General Practitioner News and Research

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Researchers compare safety and effectiveness of cryotherapy, salicylic acid for verrucae

Research has shown no evidence of a difference in clearance rates between patient self-treatment and treatment given by healthcare professional for verrucae.

23 Sep 2011

Practice Research Award winner describes research to support pharmacist prescribing services

"Doctors who have worked with, and patients receiving care provided by, pharmacist prescribers are highly supportive and value their prescribing roles but research indicates that the service is not being optimised due to a lack of strategic direction and policies to support its place in patient care" said Professor Derek Stewart in his keynote lecture as the winner of the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust (PPRT) 2011 Practice Research Award at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Conference in London.

16 Sep 2011

Australians depressed, obese, alcoholic and in denial: Survey

Reports reveal that Australians are in denial about their increasing rates of obesity and claim to be the unhappiest in the world. The findings came from an international health survey which also revealed that Australians were among the world's biggest drinkers, coming in just behind the British. The survey by health insurer BUPA showed that while 64 per cent of Australians said they were in relatively good shape, there were some worrying trends.

14 Sep 2011

Simple universal test to detect Alzheimer’s early

A ten-minute memory test that gives early warning of Alzheimer’s in people as young as 50 is being piloted in GP surgeries. Using a touch-screen computer or an iPad, it can distinguish between normal forgetfulness and the more dangerous memory lapses that signal dementia in its earliest stages. If trials are successful, it could be in widespread use in under a year. The developer, Cambridge Cognition, said the mobile electronic test will allow GPs to access patients presenting memory problems more quickly, simply and accurately than with tradition paper-based tests.

8 Sep 2011

Pancreatic cancer outcomes poor in UK – experts urge better diagnosis and treatment

A new report reveals that survival rates in the UK for people with pancreatic cancer are among the worst in the world. The report recommends earlier diagnosis and better treatment.

8 Sep 2011

Longer looks: Perry's personal health policies; 5 state Medicaid strategies; medical illiteracy

When defending his 2007 attempt to make human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations mandatory for young girls in Texas, pointed out that both of his parents were cancer survivors and proclaimed, "I hate cancer." When asked to justify continued spending on abstinence-only education, despite the fact that it didn't seem to be budging Texas' high rates of teen pregnancy, he said, "I can tell you from my own life that abstinence works."

2 Sep 2011

HIV/AIDS policies “woefully inadequate” in Britain: Report

AIDS and HIV prevention policies in Britain are “woefully inadequate” and must be improved, a House of Lords committee warned today. The report by the Lord Select Committee is published on the 25th anniversary of the 'Don't Die of Ignorance' campaign, a public health initiative launched to try to stem the spread of the virus.

2 Sep 2011

AAO-HNSF's 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO to convene in San Francisco

The 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), the largest meeting of ear, nose, and throat doctors in the world, will convene September 11-14, 2011, in San Francisco, CA.

29 Aug 2011

Nurofen mix up with Seroquel schizophrenia drug warns MHRA

British drug regulators have issued a safety alert on Thursday after discovering packs of the over-the-counter painkiller Nurofen Plus containing the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel XL.

26 Aug 2011

Countdown begins for GP11 – The Conference for General Practice

With only six weeks to go until the Royal Australian College of General Practitioner’s (RACGP) annual conference - GP11, final preparations are well underway for what will be an outstanding program of presentations, workshops and social networking opportunities for GPs and allied healthcare professionals.

25 Aug 2011

New tool can identify patients at high risk of venous thromboembolism

A new risk prediction tool can identify patients at high risk of serious blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism) who might need preventative treatment, says a study published on bmj.com today.

17 Aug 2011

People more likely to use bowel screen test kit with GP letter

A letter of endorsement from their local doctor as well as a 'how-to-do-it' leaflet makes more people take part in bowel screening home tests - says a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer, today.

10 Aug 2011

RACGP urging the government to restore mental health rebates

In its submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs regarding the Commonwealth funding and administration of mental health services, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) strongly argued for the restoration of GP mental health services. The College is gravely concerned regarding the proposed cuts to the Better Access program and the subsequent impact on mental health delivery for every patient age group, demographic and geography throughout Australia.

3 Aug 2011

Tunstall Healthcare launch new myclinic@home telehealth solution

myclinic@home is the latest in telehealth solutions, allowing remote patients to easily monitor their vital signs and manage a long term health condition in the comfort of their own home or a clinic setting, all supported by a health professional.

1 Aug 2011

Computer models could fundamentally change the world's healthcare

A massive network of computer programs co-created by University of Manchester scientists could revolutionise healthcare around the world, saving countless lives and billions of pounds.

25 Jul 2011

Australia sees early rise in flu cases

Australia is gripped with a fourfold increase in the number of people suffering flu. This rise is even before the usual peak season in August and September. Already nearly 8,000 cases have been reported compared with about 2,000 at the same time last year. The increase has disproportionately affected Queensland, NSW and South Australia. In January and February more than 1,700 people were recorded with flu, compared with fewer than 300 the year before.

20 Jul 2011

Peak of Australian flu season is imminent so take the necessary precautions now: Experts

The Influenza Specialist Group (ISG) is today warning that high rates of influenza outbreaks have been confirmed in QLD, SA and NSW, but there is still time for most Australians, especially those in at-risk groups, to protect themselves and those around them.

18 Jul 2011

Victorian Minister for Health and Carlton Football Club encourage men to check for prostate cancer

The Victorian Government has joined forces with The Pratt Foundation and Carlton Football Club to launch the Richard Pratt Fellowships in Prostate Cancer Research.

13 Jul 2011

Can you drink too much water? Experts say yes

Drinking adequate amounts of water is said to prevent kidney damage, help lose weight and increase concentration. However experts now warn that drinking eight glasses of water a day is not good after all – and could be harmful. They say that scientific claims behind long-standing government guidelines are worse than ‘nonsense’. The NHS – along with leading doctors and nutritionists – advises the public to drink about 1.2 litres (or two-and-a-half pints) of water per day.

13 Jul 2011

New research on Alzheimer's

Advancing age is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and is associated with build- up of the peptide amyloid β in the brain. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Fluids and Barriers of the CNS shows that removal of amyloid β from the brain depends on vitamin D and also on an age-related alteration in the production of transporter proteins which move amyloid β in and out of the brain.

11 Jul 2011