constituency of the NHS is currently the subject of widespread debate. Regular contributors include specialist dermatologists, primary care commissioners, practice-based commissioners, general practitioners (GPs) with a special interest (GPwSI) in dermatology and various patient groups (eg Skin Care Campaign, National Eczema Society, Psoriasis Association). Occasional contributions are made by ...

We apply cross-sectional and panel data methods to a database of 5 million patients in 8,000 English general practices to examine whether better primary care management of 10 chronic diseases is associated with reduced hospital costs. We find that only primary care performance in stroke care is associated with lower hospital costs. Our results suggest that the 10% improvement in the general pra...

Background. Autoimmune process and immunosuppressive therapy of pemphigus vulgaris would predispose the patients to infections. Aim. We aimed to study the prevalence of infection and pathogenic agents in pemphigus vulgaris patients admitted to dermatology service. Material and methods. This retrospective study was conducted on 155 pemphigus vulgaris patients (68 males, 87 females) admitted to d...

BACKGROUND A program to strengthen general practice care for patients with chronic disease was offered in Germany. Enrollment was a free individual choice for both patients and physicians. This study aimed to examine the long-term impact of this program. METHODS Two comparative evaluations were done, at 4 and 5 years (T1 and T2) after start of the program. In each year, patients in the progra...

COPD in Denmark The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Denmark is among the highest in the world [1]. This is mainly caused by a very high prevalence of smoking in both men and women throughout the latest 5 decades. Although the percentage of daily smokers among adult Danes has steadily declined to around 20% in 2011, COPD and other smoking related conditions are stil...

  Background :The studies have shown that stroke morbidity and mortality could be decreased if early diagnosis and treatment is delivered faster for patients. This tool is designed based on all Pre-hospital stroke scales across the world as well as experiences of the emergency medicine specialists and pre-hospital emergency technicians to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the stroke scale in I...

OBJECTIVE To compare length of stay and total hospital costs among patients admitted to hospital under the care of family physicians who were their usual health care providers in the community (group A) and patients admitted to the same inpatient service under the care of family physicians who were not their usual health care providers (group B). DESIGN Retrospective observational study. SE...

INTRODUCTION Many people who die by suicide have been in contact with health services prior to their death. This study examined service contacts in people in urban and rural areas of the Scottish Highlands. METHODS Highland residents dying by suicide or undetermined intent in 2001-2004 were identified using routine death records. Health service databases were searched to identify general hosp...