The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) (prevalence 1 in 250) is an inherited condition that significantly increases risk of premature cardiovascular disease. Early diagnosis can potentially normalise cardiovascular risk with lipid-lowering medicines (statins and fibrates). Only 7% of patients with FH are identified in the UK. Improving identification, and understanding disparities in ascertainment and management, is an NHS priority. ⋯ The study suggests important determinants of lipid-lowering prescribing in an ethnically diverse adult population included older age, male sex, hypertension, and diabetes. Ethnicity showed no significant associations with lipid-lowering prescribing after adjusting for other determinants including deprivation measures.
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Diagnosing cancer early is crucial in improving patient outcomes. Primary care networks are encouraged to audit routes to cancer diagnosis, as suggested by the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service Early Cancer Diagnosis Guidance. ⋯ It is promising that the majority of cancers are diagnosed through 2WW and screening; however, improving patient engagement, streamlining referrals, and thorough clinical examination and documentation will reduce delayed or missed diagnoses.
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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.
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The NHS App was launched as a 'front door' to digitally enabled health services, offering a range of services including appointment booking and ordering prescriptions. The extent of App use and its impacts on digital inclusion is under-explored. ⋯ There is high uptake of the NHS App but there are differences in adoption rates among different population groups and issues of relevance and accessibility, that warrant further work.
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Primary care professionals deliver the majority of end-of-life care to patients. However, extensive pressures and constraints can contribute to variable and substandard care quality. We will report on the preliminary results from an independent evaluation of the 'Daffodil Standards for Advanced Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care', created by the Royal College of General Practitioners and Marie Curie. ⋯ The results will be used to inform and refine the design illustrative case studies to capture best available learning and identify exemplars of best practice for later phases of the study.