Family practice
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Case control study of access to medications during COVID-19 and longitudinal impact on health outcomes for primary care patients managing multiple chronic conditions.
During coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), people managing multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) experienced barriers to obtaining needed medications. The purposes of this paper are to (i) determine risk factors for difficulty obtaining medications during COVID-19, (ii) document reasons for the difficulty, and (iii) evaluate the impact on later physical and mental health outcomes. ⋯ People with socioeconomic disadvantages experienced a disproportionate impact of difficulty obtaining medications and poorer health outcomes due to COVID-19. They may be at greater risk in the event of future pandemics and other societal disruptions.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Using an SMS to improve bowel cancer screening: the acceptability and feasibility of a multifaceted intervention.
The Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program sends an immunochemical faecal occult blood test to Australians aged 50-74 years to screen for bowel cancer, but uptake is low (40.9%). The SMARTscreen trial demonstrated that sending a short messaging services (SMS) prompt from the participant's general practitioner (GP) increased the proportion of kit returns by 16.5%. This research aimed to determine the acceptability and feasibility of implementing SMARTscreen. ⋯ The SMS-based intervention was widely accepted by GP staff and participants. Future research should test the SMS with and without the weblink, and send the SMS at a more convenient time of the day/week.
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Observational Study
Recent life events and adverse childhood experiences in predicting antenatal depression and anxiety: cross-sectional study.
Antenatal depression and anxiety are associated with preterm labour, low birth weight, and postpartum depression, and can impact the emotional and mental development of the child. Both adverse childhood experiences and recent stressful events are linked to negative health outcomes. However, certain events may be more impactful than others. ⋯ Recent stressful life events have a stronger association with postnatal mental health than adverse childhood events, implying that it might be useful for clinicians providing routine antenatal care to gather information on recent stressors.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The relationship between self-care preparedness and quality of life in a 3-year-follow-up: a study in primary health care.
Measuring self-care preparedness may enable better support for patients in general practice. ⋯ Those patients who managed to increase their SCPI over the study period experienced an improvement in HRQoL.
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Meta Analysis
The benefits and harms of oral iron supplementation in non-anaemic pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Iron deficiency during pregnancy poses a significant risk to both maternal and foetal health. Current international guidelines provide discrepant advice on antenatal iron supplementation for non-anaemic women. ⋯ Prophylactic iron supplementation likely results in a large reduction in maternal anaemia during pregnancy. Future research should qualify the impact of this benefit on women's quality of life and determine which subpopulations benefit most. Evidence surrounding the harms of iron supplementation in the non-anaemic population is poor quality and inconsistent. Randomized controlled trials quantifying the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) disturbance and iron overload are essential to inform iron supplement use and reduce unwarranted variations in international guidelines.