Aust Fam Physician
-
The health and life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is well known. Over 60% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in capital cities or regional centres. The Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern has been providing accessible primary healthcare to this population for over 40 years. This article describes the work of the Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern and reflects on strategies to improve access to primary care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
-
This article forms part of our 'Tests and results' series for 2012, which aims to provide information about common tests that general practitioners order regularly. It considers areas such as indications, what to tell the patient, what the test can and cannot tell you, and interpretation of results. Functional gut symptoms are a common problem in the community and many patients present to their general practitioner for assessment and guidance. While part of the GP's role is excluding other pathology, helping patients to manage their symptoms is also important.
-
Acute knee injuries are a common presentation in the primary care setting. The Ottawa knee rules provide guidance on how to identify which cases of knee injury require radiographic investigation. ⋯ The Ottawa knee rules are a valuable tool for clinicians in the routine management of acute knee injuries. Studies show that they are highly sensitive at identifying patients with fractures of the knee and have a high degree of interobserver agreement and reproducible results. Application of the Ottawa knee rules in appropriate clinical scenarios may reduce the number of unnecessary radiographs ordered, streamlining patient throughput and allowing for significant cost savings. Although designed for use in adults, some studies have suggested that the Ottawa knee rules may also be applicable to the paediatric population.
-
People with intellectual disability experience difficulty forming intimate relationships and are prone to sexual exploitation and abuse. This study sought information from people involved in the care of adults with intellectual disability regarding how they supported them in the areas of sexuality, relationships and abuse prevention. ⋯ People with intellectual disability were described as lonely, disempowered and vulnerable to abuse. The sex industry, internet and mobile telephones were identified as new forms of risk. While this study looked at the views of both family members and support workers, the sample was too small to identify any meaningful differences between the two groups.
-
Osteoporosis remains undertreated in Australian primary care, with as few as 30% of postmenopausal women with a fracture and 10% of men with osteoporosis receiving pharmacological treatment. ⋯ Lifestyle factors and ensuring adequate calcium and vitamin D intake are important in preventing and treating osteoporosis. Pharmacological treatments are recommended for patients with a minimal trauma fracture, for those aged 70 years or over with a T-score of -3.0 or lower, or for those who are currently taking prolonged high dose corticosteroids and who have a T-score of -1.5 or lower. Bisphosphonates are recommended as first line therapy for established postmenopausal osteoporosis. Medicine selection is guided by patient gender, menopausal status, medical and fracture history, patient preference and eligibility for government subsidy.