Family practice
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Comparative Study
Parental experiences and opinions regarding the management of acute otitis media in Finland-a comparative questionnaire between 2006 and 2019.
Treatment guidelines for acute otitis media (AOM) have changed over the past 20 years. Watchful waiting is often recommended as an option for antibiotic treatment and the use of proper pain medication is emphasised. ⋯ Today, more parents accept watchful waiting as a treatment option for AOM and give painkillers to their children, which indicates that the education about optimal management of AOM has reached parents.
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder in children. However, in primary care, it is still unknown whether there are differences in the prognosis of children with IBS compared to other diagnostic subgroups. Therefore, our aim was to describe the course of symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for children with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms who either do or do not fulfil the Rome criteria for IBS in primary care. Second, we compared the diagnosis of the general practitioner (GP) with the Rome criteria. ⋯ There seems to be a difference in the treatment and prognosis of symptoms and HRQoL between children with and without IBS in primary care. This suggests that it is relevant to differentiate between these groups. The evaluation and use of feasible criteria to define IBS in different healthcare settings remains subject for further studies.
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Recent evidence suggests that the first consultation with a general practitioner (GP) for symptoms of depression may be more than just a vehicle for assessment and management planning (as current guidelines imply). ⋯ These results suggest that the therapeutic benefit of the GP consultation is under-recognized in current guidelines. The results of our study will provide crucial information as to how such consultations can be tailored to improve patient satisfaction.
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Patients frequently visit their primary care physician (PCP) for digestive symptoms. We aimed to compile a list of non-pharmacological home remedies (NPHRs) that patients frequently use and find effective so that PCPs can then propose them to their patients with various digestive symptoms. ⋯ Our data could be useful to PCPs interested in proposing NPHRs to their patients suffering from digestive disorders, and more generally to all PCPs interested in learning more about patients' use of NPHRs in primary care.