The NHS has undergone substantial reform and investment since 1980, yet demand for care still exceeds supply and difficult choices remain between patients. Why is this so? On what basis should these decisions be made and by whom? As patients become 'consumers' of care, Who Should We Treat? puts patients' rights into their political, economic, and managerial perspectives to consider one of the most pressing problems in contemporary society.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of health data, technology, and access to health informatics. The applications of several information technologies in the context of healthcare are proving instrumental in pandemic control. These technologies were already actively used in the healthcare sector before the pandemic. However, the pandemic has resulted in researchers reassessing how these technologies could have better assisted with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they may mitigate the threat of future pandemics. Health Informatics and Patient Safety in Times of Crisis provides a fresh perspective on how healthcare informatics has managed the current pandemic and how improved healthcare informatics could help in a future crisis. Covering topics such as digital public health, misinformation, and knowledge management, this premier reference source is an indispensable resource for medical professionals, hospital administrators, public health officials, community leaders, international leaders, libraries, medical students, medical professors, researchers, and academicians.

Fatigue in Cancer provides a comprehensive review of the key issues involved in the research and practical application of current evidence and best practice guidelines for addressing cancer-related fatigue. An international group of contributors draw together core topics relating to this complex area of cancer management, focusing on issues of definition, patho-physiology, treatment related variables and the psychological, social and emotional impact on patients, families and carers. Critical reviews of practical management strategies for both adults and children are included, as are the current approaches to the measurement of cancer-related fatigue in clinical and research contexts. The book contributes a multi-disciplinary overview of a problem increasingly overlooked by cancer scientists, researchers, and clinicians.
This book demonstrates the considerable capacity of cancer-related fatigue to impact on quality of life. Its multi-disciplinary focus and consideration of prioritised areas of future research will ensure that it will prove invaluable for all health professionals and researchers in oncology and palliative care.

"Heart Failure: From Research to Clinical Practice" contains chapters that describe the current views on the biological mechanisms, clinical assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based treatments of the condition. Topics in this volume range from basic research at cell and molecular level to patient care in everyday clinical practice and provide essential background information and analyses of recent advances for a deeper understanding of the issues involved. With contributions from international experts in their specified fields and are suitable for both beginners and more advanced readers. This volume includes not only the essential information for clinical practice but also the latest information from the contemporary guidelines and the recommendations from leading societies. It also covers ongoing research and puts forward new hypotheses that can be tested in future research. This comprehensive volume will provide a valuable resource for both research students and expert clinicians.

Meningitis and Encephalitis are associated with high rates of mortality and neurological sequelae. The differential diagnosis includes a wide spectrum of infectious and non-infectious etiologies, some requiring urgent therapy for survival. The current management challenges in patients with meningitis and encephalitis include a low sensitivity of meningeal signs, overutilization of unnecessary screening cranial imaging, delays in diagnosis of urgent treatable causes, a large proportion of unknown etiologies, low sensitivity of current microbiological techniques especially in the setting of previous antibiotic therapy, underutilization of available molecular diagnostic tests, and empiric antibiotic therapy and hospitalization for viral meningitis cases. Even though there are published guidelines, compliance with them is not optimal and physicians do not follow standardized algorithms in their empirical approach. As meningitis and encephalitis is associated with high rates of adverse clinical outcomes, prevention, when feasible is of upmost importance. Adherence to protocols to prevent health-care associated meningitis and ventriculitis are effective but compliance with them is not uniformly performed. This book seeks to improve outcomes for meningitis and encephalitis cases handled by physicians who may or may not be thoroughly trained for these challenges. The text introduces the current guidelines but also discusses the gaps that leave clinicians struggling to implement the most appropriate approaches for these particular neurological infections. Each chapter delivers the tools necessary to identify and adhere to the most appropriate diagnostic technique, management protocols, and prevention approach for each situation. All chapters conclude with discourse on future directions in research and quality improvement. Written by experts in infectious diseases, the book covers topics that are the most devastating, including healthcare-acquired infections, autoimmune encephalitis, and infections as they present in HIV patients. Meningitis and Encephalitis is a well-rounded resource for all medical professionals encountering these neurological syndromes, including infectious disease specialists, neurologists, primary care physicians, and immunologists.

Shared care in mental health covers the broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders encountered by the primary care physician. It has been written to provide practical solutions to assist in the management of the common health problems seen in primary care. Shared care means not only care shared between primary and secondary care but also refers to utilizing the skills of the non-medical members of the primary healthcare team. This handbook is easy to read and user friendly and is designed to be 'dipped into' when faced with a problem in daily practice. It is problem-solving orientated and offers sensible, pragmatic and practical advice.

