BMJ : British medical journal
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The Audit Commission recently highlighted the need for health services to plan language services to help the problems of poor communication facing non-English speaking patients. Doctors and other health workers need to know how to work effectively when interviewing patients with an interpreter. This article describes the different options for helping non-English speaking patients; explains how interviews should be conducted with a trained interpreter, including those using sign language; and outlines the extent of interpreting services currently available in the United Kingdom, complete with a list of addresses of organisations offering interpreting services.
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To examine whether the reduction in mortality after standard titre measles immunisation in developing countries can be explained simply by the prevention of acute measles and its long term consequences. ⋯ These observations suggest that standard titre measles vaccine may confer a beneficial effect which is unrelated to the specific protection against measles disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Primary care in the accident and emergency department: II. Comparison of general practitioners and hospital doctors.
To compare the process and outcome of "primary care" consultations undertaken by senior house officers, registrars, and general practitioners in an accident and emergency department. ⋯ Employing general practitioners in accident and emergency departments to manage patients with primary care needs seems to result in reduced rates of investigations, prescriptions, and referrals. This suggests important benefits in terms of resource utilisation, but the impact on patient outcome and satisfaction needs to be considered further.