| Cutting edge |  When I was growing up, both in Zambia and in the UK, the only doctor I ever saw (apart from when I had my tonsils out) was a GP. However, I can virtually guarantee that most of you reading this newsletter now go to a specialist rather than a GP, for most of your medical care. A paediatrician for your children's minor ailments, a gynaecologist for your annual PAP smear and so on and so on. We all self-refer to specialists.
The recent report on the continuing poor quality of US health care highlights the lack of access to and use of primary care doctors as one of the failings of the system. And I know that, for all its problems, one of the main strengths of the UK's NHS is its complete reliance on GPs as the gatekeepers - the backbone of medical care.
The erosion of use of GPs since medical aids started to overlook specialist self-referal is almost certainly one of the reasons for rising health care costs. People have started to see GPs as 'second class' doctors - someone is 'only a GP'. But, in fact, general practice, practiced as it should be, is a difficult and exacting speciality and a good GP is always an excellent doctor - you have to deal with everything that walks through the door after all. I know a few GPs who still manage to provide what general practice is all about - a holistic approach to each patient, taking into consideration not only the individual patient, but their families, work environment, interests, activities and so on. I also know excellent doctors who are fed up with being there for sick notes, sore backs and coughs and colds - never getting the opportunity to deal with the whole patient and liaise with any specialist who is needed. Its worth thinking about how you use different doctors - and thinking about exactly what it is that you want from each consultation. You may find that you would prefer to see a GP as your first line of care.
Bridget Farham Editor
https://www.bizcommunity.com
| | Headlines
The Pan African Health Congress 2008Sustaining world class quality and clinical excellence “Every person who seeks care in a healthcare facility should expect to receive safe care that is delivered in a safe environment”
MedicalGirls just as good as boys at mathsThe long held perception that boys are better at maths than girls is wrong, according to a recent survey. US health care ranks lowest among developed countriesThe United States ranked last across a range of measures of health care in a comparison of 19 industrialised countries, despite spending more than twice as much per person on health as any other of the countries, says a report published last week.
Dental diseaseGummy Bears good for children's teethGummy Bears that contain xylitol can help prevent tooth decay.
Food crisisHorn of Africa: "Urban poor the new face of hunger"The urban poor in the Horn of Africa are the new face of hunger in a region where up to 14.6 million people now require humanitarian assistance due to poor rains, high food and fuel prices, conflict, animal disease, inflation and poverty.
HIV/AIDSKenya: More education equals less teen pregnancy and HIV Keeping Kenyan girls in school and ensuring they have access to HIV and sex education has a dramatic effect on lowering future levels of HIV, according to experts. Zambian trial re-inforces efficacy of co-trimoxazole prophylaxisCo-trimoxazole prophylaxis for people living with HIV and TB was once again found to reduce mortality in a recent trial in Zambia. Africa: Homophobia fuelling the spread of HIVThe persistent and increasing outbreaks of violence against members of the gay community in Africa are jeopardising efforts undertaken to combat HIV, both within this group and across the population as a whole, AIDS activists warned at a recent meeting in Limbé, Cameroon. US lifts travel ban on HIV-positive peopleA move by the United States Senate to repeal legislation prohibiting HIV-positive visitors and immigrants has been hailed as an important step in the fight against stigma and discrimination.
Infectious diseasesSierra Leone: Rampant disease washes in with flood waterWith malaria, diarrhea and vomiting, pneumonia, bronchitis and other respiratory infections, worm infestations, scabies, abscesses, sores, and boils all common ailments in the Kroo Bay community of the Sierra Leone capital Freetown local medical official Amadou Kandor says it's little wonder 35 is an average life expectancy for the slum's 6,000 inhabitants.
