Canadian family physician Médecin de famille canadien
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Improving aerobic fitness in older adults: effects of a physician-based exercise counseling and prescription program.
To determine the effects of adding stages of change-based counseling to an exercise prescription for older, sedentary adults in family practice. ⋯ The Step Test Exercise Prescription Stages of change exercise and behavioural intervention improved fitness and activity and lowered systolic blood pressure across a range of Canadian practices, but this was not significantly different from the control group, which received only the exercise prescription. Women in the intervention group showed higher levels of fitness than women in the control group did; men in both groups showed similar improvement.
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To review the evidence for the efficacy of products used for environmental or hand cleaning on the rates of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). ⋯ Chlorine-releasing agents are more effective than detergents for killing spores produced by C. difficile. No level I evidence is available to determine if the use of chlorine-releasing agents has an effect on rates of CDAD. Hand-washing is currently the recommended strategy for reducing transmission of C. difficile. Alcohol gels do not inactivate C. difficile spores; however, increased use of alcohol hand gel has not been associated with higher rates of CDAD.
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To explore the demographic characteristics of recent Alberta family medicine residency graduates choosing locum practice, as well as their reasons for choosing and leaving locum practice and the frustrations and rewards of locum placements. ⋯ Locum practice is a common early career choice for Alberta family medicine graduates. The most common reason for doing a locum placement was to gain experience, not to delay commitment. Locum practice tends to appeal more to female and younger family physicians. Rewards of locum practice were also cited as reasons for participation. Locum tenentes tend to be frustrated with the business aspects of arranging placements and with the generally low patient volumes. Long-term recruitment efforts by community physicians should be initiated within the first week of locum engagement.