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Feature
Benefits and harms of treatments for long-term conditions
New research examines long-term conditions and GPs' use of quantitative data in decision making around benefits and harms of treatments. Research has shown that doctors, including GPs, often have poor knowledge of the quantitative benefits and harms of treatments (such as absolute risk reduction and numbers needed to treat). Yet this kind of information is considered key to shared decision making and optimal management of polypharmacy. This study found that GPs would like better access to this kind of numerical information about the pros and cons of treatments. In the 2-minute video Dr Julian Treadwell explains that GPs use quantitative information usually around statin prescribing; and that QRISK was used to determine baseline risk and frame conversations or make treatment threshold decisions.
Highlights
Online First
Recent Features
Primary care transformation in Europe during COVID-19
This is the first pan-European study to explore experiences of primary-care professionals in the first COVID-19 peak by conducting interviews across England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Greece, and Sweden. Dr Marta Wanat discusses the findings in a podcast interview and video highlights in which she explains face-to-face consultations were arranged differently across countries; remote consultations were new for many professionals; peer-to-peer information sharing was common; and there was huge variation in how much support practices received. Read the full research on how primary care rapidly transformed services in relation to COVID-19 as well as non-COVID-19 care.
Benzodiazepine discontinuation
The dilemma of long-term benzodiazepine use has plagued GPs for decades. New research can help GPs to tackle this longstanding issue with confidence. Results showed that barriers and facilitators to ceasing benzodiazepine use varied according to their stage of change. This indicates that GPs need to modify their intervention based on the patients’ 'readiness' to change.
In this 2-minute video Erin Oldenhof explains that original problems tend to persist after taking benzodiazepines; beyond discontinuing medication it is useful to ask 'What can we explore to help?'; underlying issues are talking points for GPs with patients; knowing the harms of benzodiazepines was a motivator for patients; and 'Is this working for you?' is a better approach than discouraging use.
Impact of COVID-19 on migrants’ access to primary care
Migrants are already known to face barriers in accessing primary care, such as confusion about the NHS, language difficulties, and discrimination. This new research examined the impact on migrants of pandemic-related changes in primary care delivery, such as the increased use of technology, and physical closure of some GP practices. In this 1.5-minute video and full-length podcast, Dr Felicity Knights outlines research findings and opportunities for improving migrant health, including support with forms and signposting; videos and translations; virtual group consultations; and the Safe Surgeries initiative by Doctors of the World.
Altmetric Data
Altmetric tracks attention and engagement of scholarly articles. The following list shows the articles most frequently shared in social media over the past six months.
- Clinical coding of long COVID in English primary care: a federated analysis of 58 million patient records in situ using OpenSAFELYLast mentioned on Wed Jul 21 2021
- Attitudes of transgender men and non-binary people to cervical screening: a cross-sectional mixed-methods study in the UKLast mentioned on Sat Jul 31 2021
- Domestic abuse among female doctors: thematic analysis of qualitative interviews in the UKLast mentioned on Thu Apr 01 2021
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