Family practice
-
According to some health programmes, implementing primary health care through community health workers (CHWs) facilitates the connection between community and health services in Latin America. However, these are isolated processes that face different obstacles and would benefit from an overview of the corresponding health policies and programmes. ⋯ CHWs contribute to the primary healthcare processes in the 6 Latin American countries studied in versatile and comprehensive ways. However, they constitute an underutilized human resource because they must provide various services that are not always relevant in different work contexts. Therefore, we propose a classification of the CHW profile, using the level of access to healthcare services of the population they serve as the main differentiator. This way, CHWs will not have to provide a wide range of services but only those most relevant to the specific needs of each community.
-
Multicenter Study
Effects of family support system on the self-management behaviour of patients with T2DM: a multi-centre cross-sectional study in community settings.
The burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in China continues to escalate. ⋯ There is significant room for improvement in the self-management behaviour of T2DM patients in China. Family function can enhance the self-management behaviour of T2DM patients by promoting family support.
-
Speculum examination is an intrusive practice in the clinical care of women. It requires privacy and patients may experience discomfort or anxiety related to the procedure, which can result in delays or avoidance of necessary healthcare. Speculum self-insertion originated in the United States in the 1970s as part of the self-help movement. However, this clinical practice is largely unknown among healthcare providers and has rarely been assessed. ⋯ The practice of speculum self-insertion during the consultation is an alternative to traditional practitioner insertion and may be offered to all women by any practitioner who wishes to use this technique.
-
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine was rapidly implemented in care settings globally. To understand what factors affect the successful completion of telemedicine visits in our urban, academic family medicine clinic setting, we analysed telemedicine visits carried out during the pandemic. ⋯ In our urban clinical setting, only a small minority of telemedicine visits required an in-person follow-up visit. This information may be useful in guiding approaches to triaging patients to telemedicine or standard in-person care.
-
Primary care practices can address food insecurity (FI) through routine screening, practice-based food programmes, and referrals to community resources. The COVID-19 pandemic had disproportionate impacts on health outcomes for food-insecure households. ⋯ Screening for and addressing FI was a priority for rural primary care practices during the pandemic. The implementation of practice-based FI interventions was supported by stronger practice-community connections and a decrease in stigma. The experiences of providers and staff during the pandemic provide insight into best practices for engaging primary care practices in reducing FI.