General Practitioner News and Research

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Experts say reducing number of trauma centres long 'overdue'

According to the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) any move which reduces the number of major trauma centres in New South Wales hospitals is long overdue.

1 Dec 2008

Deregistered cancer doctor in denial about risking 6,770 lives

A former Sydney skin cancer doctor who may have jeopardised the health of thousands of his former patients is apparently planning to appeal against his deregistration.

26 Nov 2008

Men's health - the facts

New research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) could shed light on the reasons behind the poor state of men's health in Britain.

12 Nov 2008

Terminally ill teenager wins the right to die with dignity

A British teenager who is terminally ill has won the right to refuse treatment and forced a hospital to drop its High Court case.

11 Nov 2008

Eye problems the most common disorder for Australian children

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) roughly one in every six Australian children wears glasses - and eye disorders are the most common long-term health problem for Australia's youth.

10 Nov 2008

Significant weakness found in dementia screening method

A research team led by Dr Alisoun Milne, a Senior Lecturer at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent, has identified weaknesses in the most widely employed dementia screening instrument currently used in primary care.

7 Nov 2008

Junior doctors in Australia struggling to cope

A new study by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has found close to half of Australia's junior doctors think their heavy workload could compromise patient care.

20 Oct 2008

Just how common is skin cancer in Australia?

A joint report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and Cancer Australia has revealed that though non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is by far the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia, just how common it is remains unclear.

14 Oct 2008

Marked increase in the use of herbal medicines by Australians

Australian researchers have found that the most popular herbal medicines used by Australians are aloe vera, garlic and green tea.

13 Oct 2008

Painkillers found to reduce breast cancer risk

According to an international study the regular use of popular painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen reduces the risk of breast cancer.

12 Oct 2008

A decade of change in general practice

It's not only the patients in GP surgeries who are getting older, according to two new reports released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian General Practice Statistics and Classification Centre, an AIHW collaborating unit located at the University of Sydney.

5 Oct 2008

New technology promises tests for diseases such as cancer in 15 minutes

Scientists at Leeds University in the UK say soon, testing for diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, could take as little as 15 minutes and could be as simple as using a pregnancy testing kit.

1 Oct 2008

Research evaluates acupressure for chemo induced nausea

New research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme is evaluating acupressure wristbands for the management of chemotherapy-induced acute and delayed nausea.

23 Sep 2008

Antibiotics still being over-prescribed by GPs

Antibiotics are still being over-prescribed by GPs in contravention of guidelines, potentially contributing to antibiotic-resistant "superbugs", research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester has shown.

8 Sep 2008

Should nurses replace GPs as frontline providers of primary care?

Should nurses be the frontline providers of primary care, taking the place of general practitioners as the first point of patient contact? Two experts debate the issue on bmj.com.

7 Sep 2008

Teenager almost deaf after waiting too long for ear drum surgery

In the latest bungle involving an Australian hospital, a teenage boy in Tasmania has reportedly waited so long for surgery to repair his perforated ear drum that he is almost deaf.

4 Sep 2008

Doctors in Northern Ireland welcome HPV vaccination programme

Doctors in Northern Ireland have welcomed the Chief Medical Officer's announcement today, Wednesday 3 September 2008, to offer vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to all 12-13 year old girls in Northern Ireland. HPV is the virus which can lead to the development of cancer, in particular cervical cancer.

3 Sep 2008

Pre-hospital treatment on the way to percutaneous coronary intervention

For patients with acute ST-segment-elevation AMI (STEMI) within 12 hours after symptom onset and with persistent ST-segment elevation, or new or presumednew left bundle-branch block with concomitant ST-segment elevation, restoring coronary blood flow as early as possible is the main goal of reperfusion strategies.

2 Sep 2008

Safety of antithrombotic treatment in acute coronary syndromes

The management of acute coronary syndromes (with or without ST segment elevation) requires the use of anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents (aspirin, clopidogrel and/or glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors), beta-blockers, thrombolytics in some cases, and revascularization / reperfusion.

2 Sep 2008

Primary prevention of coronary heart disease: challenges and achievements

The European Society of Cardiology together with other partner Societies has engaged in a comprehensive programme of prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) since 1994. Guidelines on this important topic have been developed and updated at regular intervals over the last 13 years, most recently in 2007.

1 Sep 2008