The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Patient participation in primary care treatment decisions has been much debated. There has been little attention to patients' contributions to primary care consultations over a period of time, when consulting about depression and its treatment with antidepressants. ⋯ Unvoiced agendas are not necessarily an indication that 'shared decision making' is absent but may in some cases represent patients' attempts to 'protect' their GPs.
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In the monitoring of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, what advantages does point-of-care HbA(1c) testing provide over current practice?
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Few studies have investigated whether patients and physicians differ in their attitudes regarding placebo interventions in medical practice. ⋯ GPs rather underestimate the openness of their patients to non-specific therapies. However, patients want to be appropriately informed. Developing specific professional standards could help physicians to harness the 'power of the placebo', while remaining authentic and credible.
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Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular with patients, yet how patients use CAM in relation to orthodox medicine (OM) is poorly understood. ⋯ Patients utilise CAM and OM in identifiably different ways, individualising and integrating both approaches to manage their chronic conditions. To support patients and prevent potential adverse interactions, open dialogue between patients, OM practitioners, and CAM practitioners must be improved.
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Despite the rapid rise in the use of multicompartmental compliance aids (MCAs), little is known about the role they play in self-management of medication. ⋯ This group found the use of an MCA to be beneficial, but advice and support regarding how best to manage their medication and on the most appropriate design to suit their needs would be helpful.