The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Multicenter Study
Provision of smoking cessation support in UK primary care: impact of the 2012 QOF revision.
Before 2012, UK GPs were paid only to offer cessation advice to smokers and only to those with smoking-related disease, a minority of all smokers. From 2012, GPs are now paid to offer all smokers referral for behavioural support and medication to assist cessation at least once every 2 years. ⋯ Paying GPs to intervene with all smokers and offer support rather than just advice to quit is associated with an increase in recording of advice and referring patients for behavioural support to stop smoking, but no change in prescribing pharmacotherapy for cessation.
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Multicenter Study
Persistent problems 1 year after mild traumatic brain injury: a longitudinal population study in New Zealand.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common problem in general practice settings, yet previous research does not take into account those who do not attend hospital after injury. This is important as there is evidence that effects may be far from mild. ⋯ Although some people make a spontaneous recovery after mTBI, nearly half continue to experience persistent symptoms linked to their injury. Monitoring of recovery from mTBI may be needed and interventions provided for those experiencing persistent difficulties. Demographic factors and medical history should be taken into account in treatment planning.
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Multicenter Study
Antibiotic prescribing and patient satisfaction in primary care in England: cross-sectional analysis of national patient survey data and prescribing data.
Concerns about adverse effects on patient satisfaction may be an important obstacle to attempts to curtail antibiotic prescribing. ⋯ Patients were less satisfied in practices with frugal antibiotic prescribing. A cautious approach to antibiotic prescribing may require a trade-off in terms of patient satisfaction.
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Multicenter Study
Variations in GP-patient communication by ethnicity, age, and gender: evidence from a national primary care patient survey.
Doctor-patient communication is a key driver of overall satisfaction with primary care. Patients from minority ethnic backgrounds consistently report more negative experiences of doctor-patient communication. However, it is currently unknown whether these ethnic differences are concentrated in one gender or in particular age groups. ⋯ The identification of groups with particularly marked differences in experience of GP-patient communication--older, female, Asian patients and younger 'Any other white' patients--underlines the need for a renewed focus on quality of care for these groups.