scholarly journals A 5-year follow-up of general practice patients experiencing depression

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 685-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
General Practice

Is Acupuncture for Pain Relief in General Practice Cost-Effective?

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Lindall
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Pain Relief ◽  
Acupuncture Treatment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Total Saving ◽  
Hospital Outpatient ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Lost To Follow Up ◽  
Practice Cost

Sixty-five selected patients with pain, mainly of musculo-skeletal origin, were offered treatment by a qualified medical acupuncturist in his general practice surgery as an alternative to hospital outpatient referral. The patients assessed their own outcomes on a digital scale: there were 46 successful treatments and 14 failures, with 5 being lost to follow up. The cost of acupuncture treatment was compared to that of the referral that would have been made if acupuncture had not been offered. The acupuncture was found to have cost £10,943 against a minimum likely cost for hospital referrals of £26,783. A minimum total saving for all 60 patients of £13,916 was determined, giving an average saving per patient of £232. Additional hidden savings through avoiding further hospital procedures and expenditure on medication were not taken into account. It is concluded that acupuncture in selected patients and when used by an appropriately qualified practitioner appears to be a cost-effective therapy for use in general practice, reducing the need for more expensive hospital referrals.

Predicting General Practice Attendance for Follow-up Cancer Care

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Ngune ◽  
Moyez Jiwa ◽  
Alexandra McManus ◽  
Richard Parsons ◽  
Rupert Hodder
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Cancer Care

scholarly journals Feasibility study on recruitment in general practice for a low back pain online information study (part of the ADVIN Back Trial)

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan Riis ◽  
Michael Skovdal Rathleff ◽  
Jan Hartvigsen ◽  
Janus Laust Thomsen ◽  
Tamana Afzali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Loss To Follow Up ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Objective In a future full-scale randomised controlled trial, we plan to compare satisfaction with a standard website versus satisfaction with a participatory driven web-application. The participatory driven web-application may facilitate the delivery of targeted evidence-based advice and information to patients with low back pain in general practice (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03088774). This feasibility study is intended to inform a future randomised controlled trial. The aim is to report on the lessons learned from recruitment to report on reasons for loss to follow-up. Results We recruited 12 women and 8 men from two general practices with each practice recruiting for 3 months. Full follow-up data was available in only three patients (15%). Based on the high loss to follow-up, we do not consider it feasible to conduct the full-scale confirmatory trial as planned. Modifying inclusion criteria to include only patients expressing an interest in using online health information or randomising patients directly at the general practice, supporting them in accessing the web-application, and letting patients respond with their immediate satisfaction may improve the speed of recruitment and follow-up rates. Furthermore, the participatory driven web-application can be included in a larger multi-faceted intervention, making the combined intervention seem more relevant to study participants.

scholarly journals A raised thyroid stimulating hormone result - a 12-month follow-up study in general practice

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronique Gibbons ◽  
John Conaglen ◽  
Ross Lawrenson
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Reference Interval ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Thyroid Function Tests ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

INTRODUCTION: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is common in older patients. AIM: To review the management of patients identified with a raised thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) result in a 12-month period and compare this to current guidelines from the New Zealand Best Practice Advocacy Centre (BPAC). METHODS: We collected laboratory data on thyroid function tests (TFTs) that were reported between December 2005 and November 2006 from two general practices with an adult population of approximately 21 000. Data were collected on symptoms, investigations, thyroid medication, family history and comorbidities. We used chi-squared tests to compare findings by age, gender and ethnicity. RESULTS: Older women of European descent were more likely to be to have initial results suggesting SCH. The number of follow-up tests ranged from 0 to 5 tests in a 12-month period. Forty-eight percent of individuals did not have any follow-up investigations. Seventy-three percent of FT4 tests taken are requested concurrently with TSH. Of those who had a repeat TSH test, just over 40% had a result within the reference interval. Twenty-eight percent had two TSH results consistent with SCH. Thirty-five percent of patients with antibody results were positive. The most commonly-recorded symptoms were tiredness and weight gain. DISCUSSION: We found inconsistencies in the management of SCH which were not related to patient characteristics such as age, gender or ethnicity. Further research is needed to determine if SCH is associated with increased morbidity and to provide a clear rationale for management of patients with SCH. KEYWORDS: Hypothyroidism; family practice; quantitative research; general practice

scholarly journals How feasible are lifestyle modification programs for disease prevention in general practice?

