general practitioners

Acute airway obstruction is a life-threatening complication of benign goitre mostly occurring in cases of known progressing goitres. The index presentation of goitre with decompensated type two respiratory failure is an exceedingly rare and a diagnostically challenging presentation. We discuss the case of a woman in her 50 s, who had been diagnosed with asthma by her general practitioner, but during admission was found to have a large goitre with retrosternal extension causing critical tracheal compression...

BACKGROUND: The complexity, high prevalence, and substantial personal and socioeconomic burden collectively render atopic dermatitis (AD) a major public health concern. Using crowdsourced Internet data has the potential to provide unique insights into this concern, as demonstrated by several previous studies. However, a comprehensive comparison across European countries remains lacking. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to investigate AD-related web searches across Europe to assess spatiotemporal variations and associations between disease-related and external factors...

BACKGROUND: This study was a two-year follow-up evaluation of health service use and the cost-effectiveness of a multicomponent general practice intervention targeted at people at high risk of poor health outcomes. METHODS: A two-year follow-up study of a clustered randomised controlled trial was conducted in South Australia during 2018-19, recruiting 1044 patients from three cohorts: children; adults (aged 18-64 years with two or more chronic diseases); and older adults (aged ≥ 65 years)...

BACKGROUND: Older adults and people with dementia were anticipated to be particularly unable to use health and care services during the lockdown period following the COVID-19 pandemic. To better prepare for future pandemics, we aimed to investigate whether the use of health and care services changed during the pandemic and whether those at older ages and/or dementia experienced a higher degree of change than that observed by their counterparts. METHODS: Data from the Norwegian Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4 70 + , 2017-2019) were linked to two national health registries that have individual-level data on the use of primary and specialist health and care services...

INTRODUCTION: There are currently different management guidelines for patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that are on long-term anticoagulation. The timing of discontinuation and restarting the anticoagulation is challenging during the postoperative care, which often involves general practitioners and physiotherapists. METHODS: The systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines and included 3 databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science Core Collection...

Neuropathic pain continues to be a significant problem that lacks effective solutions for every single patient. In 2015, international guidelines (NeuPSIG) were published, while the French recommendations were updated in 2020. The purpose of this minireview is to provide an update on the process of developing evidence-based recommendations and explore potential changes to the current recommendations. Primary treatments for neuropathic pain include selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as duloxetine and venlafaxine, gabapentin, tricyclic antidepressants, as well as topical lidocaine and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, which are specifically suggested for focal peripheral neuropathic pain...

INTRODUCTION: Long-term antidepressant (AD) use, much longer than recommended, is very common and can lead to potential harms. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the existing literature on perspectives of health professionals (HPs) regarding long-term AD treatment, focusing on barriers and facilitators to discontinuation. METHODS: A systematic review with thematic synthesis. Eight electronic databases were searched until August 2023 including MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, AMED, Health Management Information Consortium, and the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertation...

BACKGROUND: With the rapid aging of the global population, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia is anticipated to surge worldwide. MCI serves as an intermediary stage between normal aging and dementia, necessitating more sensitive and effective screening tools for early identification and intervention. The BrainFx SCREEN is a novel digital tool designed to assess cognitive impairment. This study evaluated its efficacy as a screening tool for MCI in primary care settings, particularly in the context of an aging population and the growing integration of digital health solutions...

In condition of challenges from menaces to health due to COVID-19 the role of primary health care physicians increases that requires development of management decisions at the regional level. The purpose of the study. On the basis of analysis of medical demographic indicators and data concerning provision of primary health care personnel in the Russian Federation, proposals were made related to reforming of primary health care system in conditions of implementation of general medical practice with purpose to counteract menaces to population health...

The article presents comparative analysis of demographic, social and professional characteristics of general practitioners and district therapists in state and private medical organizations. Sociological, statistical and analytical research methods were applied. The study was carried out on the basis of polyclinics of both Moscow Health Department and Moscow private health care sector. The sampling consisted of 399 questionnaires subjected to statistical processing. It is established that in state and private medical organizations, in this group of physicians prevail women 36-55 years old, born in the Russian Federation, in Moscow, married, having children and assessing one's income level as average...

