The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Recent policy initiatives seeking to address the workforce crisis in general practice have promoted greater multidisciplinarity. Evidence is lacking on how changes in staffing and the relational climate in practice teams affect the experiences of staff and patients. ⋯ Evidence regarding team composition and team climate in relation to staff and patient outcomes remains limited. Challenges exist when drawing conclusions across different team compositions and differing definitions of team climate. Future research may benefit from exploring the conditions that generate a productive team climate.
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There is evidence showing that healthcare organisations that take part in research demonstrate better performance. However, most evidence derives from hospital settings and these findings may not extend to general practice. The relationships between research activity and outcomes across general practices in England were explored. ⋯ Similar to hospital settings, general practice research activity is associated with a range of positive outcomes, although it is difficult to claim that research is causing those improvements. This study identified no negative impacts, suggesting that research activity is something that high-quality practices are able to deliver alongside their core responsibilities. There is a need to explore ways by which additional impacts of research can be maximised.
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The UK Health Security Agency have established a partnership with the Oxford-Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Clinical Informatics Digital Hub (ORCHID) to provide a new source of primary care data to enhance an existing GP in-hours syndromic surveillance system. ⋯ For decades the RCGP has run sentinel surveillance with integrated virology and now RCGP data are being used for syndromic surveillance. The addition of ORCHID data to the GP in-hours syndromic surveillance system has improved the utility of the system. There is better population coverage, additional syndromic indicators, and greater ability to interrogate the data. The new system will provide enhanced information to support public health in England and highlights the value of GP records for use in protecting the health security of the nation.
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WHO Global health strategies for HIV, hepatitis and STI recommend decentralising routine hepatitis testing and care to primary care. China accounts for one-third of the world's hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and its national primary care system, capable of providing comprehensive care on chronic hepatitis B (CHB), is potentially the answer. ⋯ Shared-care CHB models with primary care are highly effective and cost-effective in China.
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Understanding the general public's view about Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) is vital, as it would help with the development of targeted interventions and effective public policies to tackle this rising problem in society. ⋯ Community-dwelling adults acknowledge the impacts of abuse, but many fail to recognise specific instances or events in their daily lives contributing to DVA. Raising public awareness, particularly in children through the school curriculum, highlighting existing support services and introducing the routine use of short screening tools for DVA in health and social care settings can increase awareness, early identification and signpost to effective interventions. Sustained, multi-level community-facing interventions are recommended to reduce the stigma and fears associated with DVA.