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Biomedical subjects

L F Smith

Publications and source records attributed to L F Smith.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Women's knowledge of taking oral contraceptive pills correctly and of emergency contraception: effect of providing information leaflets in general practice.

BACKGROUND: About one third of all pregnancies are unplanned and 20% of all pregnancies end in abortion. More than 170,000 legal abortions are performed in the United Kingdom annually. Nearly all general practitioners provide contraceptive advice; the most commonly used form of reversible contraception is the oral contraceptive pill. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with women's knowledge of taking the contraceptive pill correctly and of emergency contraception, and to investigate if their knowledge could be improved in general practice by providing women with Family Planning Association information leaflets. METHOD: An uncontrolled intervention study was performed in one rural and one urban English general practice, using a self-completion questionnaire that was initially administered to women attending their general practitioner for oral contraception over six months from 1 October 1992. The questionnaire asked for: sociodemographic information; knowledge of how late women can be taking an oral contraceptive pill and still be protected against unplanned pregnancy; for how many days after being late with a pill they need to use other precautions; sources and methods of emergency contraception; and for how long the methods are effective after the primary contraceptive failure. After completing the questionnaire women were given two leaflets: one about how to take their prescribed contraceptive pill correctly and one about emergency contraception. Three to 12 months later the same questionnaire was administered in the same manner. RESULTS: Of 449 women completing the first questionnaire, 233 (52%) completed the second questionnaire. Initially 71% of 406 women taking an oestrogen/progestogen combined pill knew about the '12-hour rule' and 17% knew about the 'seven-day rule'; giving women information about the pill they were taking increased the extent of knowledge about these rules among 212 respondents to 82% (P < 0.01) and to 25% (P < 0.05), respectively. The proportion of respondents who knew that they could obtain emergency contraception from their own general practitioner, from any general practitioner and from family planning clinics all increased after they had received the leaflets (from 84% to 92%, from 34% to 47% and from 82% to 90%, respectively, all P < 0.01). There were significant improvements in the proportion of women knowing the duration of effectiveness of emergency contraception. However, after receiving the leaflet on emergency contraception the majority of women still did not know for how long after unprotected intercourse the high-dose combined pill and the intrauterine contraceptive device were effective (80% and 93% of 233 women, respectively). Improvements in knowledge depended upon women's social class, previous use of emergency contraception and with which practice they were registered. CONCLUSION: Providing women with leaflets about taking the contraceptive pill correctly and about emergency contraception appears to improve significantly their extent of such knowledge. If such practice was adopted elsewhere this increased knowledge might reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies in the UK. The effect of general practitioners personally providing such leaflets, with or without verbal instruction, warrants further study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Higher professional training in general practice: provision of master's degree courses in the United Kingdom in 1993.

Review of a 1993 survey of the 29 United Kingdom departments of general practice (or equivalent) identified seven master's degree courses available for general practitioners. Up to another 11 are planned within the next five years. Around 50 general practitioners undertake all such courses at any one time. Possible reasons for this low uptake include cost, lack of flexibility of courses, and the prospect of writing a thesis. Appropriate master's courses are essential to the future development of general practice, and this paper postulates the characteristics of an "ideal" course.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1994

Intelligibility of tracheoesophageal speech among naive listeners.

Tracheoesophageal (TE) speech is now the most common method of voice rehabilitation after total laryngectomy. The speech intelligibility of laryngectomees who use TE speech as their primary mode of communication was evaluated by 20 "naive" listeners. Two speech intelligibility tests were administered using phonetically balanced rhyming words or lists of spondee words. The overall intelligibility for the group of laryngectomees was 76%, with a wide range of variability among the individual TE speakers. We concluded that TE speech is significantly less intelligible to naive listeners than normal laryngeal speech; further refinement of voice rehabilitation for laryngectomees is needed.

Female↗
PubMed1994

Ethical dilemmas for general practitioners under the UK new contract.

Possible distributive justice frameworks for providing health care by general practitioners are discussed. The ethical considerations before and after the recent changes to the British National Health Service are contrasted, with particular emphasis on a possible ethical divide that has been produced between fund-holding and non-fund-holding general practitioners. It is argued that general practitioners in non-fund-holding practices can continue as ethical advocates for their patients and distribute health care within an egalitarian framework. However, those in fund-holding practices may now be seen as interest advocates and may have to practise utilitarian distributive justice. Patient groups may be needed to ensure that these general practitioners are seen to act justly in the distribution of the health care resources for which they are now responsible.

Beneficence↗
PubMed1994

Provision of obstetric care by general practitioners in the south western region of England.

BACKGROUND: Recent government reports have suggested changes to the organization of maternity care in the United Kingdom which may well affect the contribution of general practitioners. AIM: This study set out to document the range of obstetric care provided by general practitioners, their perceived competence at various obstetric procedures, and their beliefs about their role in maternity care. METHOD: A postal questionnaire was sent to a random one in four sample of general practitioners in the South Western Regional Health Authority of England. RESULTS: Of 424 questionnaires sent out, 333 (79%) were returned. Of 303 respondents, 98% provided both antenatal and postnatal care. Of 294 respondents, 45% provided intrapartum care and 27% booked women for home deliveries. Of 117 respondents providing hospital intrapartum care 47% booked 10 or fewer women each year, and most provided little practical intrapartum care. Compared with those providing only antenatal and postnatal care, those who provided intrapartum care believed themselves to be more competent at various obstetric procedures and their perceived competence was significantly correlated to the number of procedures that they performed. Those general practitioners providing intrapartum care made significantly more postnatal visits than those providing only antenatal/postnatal care and were significantly more likely to believe that general practitioners have an important role in labour. CONCLUSION: Many general practitioners in the south western region of England still provide a choice in maternity care for women, and believe that they have an important role in such care. Further work is required to establish what women and their general practitioners believe the latter contribute to maternity care.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Trabeculectomy in diabetic patients with glaucoma.

