The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Experiences of front-line health professionals in the delivery of telehealth: a qualitative study.
Telehealth is an emerging field of clinical practice but current UK health policy has not taken account of the perceptions of front-line healthcare professionals expected to implement it. ⋯ Health care professionals will need to develop a shared understanding of patient self-management through telehealth. This may require a renegotiation of their roles and responsibilities.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Communicating risk using absolute risk reduction or prolongation of life formats: cluster-randomised trial in general practice.
It is important that patients are well-informed about risks and benefits of therapies to help them decide whether to accept medical therapy. Different numerical formats can be used in risk communication but It remains unclear how the different formats affect decisions made by real-life patients. ⋯ Patients redeemed statin prescriptions less often when their GP communicated treatment effectiveness using POL compared with ARR.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Change in cardiovascular risk factors following early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes: a cohort analysis of a cluster-randomised trial.
There is little evidence to inform the targeted treatment of individuals found early in the diabetes disease trajectory. ⋯ Diabetes management requires setting of individualised attainable targets. This analysis provides a reference point for patients, clinicians, and policymakers when considering goals for changes in risk factors early in the course of the disease that account for the diverse cardiometabolic profile present in individuals who are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Which weight-loss programmes are as effective as Weight Watchers(R)?: non-inferiority analysis.
Three randomised controlled trials have provided strong evidence that Weight Watchers(®) is an effective weight-loss programme but there is insufficient evidence to determine whether three other weight-loss programmes are also effective. ⋯ In the short term all commercial weight-loss programmes appear to result in similar weight loss but the NHS alternative appears to produce less weight loss. At 12 months Slimming World led to greater weight loss but the differences between commercial programmes was small and of minor clinical importance.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Amoxicillin for acute lower respiratory tract infection in primary care: subgroup analysis of potential high-risk groups.
Antibiotics are of limited overall clinical benefit for uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) but there is uncertainty about their effectiveness for patients with features associated with higher levels of antibiotic prescribing. ⋯ There is no clear evidence of clinically meaningful benefit from antibiotics in the studied high-risk groups of patients presenting in general practice with uncomplicated LRTIs where prescribing is highest. Any possible benefit must be balanced against the side-effects and longer-term effects on antibiotic resistance.