Canadian family physician Médecin de famille canadien
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To ascertain Canadian family physicians' levels of stress and burnout and the strategies they use to reduce these problems. ⋯ Regardless of demographic factors, family physicians are at risk of having high levels of stress and burnout. Classic burnout is related to stress brought on by factors such as too much paperwork, long waits for specialists and tests, feeling undervalued, feeling unsupported, and having to abide by rules and regulations. Common strategies for reducing personal stress included eating nutritiously and spending time with family and friends. Common strategies for reducing stress on the job included valuing relationships with patients and participating in continuing medical education. Stress and burnout are related to the desire to give up practice and are, therefore, a human resources issue for the entire health care system.
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Multicenter Study
Characteristics of men and women with diabetes: observations during patients' initial visit to a diabetes education centre.
To determine whether men and women with type 2 diabetes have different psychosocial, behavioural, and clinical characteristics at the time of their first visit to a diabetes education centre. ⋯ The results of this study provide evidence that diabetes prevention, care, and education need to be targeted to men and women differently. Primary care providers should encourage men to attend diabetes self-management education sessions and emphasize the benefits of self-care. Primary care providers should promote regular diabetes screening and primary prevention to women, particularly women with a family history of diabetes or a high body mass index; emphasize the importance of weight management for those with and without diabetes; and screen diabetic women for depressive symptoms.
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To record the presentation, diagnosis, management, and outcome of acute coughs presenting in family practice. ⋯ Most patients with cough require reassurance rather than medications, as their cough is self-limiting. Of the minority that requires medication, twice as many will benefit from adjustment of asthma medication as from antibiotics.