The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Cluster-randomised trial of risk communication to enhance informed uptake of cervical screening.
Women overestimate both population and individual risk of cervical cancer. This may contribute to the recognised excess screening frequency for low-risk women. ⋯ Women's perception of risk contributes to determining screening intervals in addition to practice factors. Simple risk information delivered in primary care affected women's stated preferences for tests. The impact on actual screening behaviour was more equivocal. Overall, the intervention showed a substantial benefit and any disbenefit can be ruled out. This approach to providing risk information could, at low cost, benefit other screening programmes and may relieve anxiety.
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There are large variations in reported diabetes prevalence within United Kingdom (UK) populations. Linear regression was used to investigate whether population characteristics could explain the variation in prevalence between 19 practices with relatively complete diagnostic recording. ⋯ When adjusted for obesity and ethnicity, the deprivation score was no longer a predictor of diabetes prevalence. If true variation in prevalence between practices is largely predicted by population ethnicity and obesity, these population characteristics could be used to predict expected prevalence and to assess the completeness of practice registers.
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The concept of intermediate care is part of the National Health Service (NHS) modernization agenda to make services more flexible and accessible. One objective is for the general practitioner with a special interest (GPwSI) to provide a variety of extended services in a primary care setting that have been traditionally provided in secondary care. ⋯ This paper considers intermediate care from an economic perspective and provides healthcare commissioners with a background that can facilitate resource allocation decisions. It cautions that, unless the economic issues are carefully considered, there is a danger that services may be introduced that are thought to be efficient, when in fact they may not be so.
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Young people are often used as interpreters for family members in the primary healthcare setting. ⋯ This study identifies ways in which primary care professionals could facilitate better communication in encounters where young people are used as interpreters.