The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
-
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.
-
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.
-
Following a large-scale, pandemic-driven shift to remote consulting in UK general practice in 2020, 2021 saw a partial return to in-person consultations. This occurred in the context of extreme workload pressures because of backlogs, staff shortages, and task shifting. ⋯ Remote consultations have become associated in the media with poor practice. Some newspapers were actively leading the 'war' on general practice rather than merely reporting on it. Proactive dialogue between practitioners and the media might help minimise polarisation and improve perceptions around general practice.
-
Morbidity from liver disease is rising in the UK. Most cases are caused by alcohol or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and treatable if caught early. Liver disease pathways have been shown to increase detection in the community, but have not been adopted into routine primary care work. ⋯ To embed chronic liver disease management in routine primary care work, researchers and policymakers must be aware of the implementation challenges. These findings can guide the adoption of effective pathways and help bridge the implementation gap.