Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Jul 2021
The application of Telehealth to remote and rural Australians with chronic neurological conditions.
Patients with chronic disease in rural and remote regions endure limited access to specialised medicine. Telehealth has addressed this issue with demonstrable benefits such as a reduction in costs to patients. ⋯ Telehealth has proven to have multiple advantages, including improved access to healthcare, decreased costs, reduced inconvenience and improved management of chronic and complex conditions. The positive results advocate the use of telehealth for follow up of rural and remote patients with chronic disease.
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Internal medicine journal · Jul 2021
Understanding Diagnostic Settings and Carer Experiences for Dementia Diagnosis in Australia.
Australian guidelines advocate referral to comprehensive memory services for dementia diagnosis, but many patients may be diagnosed elsewhere. ⋯ Results suggest majority of people with dementia are diagnosed outside memory services. Significant variability exists in experiences between services, with a high proportion of participants expressing dissatisfaction with their experience with dementia diagnosis. Strategies to standardise diagnosis of dementia, measure and improve quality of care across all settings are required.
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Internal medicine journal · Jul 2021
Prevalence and sites of pain in remote-living older Aboriginal Australians, and associations with depressive symptoms and disability.
Pain is a growing public health problem associated with significant health and functional implications. Limited data exist for Aboriginal Australians. ⋯ High levels of pain were reported, although the prevalence of persistent pain was comparable to the general population. Identifying risk factors, improving pain recognition and assessment and evaluating culturally tailored management approaches should be a priority.
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Internal medicine journal · Jul 2021
Australia-Wide Cross-Sectional Survey of General Practitioners' Knowledge And Practice Of Lung Cancer Screening.
Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening can reduce lung cancer deaths in high-risk individuals, yet current Australian guidelines do not recommend screening. Little is known about current screening practices in Australia. ⋯ In Australia, lung cancer screening occurs outside a coordinated programme, and there is discordance between practice and national recommendations. This highlights an urgent need for clearer guidance from national and professional bodies.
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Indigenous Australians are at increased risk of developing dementia - Alzheimer disease and mixed dementia diagnoses are the most common. While prion diseases have been reported in Indigenous peoples of Papua New Guinea and the United States, the occurrence and phenotype of prion disease in Indigenous Australians is hitherto unreported. ⋯ CJD occurs in Indigenous Australians with clinical phenotype and occurrence rates similar to non-Indigenous Australians. These findings contrast with a previous report where the incidence rate of CJD in a non-Australian indigenous population was reported to be decreased.