Family practice
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To describe gender differences in pre-hospital delay times and symptom presentation in patients suspected of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in a primary care setting. ⋯ In patients suspected of ACS in primary care, no differences were found in patient delay, but doctor delay was longer in women than in men. Symptom presentation was largely similar between men and women, although women tended to report 'spreading' chest pain more often.
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Resistance to antibiotics is a public health threat. A number of studies confirm the relationship between antibiotic use and the resistance rate. As a whole, physicians represent a large proportion of the health professionals involved in the use of this therapeutic group. Our study therefore sought to ascertain the opinions and attitudes of GPs in Spain with respect to antibiotics and resistance. ⋯ Identification of attitudes/knowledge related with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing will enable specific interventions to be designed, with the aim of targeting these shortcomings to improve antibiotic use and help reduce resistance.
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New information and communication technologies such as email and text messaging have been shown to be useful in some aspects of primary care service delivery. Little is known about Scottish GPs' attitudes towards the adoption of these technologies as routine consultation tools. ⋯ GPs are conditionally willing to use new consultation media if clinically appropriate and if medico-legal and technical support is available.
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There is an increasing need for programmatic prevention of cardiometabolic diseases (cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease). Therefore, in the Netherlands, a prevention programme linked to primary care has been developed. This initiative was supported by the national professional organizations of GPs and occupational physicians as well as three large health foundations. ⋯ A national systematic screening programme for cardiometabolic diseases linked to primary care is feasible. The cost-effectiveness still has to be established.
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The Partnership Overweight Netherlands (PON) is a collaboration between 18 partners, which are national organizations of health care providers, health insurance companies and patient organizations. The PON published an integrated health care standard for obesity in November 2010. The integrated health care standard for obesity involves strategies for diagnosis and early detection of high-risk individuals as well as appropriate combined lifestyle interventions for those who are overweight and obese and, when appropriate, additional medical therapies. The PON works towards a standard that transcends traditional boundaries of conventional health care systems and health care professions but, instead, focuses on competences of groups of health professionals who organize care from a patient-oriented perspective.