General Practitioner News and Research

RSS

Bowel cancer strikes early - strikes hard

Recent figures show that the incidence of bowel cancer in young people has surged in the past decade, more than doubling in some age categories. But doctors have been unable to explain the increase.

1 Jun 2011

4,000 Australians are dying each year of a disease as treatable as appendicitis

The report Bowel Cancer: One of Australia’s Most Common Diseases, being released this week by the GI CANCER Institute, says that while bowel cancer is one of the most curable diseases when diagnosed at an early stage, over 4,000 Australians continue to die of it each year.

1 Jun 2011

People with unexplained symptoms can benefit from traditional acupuncture

Attending frequently with medically unexplained symptoms is distressing for both patient and doctor and effective treatment or management options are limited: one in five patients have symptoms that remain unexplained by conventional medicine.

30 May 2011

GP groups call for reinvestment into successful mental health program

United General Practice Australia – the coalition of the peak groups representing Australia’s general practitioners – has issued a strong united statement calling on the government to expand the Better Access program to meet the demand for mental healthcare in the community rather than reducing Medicare patient rebates for vital mental health services.

25 May 2011

GP’s religious advice sparks controversy

A Family Physician is facing disciplinary hearing for suggesting a patient could find solace in Jesus. Dr. Richard Scott, 50 said yesterday that it was worth the risk if he could ‘make a stand’ for his faith. He was placed under official investigation for talking to a patient about Jesus.

24 May 2011

HIV & hepatitis fears for soldiers at Middle East hospital due to protocol lapse

Australian soldiers and contractors might have been exposed to blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis or HIV after staff at Defense’s main hospital unit in the Middle East failed to sterilize surgical equipment properly.

24 May 2011

RACGP urges government to engage with profession regarding GP mental health funding cuts

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) continues to receive feedback from amongst its over 20,000 members regarding the implications of the government’s budget cuts for critical mental health support delivered by GPs. The College urges the government to engage with the profession regarding the cuts to GP mental health assessments, planning and referrals.

24 May 2011

Allergy towards electricity after chemotherapy

Janice Tunnicliffe, 55 has become allergic to electromagnetic fields and electricity after a course of chemotherapy for bowel cancer. Fortunately, despite the size of the tumor, her cancer had not spread, but it was decided that she should have chemotherapy after the surgery as a precautionary measure.

19 May 2011

Immortality only appeals to 15% of people: Study

Results of a new ComRes opinion poll commissioned by Dying Matters, a coalition backed by several major charities which promotes discussion of end-of-life issues, shows that only 15% want to live forever.

15 May 2011

Mental health initiatives get a major boost

The Federal Government is taking initiatives in introducing preventive metal health steps. One of them is introduction of mental health checks for three-year-olds.

12 May 2011

Minister for Health and Children launches first results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing

The first results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a national study of 8,000 older people aged 50 and over in Ireland, were launched this week by the Minister for Health and Children, Dr James Reilly.

12 May 2011

Breast cancer and unhealthy lifestyle choices

Figures have shown that more than one in five British women is classified as obese, and research has found those affected are almost 50 per cent more likely to die from breast cancer than women carrying less weight. Studies have shown that obesity in women leads to changes in sex-hormone levels that may trigger estrogen-dependent tumors, which form the majority of cases. Drinking just one large glass of wine a day also increases the chance of developing breast cancer by a fifth, say experts. It is thought alcohol raises levels of estrogen in the body.

11 May 2011

Unscrupulous GP loses case to renew license

An accused Doctor who had sex with five vulnerable patients and thought his actions were allowed has lost a bid to return to medical practice by finally losing his appeal to regain his license.

11 May 2011

Health officials concerned with mental health problems after QLD floods

According to health experts Ipswich residents need to look out for the mental health of friends and family with the effects of January’s floods still weighing on many people. The Australian Medical Association of Queensland (AMAQ) launched the See the Signs awareness campaign this week to help people spot symptoms of mental health issues like depression.

5 May 2011

Poor asthma training among GP’s: Report

According to figures revealed by authorities, a lack of training for GPs in how to treat asthma is putting sufferers' lives at risk. Asthma UK says a survey found that 47 per cent of GPs admit their own knowledge about the condition could be better. Emergency hospital admissions for asthma cost the NHS over £60m a year, yet the charity maintains 75 per cent of admissions are avoidable. It estimates at least £45m could be saved if GPs were better informed and care was better managed.

3 May 2011

Pearl's PT003 Phase 2b study results in COPD to be presented at ATS meeting

Pearl Therapeutics Inc. announced today that complete results from the Company's Phase 2b study of PT003 in patients with moderate-to-very severe COPD will be presented during a late-breaker poster session at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society.

30 Apr 2011

Also in global health news: Libya food shortage; PMTCT in Swaziland; TB detection in U.K.; food issues in Foreign Policy magazine

Libya will run out of food within two months unless efforts are stepped up to get shipments into the war-torn country, the World Food Program warned on Thursday, Deustche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports.

30 Apr 2011

Stop malaria by taking precautions before travelling to endemic zones

More than half of UK malaria cases are seen in people visiting friends and relatives in West Africa and India. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there were 243 million cases of malaria in 2008 and almost a million deaths worldwide.

28 Apr 2011

GPs could offer simple test for early detection of ovarian cancer

Health experts have said that hundreds of lives could be saved a year if GPs were quicker to spot symptoms of the disease - dubbed a “silent killer” because it is hard to diagnose early enough. Ovarian cancer kills almost 4,400 women in Britain every year. It kills one every two hours that makes it the fourth most common cancer in females. While almost three times as many die from breast cancer, those diagnosed with ovarian cancer are far more likely to die earlier.

28 Apr 2011

QHR signs agreement to acquire EMIS assets

QHR Technologies Inc. today announced that the Company has signed an Asset Purchase Agreement ("APA") to acquire the assets of EMIS Inc. a 100% subsidiary of Egton Medical Information Systems Limited based in Leeds, UK and part of EMIS Group plc.

27 Apr 2011