Medical AidLiving costs skyrocketing, so what about my medical scheme contribution? - Anita de JonghWith interest rates going up and food and petrol prices going through the roof the past few months, consumers need to stretch their salaries more and more every month. Women and medical aid - Cape Medical PlanIn families, women make most of the family decisions: what to eat, what car to buy, where to holiday - and what medical aid to have. But when it comes to medical aid, do they get enough of the right information on which to base good decisions? And contemporary ways of regarding the roles of men and women cast into question traditional, gender-based decision-making.
Medical ResearchSurprising finding on agingAge may not be rust after all. Specific genetic instructions drive aging in worms, report researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Their discovery contradicts the prevailing theory that aging is a build up of tissue damage akin to rust, and implies science might eventually halt or even reverse the ravages of age. Hey fever! The surprise benefit of allergiesLong-suffering victims of allergies such as asthma and hay fever might enjoy a surprise benefit, according to research led by Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW). Cranberry juice shows promise for urinary tract infectionsFor generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood.
Medical TechnologyOne step closer to the omniscient clinician[Christine Chang] Clinical decision support tools set to fundamentally change the way medicine is practised; clinical Intelligence will be the next trend in Clinical Decision Support technology. DNA - made in the lab[Ruchi Mallya] Will artificial DNA be the future of computers and ‘green IT' after a team in Japan creates artificial DNA, furthering hopes in DNA computing? Philips hosts successful Achieva 3.0T System roadshow - Jenni Newman Public RelationsSouth Africa boasts latest generation ultra-high field MRI
OncologyFamily history is a poor predictor of early breast cancerA family history of breast cancer will not predict early onset breast cancer in unselected women, according to a recently published study.
Pharmaceutical companiesRecruit patients quick with a clickThe clinical drug trials required to ensure the next Avastin, Viagra or Lipitor actually make it to market are often lasting longer than expected. In fact, 90% of trials are delayed, and the majority of these delays are attributed to patient recruitment problems, perhaps as patient recruitment takes longer than any other step of the trial and the public perception of the clinical trial process and pharmaceutical industry on the whole is largely very negative. Aspen business in licensing deal with GSK - Shauneen Beukes CommunicationsJSE listed Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited (Apn) has announced that it has entered into licensing and supply agreements with leading multinational pharmaceutical corporation, GlaxoSmithKline (“GSK”).
Public healthSA to host International tobacco conference[Tamar Kahn] Thanks to anti-tobacco legislation, SA will host the third Conference of Parties on Tobacco Control later this year. Madagascar: Ambitious family planning goalsBeing an exhausted mother of 10 children by your early thirties is not unusual in rural Madagascar, but a movement is now underway to try and provide women with a contraceptive choice. IMF loans linked to higher TB death ratesIMF loans to the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern European countries between 1992 and 2002 were linked to a rise in deaths from TB. Kenya: Healthcare hurdles in Nairobi's slumsQuality healthcare is a luxury often beyond the reach of those who live in Nairobi's slums, such as mother-of-seven Grace Awour Opondo.
Women's healthChoose your bra carefullyPoor bra choice could be damaging women's breasts, according to a breast biomechanics team from the UK. |
| | Upcoming events | Corporate Health and Wellness - Johannesburg, 30 July | More... Submit an event | | |
| | Jobs offered | Specialising in Media Sales, Advertising
and Marketing placements |  |
| | Chief Operating Officer - Lagos | | | |
| | News for medical professionals | | Raltegravir with optimized background therapy for resistant HIV-1 infection
| | More... | | |
Print - Print any item in this newsletter.
Email - Email any item in this newsletter.
Comment - Comment on any item in this newsletter.
| |
| |
South African depression and Anxiety Group has opened a press office on Bizcommunity.com!
SADAG is committed to quality counselling, outreach programmes and capacity building work throughout South Africa, and this commitment to promoting mental health across South Africa.
Click here to visit South African depression and Anxiety Group's press office.
Business ServicesMOTORING CORPORATE WELLNESS BUSINESS TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT OFFICE EQUIPMENT
|
|
