Biomedical subjects
C B Freer
Publications and source records attributed to C B Freer.
Family practice research: quantity and quality.
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The case for small practice-based studies.
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Consultation-based screening of the elderly in general practice: a pilot study.
The lack of evidence to support formal annual screening of all older people does not weaken arguments for a preventive and anticipatory component to primary care. A number of short screening schedules for use by nurses or volunteers or for self-completion by patients have been developed. Patients 'failing' the screening stage are then fully assessed. This paper describes the design and pilot study of a brief anticipatory care system which can be integrated into routine general practice as the first stage of the twostage process. It was found that only about 28 of the 102 patients screened required follow up and in general the doctors found the system easy to administer during normal surgery sessions.
A study of attendance patterns in general practice over three years.
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Ear wax and otitis media in children.
A study was designed to find the prevalence of ear wax in children aged 3 to 10 years and to test the belief that large amounts of wax are unlikely to be seen when otitis media is present. Roughly a quarter of the children had appreciable amounts of wax, and there was a gradual decline in prevalence with age. The amount of ear wax appeared to decrease when otitis media was present. The results did not support removing wax when assessing children's ears in general practice.
Study of medicine prescribing for elderly patients.
An analysis of drug prescribing over six months in a random sample of 146 elderly patients showed that 42% were receiving one or more medicines long term. Diuretics, analgesics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were most often prescribed, and variations in prescribing by age, sex, and consultations with the general practitioner were examined. Only 17% of the group were taking three or more medicines on repeat prescriptions, and 42% received no prescriptions during the study. These results have implications for the workload of supervising prescriptions but also underline the need for a balanced view of drug prescribing and medicine taking in elderly people.
The contribution of the primary care doctor to the medical care of the elderly in the community.
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Geriatric screening: a reappraisal of preventive strategies in the care of the elderly.
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What kind of alternative is alternative medicine?
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Epidemiology and family medicine.
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Videotape recording in the assessment of the history-taking skills of medical students.
The potential of videotape recording in the assessment of student history-taking skills has been explored in a third year general practice undergraduate course. By concentrating on priority areas in history-taking it has been possible to develop a profile of the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and of the group as a whole which should be of value to course organizers.
Pre-school development screening in a health centre--the problem of non-attendance.
Poor attendance at a health centre pre-school child screening clinic (total default rate 41.2 per cent) raises the question of whether selective screening would be a more realistic alternative to comprehensive screening. Furthermore, an analysis of the outcome of screening over one year has shown a low prevalence of abnormalities and underlines the need to justify such programmes as worthwhile screening tests.The most efficient method of detecting child-hood abnormalities at an early a stage as possible remains an open question, but with present financial restrictions and staff shortages, whatever programmes are used, rigorous continuing evaluation is essential.