This brand-new title Practical General Practice Nursing has been developed to support the professional development of the General Practice Nurse, in particular the 'early career' practitioner. This book provides a contemporary and practical approach to understanding the breadth and depth of this unique community nursing role. With the content developed by expert practitioners and nurse educators from across the UK this truly comprehensive book covers a wide range of clinical and professional topics. Presented in an easy to read format, which is illustrated in full colour, this book represents an excellent resource to support the practice nurse in the delivery of evidence-based care. Marion Welsh and Sue Brooks, both of whom have wealth of experience in working as General Practice Nurses, have edited this first edition, whose key features include: - Comprehensive coverage of evidence-based person-centred care - Practical application for contemporary practice - Perspectives and policies from all four countries of the UK

"Practical Ethics for General Practice, second edition, is essential reading for GPs, trainees, community nurses, those interested in bioethics, and medical students." --Book Jacket.

British Medical Association Book Awards 2009 - First Prize Winner, Primary Care Category Evidence-Based Diagnosis in Primary Care provides guidance on diagnosis in general practice, from the patient’s first presentation with a symptom to the final establishment of a diagnosis or referral for further investigation. The book is divided into two parts: • Symptoms; which details the steps necessary to reach a provisional diagnosis when a patient presents; and • Disorders; in which the more detailed assessment of that initial diagnosis is described. This is the first book to be written about diagnosis in primary care that attempts to base its guidance on the research evidence. Enough information is provided on each symptom, or condition, to decide on the pre-test probability of each possible disorder, and how the symptoms, signs and investigations alter those probabilities to allow a conclusion to be reached about the most likely diagnosis. Evidence-Based Diagnosis in Primary Care also explains the principles of evidence-based diagnosis – with special emphasis on the issues raised by attempting an evidence-based approach in primary care – and clearly demonstrates the power, and the difficulties, of an evidence-based approach. Many chapters also feature ‘red flags’ – elements of the history or examination that should alert the practitioner to the possibility of serious disease, which is vital for general practice.

Physician adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) has become a national priority. It is said that EMRs have the potential to greatly improve patient care, to provide the data needed for more effective population management and quality assurance of both an individual practice’s patients and well as patients of large health care systems, and the potential to create efficiencies that allow physicians to provide this improved care at a far lower cost than at present. There is currently a strong U.S. government push for physicians to adopt EMR technology, with the Obama administration emphasizing the use of EMRs as an important part of the future of health care and urging widespread adoption of this technology by 2014. This timely book for the primary care community offers a concise and easy to read guide for implementing an EMR system. Organized in six sections, this invaluable title details the general state of the EMR landscape, covering the government’s incentive program, promises and pitfalls of EMR technology, issues related to standardization and the range of EMR vendors from which a provider can choose. Importantly, chapter two provides a detailed and highly instructional account of the experiences that a range of primary care providers have had in implementing EMR systems. Chapter three discusses how to effectively choose an EMR system, while chapters four and five cover all of the vital pre-implementation and implementation issues in establishing an EMR system in the primary care environment. Finally, chapter six discusses how to optimize and maintain a new EMR system to achieve the full cost savings desired. Concise, direct, but above all honest in recognizing the challenges in choosing and implementing an electronic health record in primary care, Electronic Medical Records: A Practical Guide for Primary Care has been written with the busy primary care physician in mind.

This practical ‘How To’ guide talks the reader step-by-step through designing, conducting and disseminating primary care research, a growing discipline internationally. The vast majority of health care issues are experienced by people in community settings, who are not adequately represented by hospital-based research. There is therefore a great need to upskill family physicians and other primary care workers and academics to conduct community-based research to inform best practice. Aimed at emerging researchers, including those in developing countries, this book also addresses cutting edge and newly developing research methods, which will be of equal interest to more experienced researchers.

Advances in medical, biomedical and health services research have reduced the level of uncertainty in clinical practice. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) complement this progress by establishing standards of care backed by strong scientific evidence. CPGs are statements that include recommendations intended to optimize patient care. These statements are informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and costs of alternative care options. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust examines the current state of clinical practice guidelines and how they can be improved to enhance healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Clinical practice guidelines now are ubiquitous in our healthcare system. The Guidelines International Network (GIN) database currently lists more than 3,700 guidelines from 39 countries. Developing guidelines presents a number of challenges including lack of transparent methodological practices, difficulty reconciling conflicting guidelines, and conflicts of interest. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust explores questions surrounding the quality of CPG development processes and the establishment of standards. It proposes eight standards for developing trustworthy clinical practice guidelines emphasizing transparency; management of conflict of interest ; systematic review-guideline development intersection; establishing evidence foundations for and rating strength of guideline recommendations; articulation of recommendations; external review; and updating. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust shows how clinical practice guidelines can enhance clinician and patient decision-making by translating complex scientific research findings into recommendations for clinical practice that are relevant to the individual patient encounter, instead of implementing a one size fits all approach to patient care. This book contains information directly related to the work of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), as well as various Congressional staff and policymakers. It is a vital resource for medical specialty societies, disease advocacy groups, health professionals, private and international organizations that develop or use clinical practice guidelines, consumers, clinicians, and payers.

Don’t Wait Until Something Goes Wrong to Think About Your Consultation Skills Designed specifically for busy health professionals working in primary care, The Naked Consultation: A Practical Guide to Primary Care Consultation Skills covers all aspects of the primary care consultation in a clear, concise, and highly readable manner. The book begins by breaking the primary care consultation into its components, making it easier to focus on particular areas and practise skills such as encouraging patients to explain what’s wrong, summarising and reflecting, and giving information to patients. The book then describes how to effectively use educational tools—such as videoing, random case analysis, problem case debriefing, and feedback—to improve consultations. It also explains in detail how to demonstrate proficient consultation skills in the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) exam and the importance of these skills in appraisal/revalidation. Certified for continuing professional development (CPD®) by The CPD Certification Service, this fully updated and revised Second Edition incorporates new thinking and consultation models, including the 6 S model and the new doctor, patient, illness model. It also provides detailed analysis of the latest Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) assessment tools, such as the clinical skills assessment exam (CSA) and the consultation observation tool (COT). Complete with illuminating case studies, photocopiable forms, and a jargon-busting appendix, The Naked Consultation: A Practical Guide to Primary Care Consultation Skills, Second Edition offers valuable insight into the key phases of the primary care consultation, the best features of common consultation models, and the real-world application of popular consultation techniques.