FAMILY PRACTICE

Correction to: A 2-item version of the Japanese Consultation and Relational Empathy measure: a pilot study using secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey in primary care
The presentation and treatment of Dupuytren's disease in Dutch general practitioner care
van Straalen RJM, Broekstra DC, Werker PMN and de Boer MR
When research and management of Dupuytren's disease (DD) shift from symptom relief to preventing contractures, general practitioner (GP) care may become more central to treatment. However, the presentation and course of DD in GP care are underexplored and this has been recognized as a knowledge gap that hinders effective treatment decisions. This study is the first to map the trajectory of DD patients in GP care.
General practice utilisation by Australian cancer patients in the last year of life
Grant MP, McCarthy D, Kearney C, Collins A, Sundararajan V, Rhee JJ, Philip JAM and Emery JD
General practice plays a key role in end-of-life care, yet the extent of this remains largely unknown due to a lack of detailed clinical data. This study aims to describe the care provided by General Practitioners (GPs) for people with cancer in their last year of life.
Impact of a multifaceted intervention programme on antibiotic prescribing and dispensing in four patient-centred settings in five European countries. The HAPPY PATIENT project
García-Sangenís A, Lykkegaard J, Hansen MP, González López-Valcárcel B, Raynal F, Vallejo-Torres L, Bjerrum L, Chalkidou A, Jensen JN, Rebnord I, Lindberg BH, Taxis K, Lambert M, Radzeviciene R, Jaruseviciene L, Touboul Lundgren P, Bruno P, Lesage V, Kowalczyk A, Godycki-Cwirko M, Lionis C, Karkana MN, Anastasaki M, Hansen MB, Olsen JK, Søndergaard J, Modena D, Mally S, Álvarez L and Llor C
The primary cause of antimicrobial resistance is excessive and non-indicated antibiotic use.
Delphi definition of general practice/family medicine specialty for a post-COVID world: in-person and remote care delivery
Prazeres F, Jamoulle M, Kareli A, Collins C, Móczár C, Wong MCS, Bhattacharya S, Vinker S, Low LL, Abdul-Razak S, Brooke J, Verjee MA, Yaman H, Prasad P, Søndergaard J, Pond D, Hughes L, Cihan FG, Tsimtsiou Z, Harrison C, Albarqouni L, Yuan B, Lee YK, Van Royen P, Govender I, Arnetz BB and O'Donnell CA
The evolving landscape of general practice (GP)/family medicine (FM) in the post-COVID-19 era, focussing on integrating telemedicine and remote consultations requires a new definition for this specialty. Hence, a broader consensus-based definition of post-COVID-19 GP/FM is warranted.
Variation in general practitioners' follow-up of depressed patients starting antidepressant medication: a register-based cohort study
Hansen AB, Hetlevik Ø, Baste V, Haukenes I, Smith-Sivertsen T and Ruths S
Guidelines recommend follow-up within 2 weeks for patients starting medication for depression. Knowledge is lacking about how general practitioners' (GPs) follow-up varies with patients' sociodemographic characteristics.
"Evolution of a combined baccalaureate/medical degree program as a pipeline to primary care: retention strategies and lessons learned"
Knottenbelt SZ, Ballejos MP, Torrez D, Santos R, Hartley RS, Cartwright K, Fortner SA, Sapién RE and Romero-Leggott V
The University of New Mexico School of Medicine established the combined baccalaureate/medical degree (BA/MD) program in response to critical physician shortages in New Mexico (NM). This 8-year program aims to improve health care in NM by expanding access to medical education for local students, particularly from rural and underserved communities and/or racial/ethnically underrepresented in medicine (URiM) in NM.
Proper counseling for diagnosis and management of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: a case report
Cholette-Tétrault S and Grad R
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is an increasingly recognized condition linked to chronic cannabis use, yet it remains frequently overlooked in clinical practice. The syndrome is characterized by cyclic episodes of severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, often relieved temporarily by hot showers or baths. With the rising prevalence of cannabis use following its legalization, the incidence of CHS has surged, presenting a significant challenge in both diagnosis and management within primary healthcare settings. Understanding the epidemiology, risk factors, and potential long-term sequelae of CHS is crucial for timely identification and intervention. This case report highlights the challenge of diagnosis and management of CHS in primary healthcare.
Outcomes of antenatal depression in women and the new-born: a retrospective cohort study
López DP, Serna LG, Arnáiz MCS, Ruiz MO, Viladegut JS, Sol J and Salinas-Roca B
To determine what effect maternal antenatal depression has on pregnancy and infant outcomes in the Lleida health region.
Expanding the primary care workforce by integrating genetic counselors in multidisciplinary care teams
Vanneste R, Bauer SA, Borle K and Dreikorn E
Collectively, rare diseases are common, affecting approximately 8% of the population in Canada and the USA. Therefore, the majority of primary care (PC) clinicians will care for patients who are affected or at risk for a genetic disease. Considering the increasing ways in which genetics is being implemented into all areas of healthcare, one way to address these needs and expand the capacity of the PC workforce is through the integration of genetic counselors (GCs) into PC multidisciplinary teams. GCs are Masters-educated allied health professionals with specialized training in molecular genetics, communication, and short-term psychotherapeutic counseling. The current models of GCs in PC mimic other multidisciplinary models. Complex tasks related to genetics, such as pre- and post-test counseling, genetic test selection, and results interpretation, are conducted by GCs, which, in turn, allows physicians, nurse practitioners, and other PC providers to work at the top of their scope of practice. Quality genetics services provided by GCs improve clinical outcomes for patients and their families; the simultaneous provision of genetic education and psychological support by a GC is associated with an increase in patient knowledge, perceived personal control, decrease in distress, and can lead to positive health behavior changes, all of which are aligned with the goals of primary healthcare. With their extensive training in clinical care, medical communication, and psychotherapeutic counseling, integrating GCs into PC care teams will improve the care patients receive and allow PC clinicians to ensure their patients are at the forefront of the personalized medicine revolution.