The book is structured around the treatment of particular patient groups, for example, the depressed patient, the anxious patient, the patient with insomnia. Each treatment covers the following areas: epidemiology; recognition and diagnosis; management in primary care; when to refer and what to expect from secondary services. Equal attention is given to drug treatments, not only what to prescribe but also how to improve compliance, and psychological treatments. Case reports are included to illustrate the application of treatment techniques, and may be used for teaching purposes.

This book has been written by a team who understands GPs, general practice and then psychiatry. The emphasis throughout the book is to provide the General Practitioner with practical and specific help in the management of mental health problems.

Almost a decade has passed since the first edition of this book was published and the explosion of new research in stroke is very apparent. Several important themes have coloured medicine during this time: the development of evidence based health care, new optimism for acute drug treatments for stroke, the growth of new information about the human genome, a dramatic increase in the number of stroke clinicians and researchers world-wide, and the establishment of the Cochrane Collaboration. All of these trends are relevant in revising a book of this nature. Clinical epidemiology remains an essential foundation for the practice of evidence-based healthcare. The enthusiasm of the pharmaceutical industry has resulted in a large number of new trials, often too small to detect clinically important differences, and have increased the number of clinicians actively engaged in stroke research. It is even more important that these clinicians should have a good understanding of the design of trials, the rationale for randomisation and blinding, and the importance of selecting the most appropriate outcomes. Surprisingly, little of practical importance has resulted from the decade of exploration of the human genome - the best indication of a person's risk remains their phenotype and not their genotype. The impetus to organise stroke medicine into a defined speciality, with emphasis on acute stroke, is even stronger - but it is essential to bear in mind the importance of interdisciplinary working, the value of primary care, geriatric medicine, psychiatry and rehabilitation in the prevention, treatment rehabilitation and long-term care of stroke patients. The Cochrane Collaboration is currently grappling with a task of enormous size - the compression of tens of thousands of randomised control trials -and other scientific evidence- into systematic reviews of the effects of interventions. Citations to this work are made in the section on management. In this edition, there is an extra opening section entitled Epidemiology which comprises the nuts and bolts of the subject and reviews the purposes of health care for stroke patients. The remaining sections follow the format of the first edition: Diagnosis, Management, and Prognosis. All chapters have been substantially updated. The book retains its focus on epidemiology that is relevant to the clinician and attempts to use examples from stroke to illustrate many aspects of epidemiological thinking. The book aims to stimulate readers to think about their own practice, the nature of scientific evidence and the vast areas of clinical uncertainty that remain the target for research over the coming decades.

This comprehensive book thoroughly addresses all aspects of health care transition of adolescents and young adults with chronic illness or disability; and includes the framework, tools and case-based examples needed to develop and evaluate a Health Care Transition (HCT) planning program that can be implemented regardless of a patient's disease or disability. Health Care Transition: Building a Program for Adolescents and Young Adults with Chronic Illness and Disability is a uniquely inclusive resource, incorporating youth/young adult, caregiver, and pediatric and adult provider voices and perspectives. Part I of the book opens by defining Health Care Transition, describing the urgent need for comprehensive transition planning, barriers to HCT and then offering a framework for developing and evaluating health care transition programs. Part II focuses on the anatomic and neuro-chemical changes that occur in the brain during adolescence and young adulthood, and how they affect function and behavior. Part III covers the perspectives of important participants in the HCT transition process - youth and young adults, caregivers, and both pediatric and adult providers. Each chapter in Part IV addresses a unique aspect of developing HCT programs. Part V explores various examples of successful transition from the perspective of five key participants in the transition process - patients, caregivers, pediatric providers, adult providers and third party payers. Related financial matters are covered in part VI, while Part VII explores special issues such as HCT and the medical home, international perspectives, and potential legal issues. Models of HCT programs are presented in Part VIII, utilizing an example case study. Representing perspectives from over 75 authors and more than 100 medical centers in North America and Europe, Health Care Transition: Building a Program for Adolescents and Young Adults with Chronic Illness and Disability is an ideal resource for any clinician, policy maker, caregiver, or hospitalist working with youth in transition.

This tremendously popular guide to caring for children's health in the primary care setting has been completely revised and updated for the new edition. It includes guidance on the implications of the Children Act and child protection, Health for All Children, screening in pregnancy, asthma management, and other recent changes in practice and in the law. This is the most reliable and up-to-date book available for the primary health care team.

This book takes the reader through the various aspects of a career in general practice from the time of applying to medical school until retirement. It will be a practical guide for anyone who is interested in the profession.