Forty-one eyes of 41 patients with diabetes mellitus who underwent trabeculectomy over a 4-year period were compared with 41 age- and sex-matched controls, who were also matched for date of operation and surgical technique. The two groups were comparable for glaucoma diagnoses, duration of glaucoma before admission and number of ocular hypotensive medications. The intraocular pressures at diagnosis and on admission were similar. Post-operative complications were equally frequent. The mean intraocular pressure at 6 months was significantly lower in the control group, and fewer diabetic patients achieved either an intraocular pressure < 21 mmHg or successful drainage (defined as an intraocular pressure < 21 mmHg on no treatment) at 6 months and at the final visit, after similar periods of follow-up. Trabeculectomy in diabetic patients with pre-existing retinopathy resulted in a significantly higher intraocular pressure at 6 months than when no retinopathy was present.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Indications, evaluation, complications, and results of functional endoscopic sinus surgery in 200 patients.

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a new and exciting treatment for chronic sinus disease. Our knowledge of the surgery continues to expand. A retrospective and prospective review of 200 patients undergoing FESS was undertaken at the Houston Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic. Parameters studied included patient symptoms, medical history, medical therapy, and radiologic findings. Also reviewed were length of hospitalization, complications, and postoperative symptoms. Nasal obstruction was the most common preoperative symptom. Anterior ethmoid and ostiomeatal complex disease were the most common preoperative CT scan findings. More than 84% of the surgeries were performed on an outpatient basis. Minor complications developed in 8% of the patients, and only one major complication occurred (0.05%). With a mean followup of 17 months, 88% of the patients were symptom-free or improved; however, 41.5% still required some medical therapy. FESS can safely be performed while the patient is under general anesthesia. Partial middle turbinectomy is a safe and recommended procedure; no cases of atrophic rhinitis occurred. We conclude that FESS is a highly successful treatment for chronic sinus disease (p < 0.01) and that a strong patient history for sinus symptoms is the most important indication for FESS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Patients, friends, and relationship boundaries.

When patient and physician are close friends, both professional and personal relationships can suffer. Jointly exploring and setting explicit boundaries can help avoid conflict and maintain these valuable relationships. This is particularly important when the physician practises in a small community where such concurrent relationships are unavoidable.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Roles, risks, and responsibilities in maternity care: trainees' beliefs and the effects of practice obstetric training.

OBJECTIVES: To document the content of practice obstetric vocational training, the beliefs of general practitioner trainees about the roles of midwives and general practitioners in maternity care, and the risks of providing such care; and to ascertain if undergoing such training affects their beliefs. DESIGN: Confidential postal questionnaire survey. SUBJECTS: Random one in four sample of all general practitioner trainees in the United Kingdom on vocational training schemes or in training practices in autumn 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Beliefs scored on seven point Likert scales and characteristics of trainer and training practice. RESULTS: Of 1019 trainees sent questionnaires, 765 (75.1% response rate) replied; 638 (83.3%) had done some part of their practice year. Of their trainers, 224 (35.1%) provided full obstetric care. 749 (99%) and 364 (48%) trainees believed that midwives and general practitioners respectively have an important role in normal labour; 681 (91.7%) trainees believed that general practice intrapartum care is a high risk "specialty." Those trainees whose trainers provide full obstetric care were significantly more likely to believe that both midwives and general practitioners have an important role in abnormal labour and to see the provision of intrapartum care as an incentive to join a practice. CONCLUSION: In this series most general practitioner trainees believed that both midwives and general practitioners have important roles in maternity care. Exposure of trainees to the provision of full obstetric care while in their training practice resulted in a more positive attitude towards the provision of such care by general practitioners.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1991

GP trainees' views on hospital obstetric vocational training.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the content of hospital obstetric vocational training for general practice, the beliefs of general practitioner trainees about this training, and their perceived competence at practical obstetric procedures and the effect of training. DESIGN: Confidential postal questionnaire. SUBJECTS: A random one in four sample of all general practitioner trainees in the United Kingdom on vocational training schemes or in training practices in Autumn 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Trainees' competence and beliefs on Likert scale, numbers of procedures witnessed and performed, type of maternity care trainees intended to provide. RESULTS: Of 1019 trainees sent questionnaires, 765 (75.1%) replied; 517 had done some hospital obstetric training. After six months as a senior house officer 232/367 (63%) believed they were competent to perform a normal delivery unaided, 228 (62%) to manage a severe postpartum haemorrhage, and 227 (62%) to resuscitate a newborn infant. 272 (35.6%) trainees intended to provide intrapartum care and 56 (7.5%) to book home deliveries in the future. Hospital training increased confidence in performing most obstetric procedures in all trainees. However, a greater proportion of trainees who intended to provide full care than shared care felt competent at performing a normal vaginal delivery (63% (170/272) full v 45% (215/473) shared), low forceps delivery (38% (103) v 17% (79)), manual removal of placenta (24% (65) v 17% (82)), and intubating a neonate (42% (114) v 34% (161)). Trainees who had done any obstetric training were less likely to think that training encouraged future provision of intrapartum care (113/509 (22%) training v 65/213 (31%) no training). CONCLUSION: Hospital vocational obstetric training increases the perceived competence of trainees but fails to encourage them to use obstetric skills.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