Family practice
-
In primary care, health professionals use blood tests to investigate nonspecific presentations to inform referral decisions. Reference ranges for the commonly used blood tests in western countries were developed in predominately White populations, and so may perform differently when applied to non-White populations. Knowledge of ethnic variation in blood test results in healthy/general populations could help address ethnic inequalities in cancer referral for diagnosis and outcomes. ⋯ There is evidence of ethnic differences in average values of haemoglobin, MCV, CRP, and albumin in healthy/general populations. Further research is needed to explore the reasons for these differences. Systematic review registration: CRD42021274580.
-
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a persistent skin disorder that is characterized by painful lesions or pus-filled lumps, mostly occurring in areas where the skin flexes. It is a disfiguring condition that significantly reduces the quality of life of those affected. Developing new, effective treatments for HS is crucial, but it is important that it be recognized and diagnosed early, especially in primary care settings. ⋯ This study found that correct diagnoses of HS were made, as demonstrated by the expected relationship with clinical correlates. These associations were consistent when probable cases were included in the analysis. This evidence could serve as a foundation for proposing a decision support system for general practitioners to help identify HS in individuals with certain coexisting conditions.
-
In 2020, 19.2 million people were diagnosed with cancer, and nearly 10 million cancer patients died worldwide. An effective cancer care pathway must be based on coordination, multidisciplinarity, a personalized approach, and collaboration between stakeholders. Follow-up can be improved by good collaboration and communication between GPs and the cancer care team at a common level of organization. ⋯ This SINPATIC substudy provided us a better understanding of the complexity of the patient care pathway. Looking forward, the present findings might stimulate thoughts on the design and development of interventional studies.
-
There are currently different management guidelines for patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that are on long-term anticoagulation. The timing of discontinuation and restarting the anticoagulation is challenging during the postoperative care, which often involves general practitioners and physiotherapists. ⋯ Systematic Review of Level III studies.
-
Neighbourhood walkability can benefit cardiovascular health. Latino patients are more likely than non-Hispanic White patients to have diabetes, and evidence has shown better diabetes-related outcomes for patients living in neighbourhoods conducive to physical activity. Our objective was to determine whether neighbourhood walkability was associated with haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels among English- and Spanish-preferring Latino patients compared to non-Hispanic White patients. ⋯ While walkability score was not significantly associated with glycaemic control, control appeared to increase with walkability, suggesting other built environment factors, and their interaction with walkability and clinical care, may play key roles. Latino patients had a lower likelihood of HbA1c always < 7, demonstrating an opportunity for equity improvements in diabetes care.