccines against hospitalisation according to frailty risk: a prespecified analysis of the randomised trial DANFLU-2

   The lancet. Healthy longevity · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 12 August 2027

   In a Danish trial of over 330,000 adults 65+, the high-dose influenza shot lowered influenza or pneumonia admissions by roughly 20% among those with the highest frailty scores, compared with standard-dose, while showing little benefit in low-frailty participants. The benefit rose with frailty level, but confidence intervals were wide and the finding was exploratory, so further study is needed.

2. 2

   Recombinant Influenza Vaccine and Influenza Outbreaks in US Nursing Homes: Results From a Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Clinical Trial

   Open forum infectious diseases · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 27 August 2026

   Recombinant influenza vaccine trial in nursing homes, geriatric setting

3. 3

   Accuracy of type 2 inflammatory biomarkers to diagnose asthma in adults and children: a meta-analysis of 30 studies with prospective validation in an adult primary care cohort

   The Lancet. Respiratory medicine · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 15 September 2026

   A meta-analysis of 30 studies and a prospective primary-care cohort showed that an exhaled nitric-oxide level at least 65 ppb correctly ruled in asthma in roughly four-fifths of adults with suspected disease, while a level <20 ppb ruled out asthma with 93% negative predictive value. Blood eosinophil counts added no diagnostic benefit, and recent inhaled-corticosteroid use reduced FeNO accuracy. Further work is needed to confirm pediatric thresholds.

4. 4

   Effectiveness of nurse-led mHealth-based self-care management for patients with heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

   Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 1 September 2026

   Nurse‑led mHealth self‑care for heart failure systematic review

5. 5

   Integrated Mental Health Care for Perinatal Anxiety and Depression in the United States: A Systematic Review

   Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.) · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 17 September 2026

   Integrated mental health care for perinatal depression

6. 6

   A smartphone-based serious game to improve mental health and medication adherence in adults with depression: A randomised controlled trial

   Journal of affective disorders · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 18 September 2026

   In 148 adults on antidepressants, a 9-week smartphone serious game plus optional CBT modules and on-demand therapist support cut depressive scores more than a waitlist, with 51% reaching at least a 30% improvement versus 19% controls; anxiety and medication adherence improved modestly. Higher dropout in the game arm and the open-label design temper confidence in the findings.

7. 7

   From research to practice: adapting graded sensorimotor retraining for people with chronic low back pain

   Pain · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 15 September 2026

   Adaptation of sensorimotor retraining for low back pain, implementation focus

8. 8

   The effects of knee brace, biomechanical footwear device, and exercise in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial

   Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 18 September 2026

   In 136 adults with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis, all three strategies-brace plus exercise, a biomechanical shoe, and exercise alone-lowered pain over a year. The brace-exercise combo achieved the biggest drop at four months (about 48 mm on a 100-mm scale) but the advantage faded by twelve months and was not clearly clinically meaningful. Further work is needed to confirm lasting benefits.

9. 9

   From Alert to Action: Electronic Practice Advisory Improves DSMES Referrals Over 18 Months

   Diabetes care · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 16 September 2026

   In a cluster-randomized trial, an electronic best-practice advisory prompted primary-care staff to refer patients with type 2 diabetes to self-management education, boosting referral rates from about 1% to 13% over 18 months. Adding standing orders for nurses sustained the effect, suggesting simple EHR prompts can markedly improve DSMES uptake.

10. 10

    Impact of Dietetic Counseling Combined With Digital Tools on Obesity-Related Indices in Greek Adults: The GATEKEEPER Study

    Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 18 September 2026

    In a 3-month trial of 954 Greek adults over 55 at risk for metabolic syndrome, monthly dietitian counseling reduced waist circumference in all groups, but adding a web platform or devices did not produce larger waist reductions. The platform-plus-devices group increased physical activity by about 55 MET-minutes per week, while metabolic measures improved similarly across groups.

