Primary Care

This is the first online resource to provide a centralized, a comprehensive clinical reference on the diagnosis and management of the comorbid conditions that affect asthma. Because comorbid conditions of asthma have not yet been included in international and national management guidelines, this online guide will help fill a gap in current clinical knowledge, aiding physicians in delivering optimal patient care. Written and published in conjunction with the World Allergy Organization (WAO), it consists of the latest research and reviews of current theory and practice, the most effective advances in the diagnosis and management of asthma and its co-morbidities, and insights into the fundamentals of asthma and its co-morbidities. It presents scientifically-based medicine for each comorbid condition as it relates to asthma.Less

This resource takes a critical insider's look at commonly held views about the diagnosis and management of depression, and argues that our belief in depression as a medical condition is based on commercial, professional, organisational and cultural factors, which all combine to sustain the popularity of depression as a concept, which is based more on our values than on science.Less

Based upon the popular review course from Harvard Medical School, this online resource is a comprehensive study guide for the American Board of Internal Medicine certification or maintenance of certification examination, as well as for general practice review by physicians and residents. Authoritative and thorough, it provides in-depth coverage across all specialties of internal medicine, including endocrinology, neurology, hepatology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, and more. It features numerous tables and figures, and detailed discussions with emphasis on essential learning points. It features over 350 board review questions, numerous tables and figures, detailed discussions with emphasis on essential learning points, and there is a further section dedicated to board simulation.Less

Based upon the popular review course from Harvard Medical School, this online resource features a comprehensive collection of over 500 questions and answers to help prepare for the American Board of Internal Medicine certification or maintenance of certification examination, as well as for general practice review by physicians and residents. Authoritative and thorough, it provides in-depth coverage across all specialties of internal medicine, including endocrinology, neurology, hepatology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, and more. It also includes numerous tables and figures, and detailed discussions with emphasis on essential learning points.Less

This online reference provides the practising GP with all the information needed to help in the management of patients with cancer.

This is a guide for the practising GP on how to deal with cardiovascular problems in the community. The online reference covers assessment through to management, and also looks at cardiac and vascular problems in relation to the new GMS contract.Less

This book aims to provide GPs with comprehensive coverage of well circumscribed topics in general practice which are linked directly to the requirements of the new GP Contract.

Clinical Acupuncture and Ancient Chinese Medicine provides health care professionals interested in learning or practicing acupuncture the essential theoretical foundation of Chinese medicine on which an effective acupuncture therapy must be based. It describes in detail the human energetic anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and etiology for both mental and physical functions of children, men, women, and the elderly. It offers a step-by-step algorithm for diagnosing physical or mental ailments with diagnostic techniques and formulation processes and treating them with effective strategies, plans, and acupuncture techniques. Clinical Acupuncture and Ancient Chinese Medicine also presents acupuncture as an energy medicine, in contrast to modern medicine, which is a more biochemically and structurally based medicine. Both are integral parts in the spectrum of human medicine, more complementary than alternative to each other. This book helps readers to study and practice acupuncture as part of their continued medical education (CME) and as a natural expansion of their practice to provide additional care for their patients at the energetic level at which a majority of ailments lay. The content is organized in a way that parallels modern medicine so readers can more easily relate and understand concepts that may be otherwise foreign to them. This book describes human health with the belief that a human being is essentially an energetic being and that the interaction of human energy with the energy of nature and the universe is critical to maintaining a healthy life. It provides useful contents for self-care and the ancient practice of life cultivation.Less

This reference provides a practical, accessible guide to all emergencies encountered in primary care from the immediately life threatening to the small but urgent problems that can arise.

