The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Personalised care planning (PCP) interventions have the potential to provide better outcomes for older people and are a key focus in primary care practice. Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) can maximise effectiveness of such interventions, but it is uncertain which BCTs are most appropriate in PCP for older adults. ⋯ Future PCP interventions to improve QoL for people aged ≥65 years may benefit from focusing on six specific BCTs. Better reporting of BCTs would enhance future design and implementation of such interventions.
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Early intervention in people with an at-risk mental state for psychosis can decrease the rates of transition to psychosis. GPs play a key role in the identification of this patient group but very few studies have explored GPs' awareness of patients who are at risk of psychosis. ⋯ Identifying people at risk of psychosis in primary care is difficult. Provision of GP training, development of policies that support continuity of care, and improved access to specialised services could help improve the identification of this patient group.
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After decades of steady progress, life expectancy at birth has stalled in England. Inequalities are also rising, and life expectancy has fallen for females living in the most deprived areas. However, less attention has been given to trends in other measures of population health, particularly health-related quality of life (HRQoL). ⋯ Developing interventions to address these worrying trends should be a policy priority. A particular focus should be on mental health in younger populations, especially for females and in deprived areas.
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Doctors can be victim-survivors of domestic abuse (DA), but how this impacts their work and wellbeing, and whether they face barriers to seeking help is not well understood. ⋯ Domestic abuse impacts on the work and wellbeing of female doctors, who face unique barriers to help seeking and reporting DA. An online peer support group can help to break the sense of isolation, but specialised confidential support services are also required to help doctors experiencing DA.
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In March 2018, NHS England published guidance for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to encourage implementation of policy to reduce primary care prescriptions of over-the-counter medications, including simple analgesia. ⋯ Guidance publication was associated with a small reduction in the prescribing rates of simple analgesia across England, without evidence of creating additional health inequality. Careful implementation by CCGs would be required to optimise cost saving to the NHS.