The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause troublesome symptoms impacting patients' quality of life and incur considerable health service resource use. Guidelines suggest low-dose amitriptyline for IBS as second line treatment, but this is rarely prescribed in primary care. ⋯ Patients and GPs felt the potential benefits from trying low-dose amitriptyline for IBS outweighed their concerns. When offering low-dose amitriptyline for IBS, GPs could address patient concerns about taking an antidepressant for IBS, highlighting the low and flexible dosage and other potential benefits of amitriptyline such as improved sleep.
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Health policy promotes patient participation in decision making about service organisation. In English general practice this happens through contractually required patient participation groups (PPGs). However, there are problems with the enactment of PPGs that have not been systematically addressed. ⋯ Combining participatory practices and facilitated participatory methods enabled patients to influence decision making about general practice service improvement. The policy of mandatory PPGs needs updating to recognise the need to resource participation in a meaningful way.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Should I Take Aspirin? (SITA): RCT of a decision aid for cancer chemoprevention.
Australian guidelines recommend that people aged 50-70 years consider taking low-dose aspirin to reduce their risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). ⋯ The decision aid improved informed decision making but this did not translate into long-term regular use of aspirin to reduce CRC risk. In future research, decision aids should be delivered alongside various implementation strategies.
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Increased time to diagnosis in sarcoma is associated with poor prognosis and patient outcomes. Research is needed to identify whether opportunities to expedite the diagnosis of sarcoma in general practice exist. ⋯ Patients with sarcoma have increased GP clinical activity from 6 months pre-diagnosis, indicating a diagnostic window where potential opportunities exist for earlier diagnosis. Interventions to help identify patients and promote appropriate use of imaging and direct specialist centre referrals could improve earlier diagnosis and patient outcomes.