Family practice
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Antibiotic use and misuse are common in pregnant women and young children. Few studies have assessed real-world discussions of antibiotics in these populations. Using social media posts of pregnant women and parents, our goal was to identify key themes about facilitators and barriers to appropriate antibiotic usage. ⋯ Though most parents demonstrated appropriate knowledge about antibiotics and a willingness to follow guidelines, negative experiences with their providers, a lack of support from peers, and structural factors presented as potential barriers to appropriate antibiotic use. Implementing avenues for peer support for parents, allowing more time for providers to address parents' concerns, and improving access to providers could improve appropriate antibiotic use in parents.
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For health services to help people plan for or prevent pregnancy, health professionals need an acceptable way to identify individuals' preferences. ⋯ Discussion of pregnancy preferences via a range of formats is acceptable to, and valued by, women in the UK across a range of primary care settings. Acceptability to health professionals and feasibility of implementation needs further exploration and would benefit from greater public awareness of the benefits of pregnancy planning.
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Despite regular consultation between adolescents/young adults (AYA) and their physicians, they are not regularly screened for psychosocial risk behaviours. This study examines physicians' self-reported psychosocial risk behaviour screening in AYA. It aims to highlight which elements hinder or improve screening abilities. ⋯ Barriers such as lack of consultation time and prioritization issues were found by physicians to be critical but did not hinder screening habits. The main element impacting screening habits was assuring confidentiality and the second is self-efficacy.
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Medication-related ear canal osteonecrosis (MRECO) is a growing concern linked to prolonged anti-resorptive medication use. Despite primary care providers being key prescribers of these medications, there is limited information about MRECO in primary care literature. This article presents a case of bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the external auditory canal (EAC), emphasizing the vital role of primary care providers in identifying this rare yet significant side effect of anti-resorptive medication. ⋯ MRECO, a rare complication of anti-resorptive therapy, is anticipated to rise with increasing antiresorptive medication use in the ageing population. Unexplained ear symptoms in those with a history of current or prior anti-resorptive therapy should raise clinical concern, prompting evaluation for exposed bone in the EAC. Raising awareness of MRECO among primary care providers is crucial for early diagnosis and timely management.
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The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) was set up to enhance clinical and health research activity in a variety of National Health Service (NHS) healthcare settings, including primary care. ⋯ Research activity in GP practices is-as seen previously with hospitals-significantly linked with better GP practice performance and patient feedback. Practice list size and staffing levels in particular interact with the aforementioned. This should be taken into account when determining strategies to increase patient and GP practice participation in NIHR Portfolio research studies.