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heike Schütze ◽  
Elizabeth F. Rix ◽  
Rachel A. Laws ◽  
Megan Passey ◽  
Mahnaz Fanaian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Vascular Disease ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Lifestyle Modification Program

Vascular disease is a leading cause of death and disability. While it is preventable, little is known about the feasibility or acceptability of implementing interventions to prevent vascular disease in Australian primary health care. We conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial assessing prevention of vascular disease in patients aged 40–65 by providing a lifestyle modification program in general practice. Interviews with 13 general practices in the intervention arm of this trial examined their views on implementing the lifestyle modification program in general practice settings. Qualitative study, involving thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 11 general practitioners, four practice nurses and five allied health providers between October 2009 and April 2010. Providing brief lifestyle intervention fitted well with routine health-check consultations; however, acceptance and referral to the program was dependent on the level of facilitation provided by program coordinators. Respondents reported that patients engaged with the advice and strategies provided in the program, which helped them make lifestyle changes. Practice nurse involvement was important to sustaining implementation in general practice, while the lack of referral services for people at risk of developing vascular disease threatens maintenance of lifestyle changes as few respondents thought patients would continue lifestyle changes without long-term follow up. Lifestyle modification programs to prevent vascular disease are feasible in general practice but must be provided in a flexible format, such as being offered out of hours to facilitate uptake, with ongoing support and follow up to assist maintenance. The newly formed Medicare Locals may have an important role in facilitating lifestyle modification programs for this target group.

scholarly journals Stroke follow-up in primary care: a Norwegian modelling study on the implications of multimorbidity for guideline adherence

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rune Aakvik Pedersen ◽  
Halfdan Petursson ◽  
Irene Hetlevik
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Guideline Adherence ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Acute Treatment ◽  
Stable State ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
National Guidelines

Abstract Background Specialized acute treatment and high-quality follow-up is meant to reduce mortality and disability from stroke. While the acute treatment for stroke takes place in hospitals, the follow-up of stroke survivors largely takes place in general practice. National guidelines give recommendations for the follow-up. However, previous studies suggest that guidelines are not sufficiently adhered to. It has been suggested that this might be due to the complexity of general practice. A part of this complexity is constituted by patients’ multimorbidity; the presence of two or more chronic conditions in the same person. In this study we investigated the extent of multimorbidity among stroke survivors residing in the communities. The aim was to assess the implications of multimorbidity for the follow-up of stroke in general practice. Methods The study was a cross sectional analysis of the prevalence of multimorbidity among stroke survivors in Mid-Norway. We included 51 patients, listed with general practitioners in 18 different clinics. The material consists of the general practitioners’ medical records for these patients. The medical records for each patient were reviewed in a search for diagnoses corresponding to a predefined list of morbidities, resulting in a list of chronic conditions for each participant. These 51 lists were the basis for the subsequent analysis. In this analysis we modelled different hypothetical patients and assessed the implications of adhering to all clinical guidelines affecting their diseases. Result All 51 patients met the criteria for multimorbidity. On average the patients had 4.7 (SD: 1.9) chronic conditions corresponding to the predefined list of morbidities. By modelling implications of guideline adherence for a patient with an average number of co-morbidities, we found that 10–11 annual consultations with the general practitioner were needed for the follow-up of the stable state of the chronic conditions. More consultations were needed for patients with more complex multimorbidity. Conclusions Multimorbidity had a clear impact on the basis for the follow-up of patients with stroke in general practice. Adhering to the guidelines for each condition is challenging, even for patients with few co-morbidities. For patients with complex multimorbidity, adhering to the guidelines is obviously unmanageable.

