The European journal of general practice
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Hazardous alcohol use significantly affects health and wellbeing in society. General practitioners (GPs) are uniquely positioned to address this problem by integrating early identification and brief intervention (EIBI) in daily practice. Unfortunately, EIBI implementation remains low. Community-oriented strategies (COS), defined as public health activities directed to the general population, are suggested to address this implementation gap. COS aim to increase the understanding, engagement and empowerment within the population to facilitate EIBI delivery. However, no consensus on what COS should contain exists. ⋯ Stakeholders emphasise addressing the proactive role of GPs as most promising COS, though it should be delivered within a holistic multi-component approach.
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In France, general practitioners (GPs) may use two tools specifically designed to help employees who experience difficulties in returning to work after sick leave: the pre-return-to-work (PRW) medical consultation and therapeutic part-time (TPT) work. ⋯ This study shows that while the level of knowledge and use of the PRW medical consultation and TPT work is good, it is not optimal. This could be improved by organising training courses for GPs. Obstacles to their wider use could be investigated further in a qualitative study.
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Observational Study
Characteristics and economic burden of frequent attenders with medically unexplained symptoms in primary care in Israel.
Frequent Attenders with Medically Unexplained Symptoms (FA/MUS) are common in primary care, though challenging to identify and treat. ⋯ FA/MUS are more costly than Non-FA and exhibit unique healthcare utilisation and costs patterns. FA/OI had more severe illnesses necessitating hospitalisations and surgical interventions, while FA/MUS had more investigations and tests, attempting to find an explanation for their symptoms.
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Despite significant evidence supporting the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the prevention of cervical cancer, uptake of this vaccine is below target in many countries. HPV uptake in Ireland has declined from 87% in 2014-15 to 51% in 2016-17 and currently remains suboptimal at 64.1% in 2017-18. ⋯ This study suggests that significant parental concerns remain to the HPV vaccine. More comprehensive information on the research surrounding this vaccine's safety profile is required. GP's may play a pivotal role in HPV vaccination going forward.
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To curb future antibiotic resistance it is important to monitor and investigate current prescription patterns of antibiotics. ⋯ The trend in antibiotic prescription to children aged 0-6 years old decreased substantially in all the investigated municipalities in the 10-year study period. Local differences in prescription rates declined towards a more uniform prescription pattern across municipalities and association with socioeconomic status of the municipalities was reduced.