The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Review templates are commonly used in long-term condition (LTC) consultations to standardise care for patients and promote consistent data recording. However, templates may affect interactions during the review and, potentially, inhibit patient-centred care. ⋯ Future research should evaluate health, as well as process, outcomes. The potential benefits of templates in improving documentation should be balanced against concerns that 'tick boxes' may override patient agendas, unless templates are designed to promote patient-centred care.
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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are often treated with antibiotics and are a source of antibiotic overuse. ⋯ There is insufficient evidence to be certain of the benefits of methenamine hippurate to prevent UTI. Further research is needed to test the drug's effectiveness in preventing UTIs and as an alternative for antibiotic treatment for UTI.
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Missed GP appointments have considerable time and cost implications for healthcare services. ⋯ Findings from this review have potential implications for targeted interventions to address missed appointments in primary care. This is the first step for clinicians to be able to target interventions to reduce the rate of missed appointments.
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Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an important risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) later in life. Postpartum screening provides an opportunity for early detection and management of T2DM, but uptake is poor. ⋯ Barriers to diabetes screening were identified at both system and individual levels. At the system level, clarification of responsibility for testing among healthcare professionals and better systems for recall are needed. These could be achieved through registers, improved clinical protocols, and automatic flagging and prompts within electronic medical records. At the individual level, clinicians should be supported to prioritise the importance of screening within consultations and better educational resources made available for women. Making it more convenient for women to attend may also facilitate screening.
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Prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in male survivors of cancer across cancer types has not been systematically analysed. ⋯ Erectile dysfunction was particularly high in male survivors of cancer and was associated with cancer treatment, cancer site, and age.