scholarly journals Comparing the content and quality of video, telephone, and face-to-face consultations: a non-randomised, quasi-experimental, exploratory study in UK primary care

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (686) ◽  
pp. e595-e604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Hammersley ◽  
Eddie Donaghy ◽  
Richard Parker ◽  
Hannah McNeilly ◽  
Helen Atherton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Information Giving ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Care Services ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Primary Care Clinicians

BackgroundGrowing demands on primary care services have led to policymakers promoting video consultations (VCs) to replace routine face-to-face consultations (FTFCs) in general practice.AimTo explore the content, quality, and patient experience of VC, telephone (TC), and FTFCs in general practice.Design and settingComparison of audio-recordings of follow-up consultations in UK primary care.MethodPrimary care clinicians were provided with video-consulting equipment. Participating patients required a smartphone, tablet, or computer with camera. Clinicians invited patients requiring a follow-up consultation to choose a VC, TC, or FTFC. Consultations were audio-recorded and analysed for content and quality. Participant experience was explored in post-consultation questionnaires. Case notes were reviewed for NHS resource use.ResultsOf the recordings, 149/163 were suitable for analysis. VC recruits were younger, and more experienced in communicating online. FTFCs were longer than VCs (mean difference +3.7 minutes, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1 to 5.2) or TCs (+4.1 minutes, 95% CI = 2.6 to 5.5). On average, patients raised fewer problems in VCs (mean 1.5, standard deviation [SD] 0.8) compared with FTFCs (mean 2.1, SD 1.1) and demonstrated fewer instances of information giving by clinicians and patients. FTFCs scored higher than VCs and TCs on consultation-quality items.ConclusionVC may be suitable for simple problems not requiring physical examination. VC, in terms of consultation length, content, and quality, appeared similar to TC. Both approaches appeared less ‘information rich’ than FTFC. Technical problems were common and, though patients really liked VC, infrastructure issues would need to be addressed before the technology and approach can be mainstreamed in primary care.

Points from letters: Simple follow-up system in general practice

BMJ ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 1 (6020) ◽  
pp. 1282-1282
Author(s):  
R W Newmark
Keyword(s):  
General Practice

scholarly journals Australian general practice trainees’ exposure to ophthalmic problems and implications for training: a cross-sectional analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Morgan ◽  
Amanda Tapley ◽  
Kim M Henderson ◽  
Neil A Spike ◽  
Lawrie A McArthur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Australian General Practice ◽  
Simple Logistic ◽  
Sectional Analysis

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Eye conditions are common presentations in Australian general practice, with the potential for serious sequelae. Pre-vocational ophthalmology training for General Practitioner (GP) trainees is limited. AIM To describe the rate, nature and associations of ophthalmic problems managed by Australian GP trainees, and derive implications for education and training. METHODS Cross-sectional analysis from an ongoing cohort study of GP trainees’ clinical consultations. Trainees recorded demographic, clinical and educational details of consecutive patient consultations. Descriptive analyses report trainee, patient and practice demographics. Proportions of all problems managed in these consultations that were ophthalmology-related were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Associations were tested using simple logistic regression within the generalised estimating equations (GEE) framework. RESULTS In total, 884 trainees returned data on 184,476 individual problems or diagnoses from 118,541 encounters. There were 2649 ophthalmology-related problems, equating to 1.4% (95% CI: 1.38–1.49) of all problems managed. The most common eye presentations were conjunctivitis (32.5% of total problems), eyelid problems (14.9%), foreign body (5.3%) and dry eye (4.7%). Statistically significant associations were male trainee; male patient and patient aged 14 years or under; the problem being new and the patient being new to both trainee and practice; urban and of higher socioeconomic status practice location; the practice nurse not being involved; planned follow up not arranged; referral made; in-consultation information sought; and learning goals generated. DISCUSSION Trainees have comparable ophthalmology exposure to established GPs. However, associations with referral and information-seeking suggest GP trainees find ophthalmic problems challenging, reinforcing the critical importance of appropriate training.

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