The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
-
In the UK, women from ethnically diverse and socioeconomically deprived groups are at increased risk of underdiagnosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and low uptake for breast cancer screening. Raising awareness for CVD and breast cancer screening in partnership with salons can improve early detection, management and uptake of screening facilitating women and the NHS. ⋯ Participatory approaches can support the development of educational community-based interventions aiming to establish partnerships between community assets and health systems for CVD and breast cancer awareness and prevention.
-
Understanding the general public's view about Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) is vital, as it would help with the development of targeted interventions and effective public policies to tackle this rising problem in society. ⋯ Community-dwelling adults acknowledge the impacts of abuse, but many fail to recognise specific instances or events in their daily lives contributing to DVA. Raising public awareness, particularly in children through the school curriculum, highlighting existing support services and introducing the routine use of short screening tools for DVA in health and social care settings can increase awareness, early identification and signpost to effective interventions. Sustained, multi-level community-facing interventions are recommended to reduce the stigma and fears associated with DVA.
-
Death is inevitable. When, however, is bound by uncertainty in frailty. A purely proactive approach to dying - exemplified by the DNACPR (do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation) form - is unrealistic. What does a good death look like - and who decides? ⋯ You only get one chance to die well. Thoughtful and empathetic decision-making in a reactive and complex environment is crucial to supporting patients, loved ones, and clinicians. A one-size-fits-all proactive 'death conveyor belt' is unrealistic.
-
Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) (prevalence 1 in 250) is an inherited condition that significantly increases risk of premature cardiovascular disease. Early diagnosis can potentially normalise cardiovascular risk with lipid-lowering medicines (statins and fibrates). Only 7% of patients with FH are identified in the UK. Improving identification, and understanding disparities in ascertainment and management, is an NHS priority. ⋯ The study suggests important determinants of lipid-lowering prescribing in an ethnically diverse adult population included older age, male sex, hypertension, and diabetes. Ethnicity showed no significant associations with lipid-lowering prescribing after adjusting for other determinants including deprivation measures.
-
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.