Family practice
-
Comparative Study
Six month outcomes after emergency admission of elderly patients to a community or a district general hospital.
Emergency admissions account for 40% of National Health Service bed usage. Recent policy is to increase the role of intermediate care, which includes the use of community hospitals (CHs). However, the proposed expansion presumes that CH care is as effective as acute hospital care. No direct comparison of outcomes between CHs and district general hospitals (DGHs) has been undertaken. ⋯ The quality of life and mortality in the CH cohort was similar to those in the DGH cohort. CH care can be used as an alternative to DGH care for a wide range of conditions requiring emergency admission.
-
Comparative Study
Consent rates for video-recording general practice consultations: effect of ethnicity and other factors.
We sought consent for video-recording general practice consultations from 260 consecutive attenders in nine surgeries. Intensive fieldwork including language support, from both the researcher and professional interpreters, was undertaken. ⋯ No significant differences in consent rates were found between white and south Asian patients, even after controlling for age, gender and self-reported understanding of English. No differences in consent rates were found with respect to age, gender and self-reported understanding of English.
-
Doctors' ability to predict the duration of their patients' certified sickness absence is important for follow-up efforts aimed at patients with increased probability of long-term absence. ⋯ The doctors' predictions were highly accurate for return to work in short-standing episodes, and for still certified sick in long-standing episodes. Diagnoses were associated with the accuracy; other factors, including the doctors' work ability assessments, were not.
-
The advent of general practice co-operatives represented a fundamental change in the delivery and organization of out-of-hours services. Concerns have been voiced that co-operatives might impact adversely on workload in accident and emergency (A&E) departments. ⋯ General practice co-operatives have been successful in achieving their policy objectives, improving GP morale without jeopardizing patient satisfaction or impacting adversely on A&E services.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
What happened to the prescriptions? A single, short, standardized telephone call may increase compliance.
Patients' compliance with prescribed prescriptions and doctors' advice is a prerequisite for successful treatment. Compliance is estimated to be