Paper of the day, last two weeks

• Clinical Frailty Scale and 12-month adverse health outcomes among community-dwelling older adults in Vietnam: a prospective cohort study

  Frontiers in medicine · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 3 September 2026

  In a Vietnamese cohort of 1,208 community-dwelling seniors, 31% had mild-to-moderate frailty and 1% severe frailty; over one-year, 23.6% experienced death, falls or hospitalization, climbing from 9.7% in robust individuals to 64.3% in those severely frail. Each one-point rise on the Clinical Frailty Scale nearly doubled the odds of an adverse outcome, suggesting the tool can flag older adults who need closer monitoring and preventive interventions.

• Residency Competency Assessments and Early-Career Primary Care Physicians' Antibiotic Prescribing

  JAMA network open · Q1 journal · Cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 1 September 2026

  Residency competency linked to antibiotic prescribing patterns

• Are general practitioners less likely to recommend treatment when given absolute data on its risks and benefits? A web-based randomized survey

  Family practice · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 31 July 2026

  GP anticoagulation decision trial with absolute risk data

• Residency Competency Assessments and Early-Career Primary Care Physicians' Antibiotic Prescribing

  JAMA network open · Q1 journal · Cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 1 September 2026

  Residency competency linked to antibiotic prescribing patterns

• Efficacy and Effectiveness of the Recombinant Zoster Vaccine Against Herpes Zoster, Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus, Postherpetic Neuralgia and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  Reviews in medical virology · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 1 September 2026

  Recombinant zoster vaccine efficacy, shingles prevention

• The SGLT2i Treatment Gap in UK Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional RWE Study of Prescribing in Clinical Practice

  Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · Q1 journal · Cross-sectional · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 10 September 2026

  In a cross-sectional analysis of 9.8 million adults, just 17.5% of all patients meeting NICE criteria for SGLT2 inhibitor therapy were prescribed the drugs, with the lowest uptake among chronic kidney disease-only patients (3.8%). Women and older adults were also less likely to be treated, highlighting a major gap in guideline implementation that could limit cardio-renal benefits.

• Behavioural antimicrobial stewardship interventions in outpatient settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis of physician-targeted approaches

  Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 12 September 2026

  Behavioural antimicrobial stewardship interventions in outpatients

• Influenza vaccine effectiveness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cohort study emulating a randomized trial

  Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 12 September 2026

  Influenza vaccine effectiveness in COPD patients

• The SGLT2i Treatment Gap in UK Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional RWE Study of Prescribing in Clinical Practice

  Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · Q1 journal · Cross-sectional · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 10 September 2026

  In a cross-sectional analysis of 9.8 million adults, just 17.5% of all patients meeting NICE criteria for SGLT2 inhibitor therapy were prescribed the drugs, with the lowest uptake among chronic kidney disease-only patients (3.8%). Women and older adults were also less likely to be treated, highlighting a major gap in guideline implementation that could limit cardio-renal benefits.

• Comparative Outcomes of Video, Phone, and In-Person Mental Health Care

  JAMA network open · Q1 journal · Retrospective cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 1 September 2026

  Comparative outcomes of video, phone, and in‑person mental health care

• Design, rationale, and baseline findings from a patient-centered randomized trial of technology-enabled team care: the heart-2-heart BP control partners study

  Contemporary clinical trials · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 10 September 2026

  Technology‑enabled team care for uncontrolled hypertension

• Tozorakimab to Prevent COPD Exacerbations

  The New England journal of medicine · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 8 September 2026

  Phase 3 trials of tozorakimab reducing COPD exacerbations

• Music medicine for diabetes, hypertension, and perceived stress: An open labelled randomized control trial in Sri Lanka

  Diabetes & metabolic syndrome · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 26 August 2026

  In a Sri Lankan trial of adults with type 2 diabetes, adding customized music sessions to usual care reduced average HbA1c by 0.87% and cut perceived stress scores by three points at three months, while blood pressure and pulse were unchanged. The glycemic benefit faded by six months, and the findings need confirmation before routine use.

Evidence summaries in Family Practice

• Clinical Decision Support Systems
• Value-Based Care Models
• Tobacco Cessation Interventions