The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Postural hypotension (PH), the drop in blood pressure (BP) on standing, is associated with falls, all-cause mortality and cognitive decline. PH diagnostic criteria require lying-to-standing BP measurements. PH Prevalence in older adults is 20%, however, it is infrequently recorded in primary care records, suggesting PH testing and/or recording is under-utilised in this setting. ⋯ Interim findings suggest that most PH assessments in primary care do not meet current guideline criteria. Full findings from this survey are expected to inform and influence future national guidelines.
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The NHS App was launched as a 'front door' to digitally enabled health services, offering a range of services including appointment booking and ordering prescriptions. The extent of App use and its impacts on digital inclusion is under-explored. ⋯ There is high uptake of the NHS App but there are differences in adoption rates among different population groups and issues of relevance and accessibility, that warrant further work.
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People with diabetes who do not attend their annual review appointments often have poorer glycaemic control and increased complication rates. A postal kit for self-collection of blood tests, urine samples, and anthropometric data may facilitate remote annual reviews and improve uptake. ⋯ Postal kits for annual reviews were well-received by people living with diabetes. Designed well, they have the potential to overcome far more than just the physical barriers to annual review attendance.
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The ANA-associated diseases are rare autoimmune diseases (including Systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], Sjögren's, Scleroderma, autoimmune hepatitis). Interpretation of ANA-tests is difficult, it is frequently positive in patients who do not appear to have an associated disease. In those who are ANA-positive we suspect there are features that can help distinguish those who will later develop disease. ⋯ Defining the test result is difficult. However, there is clear differentiation between the positive and negative/unknown cohorts. Positive-test status is associated with ANA-disease development and mortality. If ANA-positive, most of those who will develop disease are diagnosed soon after testing; male gender and advanced-age reduce the risk of ANA-diseases.
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App-based treatment for female urinary incontinence (UI) is a cost-effective alternative to care as usual. For successful implementation it is of major importance to involve stakeholders like care providers. ⋯ Our results add to the existing knowledge about eHealth-related barriers and facilitators. These findings can be used to optimise implementation strategies for other apps and to enhance the uptake of app-based treatment for UI in the Netherlands.