The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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The early defibrillation of patients having a cardiac arrest and who are in ventricular fibrillation has been shown to increase survival and is recommended by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and the American Heart Association. General practitioners (GPs) may expect to encounter a cardiac arrest in 5% of patients they attend who have a suspected acute myocardial infarction. ⋯ This study shows that the equipment carried by the majority of GPs in this area is inadequate to deal successfully with the victims of cardiac arrest, and that significant reliance is placed on the resources of the ambulance service. It would also appear that most GPs are not fully conversant with the current ERC guidelines. The ability of GPs to manage cardiac arrests could be enhanced by their attending courses to update their resuscitation skills, one example being the advanced life-support courses endorsed by the United Kingdom Resuscitation Council, and that the Royal College of General Practitioners could stimulate interest in this area by extending their requirement for candidates for the membership examination to include written documentation demonstrating proficiency at advanced life support, in addition to the current requirement for basic life support only.
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Computers are now in widespread use by general practitioners (GPs) in many countries. In New Zealand this development has advanced general practice research by enabling collaboration among a small population of doctors practising in geographically diverse locations. This paper reviews the establishment of the Computer Research Network of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) and its development between 1990 and 1995. ⋯ In addition to the routine analysis of utilization for feedback to participants, 13 research projects have been completed. These include investigations of access to general practice care, use of health services by individuals and families, surveillance of immunization uptake, epidemiology of common conditions, and the use of pharmaceuticals in general practice. The RNZCGP Computer Research Network is an example of a computerized general practice research network that has been productive without receiving significant financial resources or having a formal management structure.
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Career preferences of medical students: influence of a new four-week attachment in general practice.
It is not clear why medical students choose one specialty over another. Experiences at medical school are extremely strong determinants of attitudes to the medical specialties, and attitude is the most important factor in determining choice. ⋯ The general practice attachment influenced students, especially males, towards a career in general practice, but this effect was transient. This cohort of doctors should be followed up in order to discover their ultimate career choices.
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Differences do exist between Asians and non-Asians on the range of products they feel should be available over the counter (OTC) and the amount of information they wish to receive. This should be taken into account when considering proposals for changes in the legal status of prescription-only medicines. The profile of the pharmacist as a provider of drug information to patients could be raised in both groups.