Journal of General and Family Medicine

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Diagnosis and management of psychogenic diseases such as conversion disorder, somatic symptom disorder (SSD), illness anxiety disorder, falsehood disorder, and psychotic disorder require an elaborate biopsychosocial approach and are often challenging. Herein, we propose the following points to differentiate medical diseases from these psychogenic diseases: correspondence between symptoms and objective findings or activities of daily living (ADL) impairment; placebo effect; clear provocative or palliative factors; progressive time course; paroxysmal or intermittent symptoms; unfamiliar but not strange expressions; symptoms worsen during sleep or rest...

BACKGROUND: The specific dimensions of learners that have been impacted by educational programs related to social determinants of health (SDoH) remain unknown. This study aims to elucidate how learners are affected by postgraduate education (a single 90-min educational session) regarding tool-guided clinical assessment of patients' social backgrounds. METHODS: A pretest-posttest design was utilized in which residents (postgraduate year (PGY) 1 or 2) and fellows in family medicine (PGY over 3) were recruited...

Patient engagement for patient safety is emphasized in recent years. Therefore, the Committee on Quality and Patient Safety of the Japan Primary Care Association developed a Japanese Patient Engagement Promotion Training (J-PEPT) course. J-PEPT promotes to facilitate the implementation of PE strategies and contributes to nationwide dissemination for patient safety.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare behaviors, leading to fewer pediatric visits in Japan and potentially fewer visits by adult patients. However, existing Japanese studies on treatment interruptions have generally relied on questionnaire-based methods. In this study, we assessed the impact of the pandemic on antihypertensive treatment interruption using real-world prescription data. METHODS: We conducted an interrupted time series analysis using the National Health Insurance Database in Okayama Prefecture, Japan...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer worldwide and majority cases are diagnosed at an intermediate or advanced stage. Per our analysis, greater availability of primary care physicians correlates with lower HCC-related mortality. Our results underscore the need for efforts to expand access to primary care among all populations, especially African Americans, to improve overall HCC-related outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Rubella and measles are two highly contagious viral childhood diseases. However, the high possibility of brutal effects of both microorganisms during pregnancy has kept them emerging as a major public health issue. The current study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of rubella and measles among 15-25-year-old females in southwest Iran. METHOD: This descriptive study was performed in Jahrom, southern west Iran during 2012. Serum samples from female individuals with an age of 15-25 years visiting main laboratories in our study location were collected and evaluated by a commercial ELISA kit for anti-rubella and measles IgG antibodies...

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BACKGROUND: Interconception care (ICC) by family physicians during well-child visits (WCVs) has been broadly advocated in principle but has not been widely implemented. We aimed to investigate ICC at WCVs by family physicians at our facility, focusing on four maternal risk factors, including maternal tobacco use, maternal depression, contraception, and folic acid supplementation. METHODS: Mothers who visited WCVs with children up to the age of 24 months at our university-affiliated clinic were screened for the four maternal risks...

BACKGROUND: Mentorship is a dynamic, reciprocal relationship in which an advanced careerist (mentor) encourages the growth of a novice (mentee). Mentorship may protect the mental health of residents at risk for depression and burnout, yet despite its frequent use and known benefits, limited reports exist regarding the prevalence and mental effects of mentorship on residents in Japan. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving postgraduate year 1 and 2 (PGY-1 and PGY-2) residents in Japan who took the General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE) at the end of the 2021 academic year...

Psychological aspects of rehabilitation nutrition affect physical, cognitive, and social rehabilitation nutrition. When depression is recognized, not only pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, but also non-pharmacological therapies such as exercise, nutrition, psychosocial, and other interventions can be expected to improve depression. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and intervention without overlooking depression is important. Psychological aspects of preventive rehabilitation nutrition is also important because depression can be partially prevented by appropriate exercise and nutritional management...

BACKGROUND: Many countries are experiencing rapid population aging, and the provision of support for older adults with diseases or disabilities to continue living in their communities is a major global challenge. Japan has established multifunctional long-term care in small group homes and home-visit nursing (MLSH) as a service category that integrates medical and care services. These services focus on nursing functions to support continuous, long-term home, and end-of-life care for older adults with high levels of medical care dependency...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the usefulness of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for older adults with heart failure (HF) who need nursing care and investigate the effect of CR on cognitive function (CF) and basic activities of daily living (BADL). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. The study included older adults with HF eligible for long-term care insurance in fiscal year 2014 (FY2014) as the baseline and followed them up until March 2018. Patients were divided into two groups, CR (+) and CR (-), and the changes in their CF and BADL scores over time for 3 years were investigated...

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) sequelae, also known as long COVID, can present with various symptoms. Among these symptoms, autonomic dysregulation, particularly postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), should be evaluated. However, previous studies on the treatment of POTS complicated by COVID-19 are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the treatment course of long COVID complicated by POTS. METHODS: The medical records of patients who complained of fatigue and met the criteria for POTS diagnosis were reviewed...

The Model Core Curriculum for Medical Education in Japan was revised in 2022. It aimed to reflect changes in the nature of medical care, including the advancement of medical technology through the use of information science and technology and artificial intelligence in the Society 5.0 era. We summarize recommendations for good practice regarding learning strategies from the perspective of general medicine.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine whether puncture sites for blood sampling and topical disinfectants are associated with rates of contaminated blood cultures in the emergency department (ED) of a single institution. METHODS: This single-center, ambidirectional cohort study of 548 consecutive patients ≥20 years of age was performed in the ED of a university hospital in Japan over a 13-month period. Pairs of blood samples were collected for aerobic and anaerobic cultures from patients in the ED...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: In this digital age, social networks may offer an avenue for individuals to obtain drugs illicitly beyond the prescribed amount. Users on X (Twitter)® have ingeniously fabricated fashionable accessories that employ prescription drug sheets, termed "Okusuri Charm". METHODS: This cross-sectional study scrutinized the emerging "Okusuri Charm" trend, by searching the term in Japanese on X (Twitter)® and analyzing related posts. RESULTS: Alongside illegal prescription drug trading, individuals crafted accessories from drug sheets, particularly prescribed psychiatric drugs, and dealt with other users, leading to a growing trend this year...