Diagnostic radiology is a medical specialty that is primarily devoted to the diagnostic process, centered on the interpretation of medical images. This book reviews the high level of uncertainty inherent to radiological interpretation and the overlap that exists between the uncertainty of the process and what might be considered “error.” There is also a great deal of variability inherent in the physical and technological aspects of the imaging process itself. The information in diagnostic images is subtly encoded, with a broad range of “normal” that usually overlaps the even broader range of “abnormal.” Image interpretation thus blends technology, medical science, and human intuition. To develop their skillset, radiologists train intensively for years, and most develop a remarkable level of expertise. But radiology itself remains a fallible human endeavor, one involving complex neurophysiological and cognitive processes employed under a range of conditions and generally performed under time pressure. This book highlights the human experience of error. A taxonomy of error is presented, along with a theoretical classification of error types based on the underlying causes and an extensive discussion of potential error-reduction strategies. The relevant perceptual science, cognitive science, and imaging science are reviewed. A chapter addresses the issue of accountability for error, including peer review, regulatory oversight/accreditation, and malpractice litigation. The potential impact of artificial intelligence, including the use of machine learning and deep-learning algorithms, to reduce human error and improve radiologists’ efficiency is also explored.Less

This resource explores the many dimensions of the alleged industrialization of general practice as it has occurred to others in the past, and analyses the origins of the current wave of reform in general practice. It analyses why industrialization is being pursued as a government strategy, and explores its benefits and dangers. It concludes that the medical profession has reasons for being perturbed by industrialization, but that it has advantages as well as disadvantages for the NHS and the public.Less

This resource summarizes the most authoritative evidence available on the effects of care practices carried out during pregnancy, childbirth, and immediately after birth, and in addition to the details provided, the book concludes with six valuable tables that list the practices which are beneficial, those of unknown effectiveness, and those likely to be ineffective or harmful.Less

Arts and humanities education is widespread in undergraduate but almost nonexistent in postgraduate medical education where it is arguably more helpful. This book fills that gap. It covers a wide range of arts and humanities subjects including film, theatre, narrative, visual art, history, ethics, and social sciences. Each chapter provides not only 1) a literature review of the relevant subject in postgraduate medical education and, where helpful, undergraduate medical education but 2) a theoretical discussion of the subject as it relates to medicine and medical education 3) challenges to implementing arts and humanities programming and 4) appendices with a number of different and relevant resources as well as sample lesson plans. There is a chapter on the use of humanities in interprofessional education, a domain whose importance has recently gained prominence. Finally there are also chapters guiding the medical humanities educator on evaluating the impact of their programs, an ever-present challenge, and on the thorny issue of how to fund programs in medical humanities.Less

This book, 50 Imaging Studies Every Doctor Should Know, provides succinct synopses of the 50 most important medical imaging studies that every doctor should know. For almost every physician specialty, imaging examinations play a central role in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment management of diseases. The appropriate use of medical imaging requires a baseline understanding of the literature we use to decide whether or not a specific imaging study would be helpful in a specific clinical scenario. These summaries therefore cover the evidence-based practice of radiology by outlining the vital clinical questions, study designs and methods, results, and clinical implications that every physician ordering and interpreting imaging examinations should be able to reference. Each chapter summarizes the most salient features of key studies, provides a clinical scenario to provide relevant context, and a relevant imaging example. Topics covered include imaging examinations for headache, back pain, chest pain, musculoskeletal and joint pain, abdominal and pelvic pain, and cancer screening and management, as well as issues of patient radiation exposure.Less

