Clin Med
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During their careers, most general physicians are involved in the decision-making process for patients that potentially require percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) insertion. However, poor patient selection and less than favourable outcomes are frequently observed in this group. ⋯ Furthermore, the educational and training needs of general physicians of all grades regarding the issues surrounding PEG placement were identified and addressed at formal teaching sessions. A combination of these factors has positively impacted on our service, with more appropriate patient selection and a reduced 30-day mortality rate.
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This study aimed to ascertain the value of posters at medical meetings to presenters and delegates. The usefulness of posters to presenters at national and international meetings was evaluated by assessing the numbers of delegates visiting them and the reasons why they visited. Memorability of selected posters was assessed and factors influencing their appeal to expert delegates identified. ⋯ Factors increasing posters' visual appeal included their scientific content, pictures/graphs and limited use of words. Few delegates visit posters and those doing so recall little of their content. To engage their audience, researchers should design visually appealing posters by presenting high quality data in pictures or graphs without an excess of words.
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The National Service Framework for Older People resulted in the widespread introduction of intermediate care (IC) services. However, although these services have shared common aims, there has been considerable diversity in their staffing, organisation and delivery. ⋯ This paper presents the results of a national pilot audit of IC services focusing particularly on clinical governance issues. The results confirm these concerns and provide support for a larger scale national audit of IC services to monitor and improve care quality.