Quality in primary care
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Quality in primary care · Jan 2009
Gender makes the difference: the influence of patients' gender on the delivery of preventive services in primary care in Poland.
General practitioners' (GPs') time and resources for preventive services needs to be delivered equitably. We aimed to study the effect of patients' gender on the delivery of preventive procedures to adult patients aged 40 years and over. ⋯ The annual delivery rate of preventive procedures in patients aged 40 years and above is below the recommended level set by the Polish Ministry of Health. Procedures based on clinical examinations or laboratory tests were offered and performed more frequently than lifestyle advice. More men than women received preventive services for tobacco use or alcohol screening and BMI measurements. Patients' gender and physicians' engagement may influence GPs' preventive attitude and performance. These elements should be incorporated in the development of guidelines concerning prevention in primary care.
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Patient-centred consulting is at the heart of modern medicine, and training programmes now routinely highlight a range of communication skills that enhance the doctor-patient relationship. The present pilot study focuses on the central role played by empathic skills in developing rapport and shared understanding, as captured in a new model developed by the authors. The specific aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of a short-term training programme using this model to improve rapport-related behaviour in general practitioner (GP) trainees. ⋯ The significant improvement in rapport-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour after training, and the lack of any comparable change in the control group, gives some support to the suggestion that the module (and the model that underpinned it) may have triggered such an impact independent of ongoing experience or other educational activities.
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Quality in primary care · Jan 2009
Association between satisfaction and stress with aspects of job and practice management among primary care physicians.
Reforms introduced in the last decade in Italian general practice, have contributed to the changing role of primary care physicians (PCPs) within the Italian National Health Service, with potential difficulties adapting that may lead to job stress and dissatisfaction. The present study aims to compare job satisfaction and stress levels of PCPs working in primary healthcare teams (PHCTs) with those for practitioners operating in single ambulatory offices, and to assess potential associations with aspects of job and practice management. ⋯ Reform strategies aimed at improving the quality of care among PCPs needs to take into account the contextual determinants of physician satisfaction and stress, and should highlight programmes that might be pursued to improve the integration of PCPs within the Italian National Health System.