This book describes real-world examples and practical approaches for integrating behavioral and physical health services in primary care and some specialty medical environments. Integrated care models are patient-centered; delivered by teams of medical professionals, utilize care coordination, and a population-based approach. This book is comfortably accessible to students, residents, faculty, and all mental health professionals, primary care and medical specialists who are working in ambulatory/office-based practices. We examine the integrated care literature and recommend applying collaborative care and other existing models of integrated care based on the existing evidence-based research. When there is no literature supporting a specific approach, our experts offer their ideas and take an aspirational approach about how to manage and treat specific behavioral disorder or problems. We assume the use of a fully integrated team staffing model while also recognizing this an ideal that may need modification based on local resources and practice cultures. The full integrated team includes a primary care or specialist provider(s), front desk staff, medical assistant(s), nurse(s), nurse practitioners, behavioral health specialist(s), health coaches, consulting psychiatrist, and care coordinator(s)/manager(s). The book has four sections: Part 1: Models of Integrated Care provides an overview of the principles and the framework of integrated care focusing on five highly successful integrated practices. We also discuss team-based care, financing, tele-behavioral health, and use of mental health assessments and outcome measures. Part 2: Integrative Care for Psychiatry and Primary Care is a review of existing and proposed models of integrated care for common psychiatric disorders. Our continuity approach emphasizes problem identification, differential diagnosis, brief treatment, and yearlong critical pathways with tables and figures detailing “how to” effectively deliver mental health care and manage substance misuse in an integrated care environment. Part 3: Integrated Care for Medical Sub-Specialties & Behavioral Medicine Conditions in Primary Care focuses on two models of integrating behavioral health care: (1) integrating wellness with behavioral health and (2) integrating psychiatry and neurology. Other chapters are “Women’s Mental Health Across the Reproductive Lifespan,” “Assessing and Treating Sexual Problems in an Integrated Care Environment,” “Integrated Chronic Pain and Psychiatric Management,” and “Death and Dying: Integrated Teams.” Part 4: Psychosocial Treatments in Integrated Care describes brief office-based counseling and psychosocial treatment approaches including: health coaching, crisis intervention, family, and group interventions. All of these brief treatment approaches are patient–centered, tailored to be used effectively integrated care settings and as an important contribution to population management.Less

This book is a detailed, evidence-based reference on the field of integrative geriatric medicine. It is intended for all healthcare providers and advocates who work with the geriatric population—in outpatient settings and nursing homes, assisted and independent living facilities, and senior community centers. In addition, it will provide valuable information for leaders and politicians who are involved with implementing policies and procedures for the care of elderly patients and who are looking for safer, less costly, and more patient-centered approaches. Integrative geriatrics is a new field of medicine that advocates for a whole-person, patient-centered, primarily non-pharmacological approach to medical care of the elderly. Most current geriatric practices overprescribe medications and procedures and underutilize non-pharmacological, low-cost, high-touch methods. Patients, however, often show reluctance toward these standard practices because they often involve invasive interventions. The practice of integrative geriatrics is rooted in lifestyle interventions, such as nutrition, movement therapies, and mind-body and spirituality approaches, that allow patients to take a different path to their health, one that utilizes pharmaceuticals and invasive procedures only when safer integrative approaches are not available or not effective.Less

More and more people living with and beyond cancer seek integrative interventions to complement their conventional cancer care. This second edition of this online resource provides the most updated information available with new chapters on Music and Expressive Arts Therapies, Naturopathic Oncology, and an integrative approach to Lung Cancer. Integrative medicine is defined as healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit) as well as all aspects of lifestyle; it emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative. This online resource is presented in an easy-to-read format featuring case histories, clinical pearls, and useful tables, with all key information highlighted.Less

Packed full of practical and down to earth advice for clinicians specialising in the care of older people, this resource examines real problems that present on a day-to-day basis in the primary care environment. It provides GPs with specific advice and guidance to help them in the management of the often complex conditions that present in older people. Less

Highly acclaimed in its first three editions, McWhinney’s Textbook of Family Medicine is one of the seminal texts in the field. While many family medicine texts simply cover the disorders a practitioner might see in clinical practice, McWhinney’s defines the principles and practices of family medicine as a separate and distinct field of practice. The fourth edition presents six new clinical chapters of common problems in family medicine: respiratory illness, musculoskeletal pain, depression, diabetes, obesity, and multimorbidity. This new edition also provides information on stewardship of resources, patient information and data, delivery of care in the home, and consultation and referral. The volume also covers continuing advances in the research base of family medicine. Readers will come away with a deeper appreciation for the role of the generalist in health care.Less

This online reference is designed to provide GPs with comprehensive coverage of well circumscribed topics in general practice which are linked directly to the requirements of the new GP Contract.