There have been a lot of changes to medical careers over the last few years that are now coming to completion, making this a thoroughly up to date guide for all those thinking of going into general practice.

Clinical Cases for General Practice Exams 4e is the ideal reference for the Australian general practice clinical examination. This fourth edition continues with the role-play style of the highly regarded previous editions. Inspired by real-life patient presentations, the cases allow learners to practise their clinical examination skills. Each case includes instructions for the exam candidate, role-playing patient and case facilitator. The text is perfect for medical students and doctors training to be general practitioners. Features:*All cases have been reviewed and updated.*Problem-based learning scenarios encourage critical thinking, communication and compassionate care in consultation, treatment and management.*Case Commentaries and Common Pitfalls reinforce key points and important issues raised by cases.What's new?*New cases on refugee health, family violence and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

Painful diabetic polyneuropathy is the most common and disturbing of painful conditions experienced by people with diabetes. As the diabetes rate continues to grow, the number of people suffering from painful diabetic polyneuropathy will as well - increasing both patient suffering and demands on healthcare resources. Painful Diabetic Polyneuropathy covers all aspects of these painful disorders from pathophysiology and diagnosis, treatment and prevention, future approaches and the nursing perspective, to billing issues and the patient's experience. Written by experts in their fields, each chapter presents the full perspective of these painful disorders with an emphasis on evidence-based scientific information. Painful Diabetic Polyneuropathy is a comprehensive resource for general and family medicine practitioners, neurologists and pain medicine specialists. It will also serve as a resource for patients for education, support, and treatment sites.

In this issue of Medical Clinics, guest editor Daniel M. Goodenberger brings his considerable expertise to the topic of Pulmonary Diseases. Provides in-depth reviews on the latest updates in Pulmonary Diseases, providing actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field; Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create these timely topic-based reviews.

A state-of-the-art and concise guide to the clinical management of pediatric endocrine disorders, the second edition of the highly regarded Pediatric Endocrinology: A Practical Clinical Guide covers the most common and challenging conditions seen by practicing endocrinologists and primary care physicians, including growth, hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, calcium and bone, and reproductive disorders, as well as metabolic syndromes. This expanded second edition includes new topics being seen more commonly in pediatric endocrinology practices related to obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus and lipid disorders. Each chapter contains an introductory discussion of the problem, a review of the clinical features that characterize it, the criteria needed to establish a diagnosis, and a comprehensive therapy section delineating the risks and benefits of the best therapeutic options available. Invaluable tables summarize the critical factors in etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and therapeutic dosages. Pediatric Endocrinology: A Practical Clinical Guide, Second Edition, is a comprehensive resource for all clinicians concerned with the myriad endocrinologic disorders seen in children and adolescents.

One major challenge facing modern medicine is to fulfill the promise and potential of the enormous increase in medical data sets of all kinds. Medical Applications of Intelligent Data Analysis: Research Advancements explores the potential of utilizing this medical data through the implementation of developed models in practical applications. This premier reference source features chapters contributed by specialists in a variety of intelligent data analysis (IDA) fields related to medicine, health, and bioinformatics. All of these contributions are devoted to describing the practical medical applications of IDA and how the theory described in many other books can be implemented to improve medical care.

Extensively revised and updated, the second edition of Essential Urology: A Guide to Clinical Practice provides support to primary care physicians through its review of common genitourinary problems. This edition continues to provide the primary care physician with tools to better recognize urological diseases as well as updated management strategies for these disorders. To enhance the theme of comprehensive care and family medicine, the volume is formatted according to the life cycle and the urological challenges, which may be detected and diagnosed by primary care physicians respective of the patient's stage in life, beginning with pregnancy and in utero diagnoses. Pediatric themes such as infection and voiding dysfunctions are followed by adult urological topics ranging from prostate diseases, nephrolithiasis, overactive bladder syndromes, incontinence and urological cancer screening. Three new chapters are added addressing male infertility/andrology and the growing demand for integrative and alternative medical care of urologic patients, as well as commonly encountered dermatological problems in the genital area. Essential Urology: A Guide to Clinical Practice, Second Edition is extremely comprehensive and yet, very accessible. It is authored by experts representing the spectrum of urological subspecialties, further enhancing the value of this unique work.

The Inner Consultation, Second Edition sets out the author's thoughts on how consulting skills, and methods of teaching them, have evolved in the 17 years since the book's first publication. It also develops the theme of 'curiosity' as the key requirement for patient-centred consulting and provides a practical consultation model with five checkpoints to work to, advice for developing skills, and suggestions for doctors to ensure they know the cues in the consultation that require their full attention. All general practitioners, GP registrars, and medical professionals will find this book essential and thought-provoking reading.

