The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Meta Analysis
Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Weight loss is a non-specific cancer symptom for which there are no clinical guidelines about investigation in primary care. ⋯ A primary care clinician's decision to code for weight loss is highly predictive of cancer. For such patients, urgent referral pathways are justified to investigate for cancer across multiple sites.
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Patients can play a role in achieving an earlier diagnosis of cancer by monitoring and re-appraising symptoms after initially presenting to primary care. It is not clear what interventions exist, or what the components of an intervention to engage patients at this diagnostic stage are. ⋯ There is an absence of interventions involving patients during the post-presentation stage of the diagnostic process. Limited literature was drawn upon to identify potential barriers and facilitators for engaging patients at this diagnostic stage, and to establish possible mechanisms of change and measurable outcomes. Findings can direct future research and the development of interventions.
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Over the past decade, collaboration between general practices in England to form new provider networks and large-scale organisations has been driven largely by grassroots action among GPs. However, it is now being increasingly advocated for by national policymakers. Expectations of what scaling up general practice in England will achieve are significant. ⋯ Good-quality evidence of the impacts of scaling up general practice provider organisations in England is scarce. As more general practice collaborations emerge, evaluation of their impacts will be important to understand which work, in which settings, how, and why.
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Significant health disparities between sexual minority individuals (that is, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender [LGBT]) and heterosexual individuals have been demonstrated. ⋯ The facilitators and barriers to SO disclosure by LGBT individuals are widespread but most were modifiable and could therefore be targeted to improve healthcare professionals' awareness of their patients' SO. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the broad range of factors that influence SO disclosure and the potential disadvantageous effects of non-disclosure on care. The environment in which patients are seen should be welcoming of different SOs as well as ensuring that healthcare professionals' communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, are accepting and inclusive.
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Subjective cognitive complaints are commonly encountered in primary care and often result in memory clinic referral. However, meta-analyses have shown that such concerns do not consistently correspond to objective memory impairment or predict future dementia. Memory clinic referrals are increasing, with greater proportions of patients attending who do not have dementia. Studies of interaction during memory clinic assessments have identified conversational profiles that can differentiate between dementia and functional disorders of memory. To date, studies exploring communication patterns for the purpose of diagnosis have not been reviewed. Such profiles could reduce unnecessary investigations in patients without dementia. ⋯ Whether the patient attends with a companion, how they participate, give autobiographical history, demonstrate working memory, and make qualitative observations during routine cognitive testing are all useful in building a diagnostic picture. Future studies should explore these phenomena in larger populations, over longer periods, include dementia subtypes, and develop robust definitions of functional memory disorders to facilitate comparison.