The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Observational Study
Medical treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding in primary care: 10-year data from the ECLIPSE trial.
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common problem that can significantly affect women's lives. There is a lack of evidence on long-term outcomes after seeking treatment. ⋯ Medical treatments for women with HMB can be successfully initiated in primary care, with low rates of surgery and improvement in quality of life observed a decade later.
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Identifying what prompts or hinders women's help-seeking behaviour is essential to ensure timely diagnosis and management of gynaecological cancers. ⋯ Although it is a journey of defined steps, the help- seeking behaviour of women with symptoms diagnosed with gynaecological cancer is influenced by personal and societal factors. Interventions to improve help seeking will need to address the specific identified factors, as well as capability, opportunity, and motivation.
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Individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency (including pernicious anaemia) often report being 'let down' or stigmatised by general practice systems and policy, and choose instead to self-medicate via injection; the association between this and perceptions of safe primary care in this group of people is unknown. ⋯ To the authors' knowledge, this is the largest study to date examining patient safety and vitamin B12 deficiency. It found that four out of 10 patients with B12 deficiency self-medicate via injection. Patients who self-medicated perceived primary care as less safe. Providing patient-centred care and treating these patients with dignity and respect is a policy priority to reduce unsafe health behaviours.