Article Abstract:
A brief counseling provided by primary care physicians could reduce the rate of alcohol abuse in the general population. Researchers randomly assigned 723 people identified as problem drinkers to receive two 10- to 15-minute counseling sessions from their physicians or no counseling session at all. At the 12-month follow-up, people who received counseling were having fewer drinks per week and engaging in less binge drinking and excessive drinking in general. They also had shorter hospital stays than those who received no counseling. Physicians could play an important role in counseling against alcohol abuse since 70% of the US population regularly visit their doctor.
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Article Abstract:
A survey in North Carolina reveals that many physicians may not be screening all sexually active women for chlamydia infection. Chlamydia may damage the reproductive tract and may increase a woman's risk of contracting HIV. A survey of 127 primary care physicians in Wake County, NC, found that 92% had teenage patients but only 29% routinely screened women for chlamydia during every pelvic exam. Sixty practices provided testing but only if the woman had symptoms or had a partner with chlamydia. Private-for-profit practices were less likely to screen routinely as were managed care practices.
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Article Abstract:
The experience of primary care physicians in Glasgow and Edinburgh show that community doctors can provide methadone maintenance treatment to drug users. In Glasgow, the patient was required to take the drug under supervision at a pharmacy. This led to a lower rate of methadone-related death in Glasgow than in Edinburgh. In both cities, support services were provided to the doctors to assist them.
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