Endocrinology, and diabetes care in particular, is a dynamic field where clinicians must translate new evidence into clinical practice at a rapid pace. Designed in an engaging, case-based format, Endocrinology and Diabetes: A Problem Oriented Approach offers a wide range of thought-provoking case studies that reflect contemporary, challenging, hands-on clinical care. Further, by providing a list of specific clinical problems, this format offers the reader a more convenient and pointed way to solve precise clinical problems in a timely manner. Developed by a renowned, international group of experts, this comprehensive title covers the most common clinical problems in endocrinology and diabetes and should be of great interest to endocrinologists, diabetologists, internal medicine physicians, family physicians, fellows, and residents.

This book introduces a new theory on the substantial comorbidity that exists between many illnesses and disorders and concurrent symptoms such as pain, impaired sleep and fatigue. The specific illnesses and disorders discussed include obesity, diabetes mellitus type-II, medical illnesses including cardiovascular disease and sleep-disordered breathing, insomnia, disordered eating such as binge-eating disorder and night-eating syndrome, affective distress (anxiety and depression), and comorbidities that are linked to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The book posits that the comorbidities are the result of a complex bio-psycho-behavioral mechanism that includes circadian rhythm dysfunction. It examines the statistical and methodological (e.g. measurement) problems that can complicate the understanding of comorbidity and explores a broad range of novel, existing, and repurposed therapy approaches that could have utility in treating comorbid disorders. This book will be of great value to academics as well as practitioners working in the field of psychiatry, health psychology and medicine more broadly.

A Visual Guide to Scleroderma and Approach to Treatment offers a focused analysis of the diagnosis and management of scleroderma. Specifically designed to enlighten and update students and trainees, practicing rheumatologists and general practitioners on the various forms of systemic sclerosis, the book is designed to be an easily accessible tool that also covers potential complications and the latest treatment developments. A Visual Guide to Scleroderma and Approach to Treatment emphasizes recognition of common clinical features by focusing on and illustrating severe and less severe forms of the disease that can involve internal organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, heart, lungs and kidneys. Photos and radiographs introduce each chapter and are accompanied by a guide to workup and treatment. A comprehensive and invaluable addition to the literature, this text is not only a necessary resource for students, trainees and primary care physicians; it will also be of significant interest to specialists in the fields of rheumatology, dermatology, pulmonology, cardiology, gastroenterology and nephrology.

With advances in technologies and revolutions in patient, trainee, and public expectations, the global healthcare sector is increasingly turning to serious games to solve problems. Serious games are applications with serious purposes, developed using computer game technologies more often associated with entertainment. Serious Games for Healthcare: Applications and Implications will introduce the development and application of game technologies for health-related serious games. Further, it provides cutting-edge academic research and industry updates which will inform readers about the current and future advances in the area. Encapsulating the knowledge of commercial and noncommercial researchers, developers, and practitioners in a single volume will benefit not only the research and development community within this field, but could also serve public health interests by improving awareness and outcomes.

The Sclera is the definitive text on the diagnosis and treatment of scleral diseases, with in-depth chapters on non-infectious scleritis, infectious sclertitis, non-inflammatory diseases of the sclera, and systemic implications of scleral disease. Basic physiology, anatomy, and biochemistry are addressed as well. Written for the ophthalmologist, the revised and updated new edition of The Sclera contains the most current information available on newer characterizations of the composition of the sclera, immune derangements of it, and success in medical and surgical treatment of the inflammatory diseases of the sclera.

In the early 1970s general practitioners were well aware that they were being asked to deal not only with physical illness in their patients but also with the stresses relating to social and emotional problems. Increasingly often they were working together with health visitors and social workers in attempting to respond more effectively to these demands. Originally published in 1972, this study describes the attachment of a social worker to a group general medical practice in London, indicating why, for all social groups, the general practice is an appropriate point at which psychosocial problems may be identified and treated. The authors describe the nature and range of patients' problems that come to light in the consulting room; how patients present their problems to the social worker; and the kind of help the social worker is able to offer. They explore the extent to which the general practice setting provides opportunities for preventive therapy and further describe how social work in general practice can most effectively be related to existing social services in the community, particularly to the reorganised personal social services. Their findings are supported throughout by illuminating case studies. The book also discusses the integration of the social worker into the general practice team, the problems that have to be solved and the mutual enlightenment that results. This emerges as an extremely encouraging and instructive experiment, which will immediately interest social service departments and social workers, doctors and nurses, both students and those in practice. The wide spectrum of social problems encountered and dealt with by the social worker in a general practice make it a particularly stimulating account.