Aust Fam Physician
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Worldwide, 22% of adults aged ≥15 years currently smoke tobacco. Up to half of current smokers will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease, and smoking is the leading cause of ill health, drug-related death and hospital separations in Australia.
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Alcohol is Australia's most socially acceptable legal drug; however alcohol-related harms have increased significantly over time. Encouraging safer levels of alcohol consumption should be a national health priority and a key focus for health practitioners. ⋯ Research evidence suggests that the most effective policies for reducing alcohol consumption and related harms are those focused on restricting its availability and accessibility; however, such strategies are often not implemented or enforced for political and economic reasons. Undertaking screening and brief intervention are effective ways of addressing problematic alcohol consumption within primary care and can be further supported through promoting community-organised periods of abstinence.
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This article forms part of our allied health series for 2014, which aims to provide information about the management approach of different allied health professionals, using the case example of uncomplicated, mechanical low back pain.
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Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a complex issue to manage in primary care and under-researched in Aboriginal populations. Good communication between practitioners and patients is essential but difficult to achieve. This study examined communication from the perspective of Aboriginal people with CLBP in regional and remote Western Australia. ⋯ Health practitioners need to consider communication content and style to improve interactions with Aboriginal people with CLBP. A 'yarning' style may be a useful framework. Findings may be pertinent to other populations.
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General practitioner (GP) supervisors have a central role in GP training. Despite critical thinking, research and evidence-based medicine being part of the GP training curriculum, GP supervisors are unlikely to have had much training or practical support to increase their use of research evidence or participate in research themselves, nor to model research activity to their registrars. ⋯ GP supervisors reported interest in increased research engagement, particularly through efficient use of research evidence to guide practice and teaching, and through input into regional research priority setting. They believed training and practical support through regional training providers, universities and Medicare Locals was needed and would allow interested teaching practices to collaborate as practice-based research networks.