Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Diagnostic challenges for dementia in Australia: are blood-based biomarkers the solution?
The burden of dementia will increase as the Australian population ages and grows in coming decades. Early and accurate diagnosis remains challenging, and disproportionately so for particular groups, including rural communities. Recent advances in technology, however, now allow reliable measurement of blood biomarkers that could improve diagnosis in a range of settings. We discuss the most promising biomarker candidates for translation into clinical practice and research in the near future.
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Observational StudyRegistrar Triage, Communication and Moral Distress during End of Life Care Rapid Response Team Calls in a Teaching Hospital.
Approximately one-third of rapid response teams (RRT) involve end-of-life care (EOLC) issues. Intensive care unit (ICU) registrar experience in such calls is underinvestigated. ⋯ EOLC issues occur commonly in RRT calls and are often associated with moral distress to ICU registrars. Although consensus on prognostication is usually achieved, conversations often involve covering doctors. These issues impact on the ICU registrar experience of RRT calls and require further exploration.
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Observational StudyElectronic consultations (eConsults): a proof of concept trial in Australia.
Electronic consultations (eConsults) allow general practitioners (GP) to seek the advice of a specialist via secure asynchronous digital communication. ⋯ An eConsult service was able to be delivered by endocrinologists from a tertiary hospital to GP in Brisbane South. With an appropriate funding model, the broader implementation and adoption of eConsults has the potential to address specialist waiting lists and facilitate models of integrated care.
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Treatment use and satisfaction in Australian women with endometriosis: A mixed-methods study.
To document the frequency of conventional and complementary treatments used by Australian women with endometriosis and the perceived efficacy of these treatments, and to qualitatively explore women's treatment satisfaction. ⋯ Our findings reveal important limitations in the current Australian healthcare model, including the need for patient-centred interdisciplinary care that treats the biopsychosocial needs of people with endometriosis, and widespread pain education, spanning medical training to community awareness.