Articles: health.
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Since primary health care (PHC) is central to good doctoring and pervades all levels of medical services, a suitable system for teaching it must be developed. Whereas the traditional approach in teaching has been toward a set objective, PHC requires an approach that aims to meet urgent and changing needs. ⋯ Other teaching implications are those of organization and team training and continuing medical education. The conflict between different approaches is considered in an attempt to resolve the problem of who teaches what, when.
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In South Africa, early lessons in primary health care were lost to sight and have been rediscovered only recently. Priorities need to be reassessed in order to better allocate resources to community needs. Developing and developed communities require different primary care services. ⋯ In developing communities, where there is a shortage of doctors, trained nurses operate local clinics with the help of community workers. Community participation and the cooperation of the traditional healers are necessary. Appropriate training of personnel for an effective role in public health care is essential.
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One hundred thirty-one Illinois family physicians, 53 general practitioners, and 65 general internists responded to a survey on medical ethics. From these data emerged a profile of the family physicians and an identification of the ethical problems they encounter most frequently in their practice: (1) issues about contraception, (2) pain control, (3) telling the patient the truth, (4) sexual issues, (5) informed consent, (6) confidentiality, (7) controlling patients' behavior with medication, (8) sterilization, (9) professional etiquette, (10) patients' rights, and (11) peer review.
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Historical Article
A coordinated approach to children's health in India: progress report after five years (1975-1980).
The success of an experiment in a coordinated approach to children's health care in India in 33 community blocks led to its expansion to a national programme covering 150 community blocks by 1980. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme has also been successful as a national programme. ⋯ Favourable impact of ICDS services was proportionally better in the first year than in the fourth year of the service. The Government of India has declared it a programme of national importance to expand and cover 913 of the 5011 community blocks and 87 urban slum areas by 1985.