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to assess the status of nutrition care and counseling in German medical practices, including physicians' nutrition interest and knowledge, existing obstacles, and possible ways of improving nutrition care. METHODS: After development and a two-stage pretest, questionnaires with 32 items were distributed to all resident doctors of general medicine, internal medicine, gynecology and obstetrics, orthopedics, and occupational medicine in Aachen (n = 360) in early spring 2022...

UNLABELLED: Although children wish to be included in their own healthcare, they recognize a gap between their right to be heard and their ability to become involved. Despite adaptation of medical consultation styles which suit a more patient-centered approach, data on the current state of child participation in clinical encounters are missing. We aimed to assess actual child participation in a Dutch pediatric clinic. Children aged 4-18 years visiting a pediatric outpatient clinic for consultation after general practitioner's referral were included...

This article provides knowledge translation on up-to-date parenting strategies (pearls of wisdom). These pearls support the development of specific skills in children from birth through 5 years of age. Paediatricians have indicated that they feel inadequately trained in providing parenting guidance. This article could be used by family physicians, community health nurses, nurse practitioners, and paediatricians as an office reference when providing anticipatory parenting guidance and when there are parent or clinician concerns that relate to various developmental stages...

BACKGROUND: Psychiatrists face a major ethical challenge when deciding whether to make use of coercive measures in the treatment process of patients suffering from severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). As India and Switzerland show major cultural, political and financial differences, it is hypothesized that attitudes towards coercive measures among Indian and Swiss psychiatrists will vary too. Exploring differences in attitudes between cultures strengthens the critical reflection on one's own stances and in consequence, on our way of action...

BACKGROUND: In the global strategy to eliminate leprosy, there remains a need for early case detection to successfully interrupt transmissions. Poor knowledge about leprosy and leprosy-related stigma are key drivers of delayed diagnosis and treatment. Sensitization campaigns to inform and increase awareness among the general population are an integral part of many national neglected tropical disease programs. Despite their importance, the effectiveness of such campaigns has not been rigorously studied in the West African context...

BACKGROUND: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) occurs at young ages, with the highest incidence between 20 and 40 years. While cure rates have improved to 80%-90% over the past decades, survivors of HL are at substantial risk of late treatment-related complications, such as cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, severe infections, and hypothyroidism. To reduce morbidity and mortality from late treatment effects, the Dutch Better care after lymphoma, Evaluation of long-term Treatment Effects and screening Recommendations (BETER) consortium developed a survivorship care program for 5-year survivors of HL that includes risk-based screening for and treatment of (risk factors for) late adverse events...

AIM: In 2022, in Italy, general practitioners (GPs) have been allowed to prescribe SGLT2i in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) under National Health Service (NHS) reimbursement. In the pivotal clinical trial named DECLARE-TIMI 58, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, CV death and kidney disease progression compared to placebo in a population of T2D patients. This study evaluated the health and economic impact of dapagliflozin for T2D patients who had or were at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the Italian GPs setting...

AIM: To evaluate the use of a single-lead electrocardiography (1L-ECG) device and digital cardiologist consultation platform in diagnosing arrhythmias among general practitioners (GPs). BACKGROUND: Handheld 1L-ECG offers a user-friendly alternative to conventional 12-lead ECG in primary care. While GPs can safely rule out arrhythmias on 1L-ECG recordings, expert consultation is required to confirm suspected arrhythmias. Little is known about GPs' experiences with both a 1L-ECG device and digital consultation platform for daily practice...

BACKGROUND: The transition from hospital to outpatient care is a particularly vulnerable period for patients as they move from regular health monitoring to self-management. This study aimed to map and investigate the journey of patients with polymorbidities, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), in the 2 months following hospital discharge and examine patients' encounters with healthcare professionals (HCPs). METHODS: Patients discharged with T2D and at least two other comorbidities were recruited during hospitalization...

BACKGROUND: Simien Mountain National Park is a world heritage site with spectacular landscapes and rich in floral diversity. Exploring the plethora of conventional wisdom regarding therapeutic flora for sustainable use and drug development is a timely endeavor. Thus, the present study was aimed at investigating therapeutic plant uses and conservation practices by the local communities dwelling in the vicinity of the Park. METHODS: Eighty randomly selected general informants and 20 purposefully selected key informants were used to collect the traditional lore from 10 purposefully selected kebeles that border the Park...