Knowledge, attitudes, and practice of primary care professionals regarding community activities: a descriptive study
Mosteiro-Miguéns DG, Zapata-Cachafeiro M, Novío S, Vieito-Pérez N, Alfonso-González T and Rodríguez-Fernández A
Promoting health via a community approach is one of the most effective strategies for reducing the current incidence of chronic diseases. Primary care (PC), through the implementation of community activities (CA), has the potential to achieve this goal. Yet the implementation of CA at health centers is not standardized and is often thanks only to the voluntariness of health professionals.
Patients treated with vitamin K oral anticoagulants in family practice: a new approach to bleeding risk assessment. An ancillary study by the CACAO prospective general practice cohort
Gaboreau Y, Frappé P, Vermorel C, Foote A, Bosson JL, Pernod G and
The ability of bleeding risk scores to predict major bleeding (MB) or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (CRNMB) remains a topic of contention, particularly in nonselected patients in family practice. In addition, the capacity to predict bleeding risk using simple variables has yet to be established.
Patient preferences for conservative treatment of shoulder pain: a discrete choice experiment
Versloot AHC, Veldwijk J, Ottenheijm RPG, de Graaf M, van der Windt DA, Koes BW, Runhaar J and Schiphof D
Shoulder pain is common amongst adults, but little is known about patients' preferences.
Telemedicine and time management in primary care
Keshet Y, Popper-Giveon A and Adar T
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can enable workers to structure work in novel ways, allow for better time management, and increase work scheduling autonomy. Time management and work scheduling are important factors in the field of clinical practice in primary care. Time limits on consultation are a key constraint on the delivery of good care since the length of patient-physician consultation impacts its quality.
Enhancing the role of general practitioner trainers in supporting antibiotic stewardship initiatives
Jerjes W
Adoption, acceptance, and use of a decision support tool to promote timely investigations for cancer in primary care
Chima S, Hunter B, Martinez-Gutierrez J, Lumsden N, Nelson C, Manski-Nankervis JA and Emery J
The complexities of diagnosing cancer in general practice has driven the development of quality improvement (QI) interventions, including clinical decision support (CDS) and auditing tools. Future Health Today (FHT) is a novel QI tool, consisting of CDS at the point-of-care, practice population-level auditing, recall, and the monitoring of QI activities.
Patient safety in general practice during COVID-19: a descriptive analysis in 38 countries (PRICOV-19)
Van Poel E, Vanden Bussche P, Collins C, Lagaert S, Ares-Blanco S, Astier-Pena MP, Gabrani J, Gomez Bravo R, Hoffmann K, Klemenc-Ketis Z, Mallen C, Neves AL, Ožvačić Z, Tkachenko V, Zwart D and Willems S
This article aims to examine patient safety in general practice during COVID-19.
Promoting physical activity among cancer survivors through general practice: a realist review
Sugiarto MP, Jabbour V, Uebel K, Agaliotis M, Clifford B, Chin M, Harris M, Caperchione CM and Vuong K
Multiple studies have shown that physical activity improves cancer survivorship, by decreasing risk of second primary cancers and chronic conditions. However, cancer survivor physical activity levels remain low. General practice presents more opportunities for lifestyle interventions, such as increasing physical activity. We conducted a realist review of physical activity interventions relevant to general practice.
Correction to: Methodological quality and clinical recommendations of guidelines on the management of dyslipidaemias for cardiovascular disease risk reduction: a systematic review and an appraisal through AGREE II and AGREE REX tools
Patterns of trajectories of glycated hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, and body mass index until the first clinic visit: the real-world history of type 2 diabetes using repeated health checkup data of Japanese workers
Takao T, Suka M, Nishikawa M, Yanagisawa H and Ishii T
There is a lack of evidence regarding the trajectories of type 2 diabetes until the first clinic visit, including the untreated period after diagnosis.
Point-of-care ultrasonography for cardiovascular conditions in family practice: between risk and opportunity
Magro VM
Several articles have appeared in the medical literature on the use of ultrasound in primary care. Point-of-care ultrasound refers to ultrasound protocols performed at the bedside to evaluate many conditions such as aortic aneurysm or assessment of left ventricular function by estimation of ejection fraction. Primary care physicians can play a key role in evaluating such conditions for their patients. It should be considered that the use of ultrasound in general practice can not only be an aid to diagnosis but also an active screening tool, accessible even to those with basic training in ultrasound; the left ventricle and large abdominal vessels are indeed clearly visible with this technique, which with little training can become accessible to many. In a working organization, so few trained physicians would be sufficient to screen the target population of the entire group and extend the assessment to a large number of participants.