Posts Tagged ‘primary’
Significant amount of inappropriate CT and MRI referrals from primary care physicians, study finds
A large academic medical center has found that a significant percentage of outpatient referrals they receive from primary care physicians for computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies are inappropriate (based upon evidence-based appropriateness criteria developed by a radiology benefits management company), according to a new study.
Third Party Reexamination Of Javelin Pharmaceuticals’ Phase III Trial Data For Ereska Yields Statistically Significant Primary Endpoint
Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: JAV – News) announced that a reexamination conducted by a third party of pain score measurements from its Phase III study of Ereska? (intranasal ketamine) showed that top line results for its primary endpoint were statistically significant…
Pacira’s Phase III Study Of EXPAREL(TM) Meets Primary Pain Relief Endpoint
Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an acute care specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that its Phase III study of its new analgesic EXPAREL(TM) (DepoBupivacaine) in patients undergoing a bunionectomy procedure met its primary endpoint. The multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo controlled study showed a statistically significant reduction in area under the curve analysis (AUC) of the NRS scores in the subjects receiving EXPAREL(TM) compared to placebo (p=0.
Primary Care Physicians Are Front Line Defense In Diagnosing Serious Illness In Patients With Acute Lower Back Pain
A study by researchers at The George Institute for International Health in Australia found that it is rare for patients presenting to PCPs with acute lower back pain to have previously undiagnosed serious diseases. The most common serious disease cause documented was vertebral fracture, with half of the cases identified at the time of initial consultation.
Baseline survey of sun protection policies and practices in primary school settings in New Zealand
The SunSmart Schools Accreditation Programme (SSAP) was launched as a national programme in October 2005 to help reduce the risk of excessive child exposure to ultraviolet radiation. As part of the need for evaluation, this paper reports the findings of a national survey of a randomly selected sample of approximately 12% of New Zealand primary schools prior to the national launch of the SSAP. Principals at 242 schools completed a mail survey (81% response rate) relating to school sun protection policies, practices, curriculum and environment. Survey responses were evaluated according to the 12 criteria of the SSAP, with schools assigned a score from 0 to 12. No school fully met all 12 accreditation criteria, although 2% of schools attained 11 criteria and another 2% attained 10. Nine per cent of schools attained three or fewer criteria. Overall, 7 was the most common score, achieved by 23%. School socio-economic decile rating and roll size were positively associated with higher scores (both P < 0.02). Continued support and resources are needed to encourage schools to address sun protection across the spectrum of curriculum, practices and environment and through commitment to written policy.
Cardiovascular Risk: Aspirin Works For Primary Prevention In Moderate And High Risk Diabetics
The beneficial effects of aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular events i.e. stroke, MI and cardiac death are known and generally accepted. In a recent meta-analysis total cardiovascular event rate was shown to be reduced by 12% and the rate of myocardial infarctions by 18% (Lancet 2009; 373, 1849-60). This holds specifically true for individuals with a 10-year risk for cardiac death above 5% or a total cardiovascular event risk above 15%.
Gallbladder Emptying In Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Patients
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an idiopathic chronic cholestatic inflammatory liver disease characterized by diffuse fibrosing inflammation of intra- and/or extrahepatic bile ducts, resulting in bile duct obliteration, biliary cirrhosis, and eventually hepatic failure. One of the most common symptoms at the time of presentation of PSC is mild to severe abdominal pain localized in the right upper quadrant.
Intimate Abuse Study Finds Clear Links With Poor Health And Calls For Holistic Primary Care Approach
Nearly a quarter of married and cohabiting women who took part in a survey said that they had been sexually, psychologically or physically abused by their partner. Researchers who studied the 2,746 responses found a clear link between abuse and poor health and are calling for policy initiatives to help primary care nurses tackle the problem in a holistic way. 18.2 per cent of the respondents had been psychologically abused, 3.3 per cent had been physically abused and 1.3 per cent had been sexually abused.
An evaluation of the performance in the UK Royal College of Anaesthetists primary examination by UK medical school and gender.
Background:There has been comparatively little consideration of the impact that the changes to undergraduate curricula might have on postgraduate academic performance. This study compares the performance of graduates by UK medical school and gender in the Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) section of the first part of the Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA) examination.Methods:Data from each sitting of the MCQ section of the primary FRCA examination from June 1999 to May 2008 were analysed for performance by medical school and gender.Results:There were 4983 attempts at the MCQ part of the examination by 3303 graduates from the 19 United Kingdom medical schools. Using the standardised overall mark minus the pass mark, graduates from five medical schools performed significantly better than the mean for the group and five schools performed significantly worse than the mean for the group. Males performed significantly better than females in all aspects of the MCQ – physiology, mean difference = 3.0% (95% CI 2.3, 3.7), p < 0.001; pharmacology, mean difference = 1.7% (95% CI 1.0, 2.3), p < 0.001; physics with clinical measurement, mean difference = 3.5% (95% CI 2.8, 4.1), p < 0.001; overall mark, mean difference = 2.7% (95% CI 2.1, 3.3), p < 0.001; and standardised overall mark minus the pass mark, mean difference = 2.5% (95% CI 1.9, 3.1), p < 0.001. Graduates from three medical schools that have undergone the change from Traditional to Problem Based Learning curricula did not show any change in performance in any aspects of the MCQ pre and post curriculum change.Conclusions:Graduates from each of the medical schools in the UK do show differences in performance in the MCQ section of the primary FRCA, but significant curriculum change does not lead to deterioration in post graduate examination performance. Whilst females now outnumber males taking the MCQ, they are not performing as well as the males.
Needs assessment of Wisconsin primary care residents and faculty regarding interest in global health training
Background:The primary objectives of this study were to assess Wisconsin’s primary care residents’ attitudes toward international health training, the interest among faculty to provide IH training, and the preferred modality of IH training.Methods:Surveys were administered using 505 residents and 413 medical faculty in primary care residencies in Wisconsin. Results from 128 residents and 118 medical school faculty members were collected during the spring of 2007 and analyzed.Results:In total, 25% of residents (128/505) and 28% of faculty (118/413) responded to the survey. A majority of residents (58%) and faculty (63%) were interested in global health issues. Among residents, 63% planned on spending professional time working abroad. Few residents (9%) and faculty (11%) assess their residencies as preparing residents well to address topics relating to international health. The survey indicates that adequate faculty in Wisconsin could provide mentorship in international health as 47% (55) of faculty had experience working as a physician internationally, 49% (58) of faculty spend more than 25% clinical time caring for patient from underserved communities and 39% (46) would be willing to be involved with developing curriculum, lecturing and/or mentoring residents in international health.Conclusions:Overall, the majority of the respondents expressed high interest in IH and few felt prepared to address IH issues indicating a need for increased training in this area. The findings of this survey are likely relevant as a prototype for other primary care residencies.
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