Contents – September 2003
News
NICE revises guidance on glitazone therapy in type 2 diabetes
DoH launches pneumococcal immunisation programme for elderly patients
In Reply
Can you help us promote evidence-based practice?
A reader asks for help in developing a strategy to implement evidence-based practice
Personal View
Listening to patients helps improve heart failure care
Patients’ views were vital in developing the NICE guideline on heart failure, says Victoria Thomas of the Patient Involvement Unit for NICE
Guideline Development
NICE guideline will improve heart failure management
NICE recommendations on heart failure will improve diagnosis and treatment as well as reduce regional variation in quality of care, says Professor Martin Cowie
Local Initiative
Practice’s structured approach improves management of epilepsy
Epilepsy demands structured management but few patients are keen to attend clinics. Dr Andrew Orr and Aileen Mackenzie describe their practice’s solution
NEW SERIES: New GP Contract
Tackling the clinical indicators: secondary prevention of CHD
By introducing incentives to achieve clinical indicators for secondary prevention, the new GMS contract will raise standards of CHD care, says Dr Alan Begg
Making the contract work: patient records and information
Dr Nigel Watson explains how GPs can achieve maximum points in the patient records area of the organisational domain of the new GMS contract
Getting to grips with medico-legal aspects of the new GP contract
The new GMS contract will bring many changes to primary care. Dr Gerard Panting explains what it will mean from a medico-legal standpoint
Focus on CME
Guidelines in Practice CME questions: 25
Download the PDF, answer the questions and keep the pages in your personal development plan
Medico-legal Issues in Practice
Where does the GP’s responsibility end and the patient’s begin?
A patient can be held responsible for the harm he or she has suffered, but only if the doctor can prove every effort was made to avert it, says Dr Gerard Panting
Your Problems Solved: Audit
Our panel of experts answer your questions on audit
Dr Mark Charny advises on how to prioritise topics for audit and the importance of measuring outputs and outcomes
Patient Information
SIGN notes for discussion with patients 12. Cutaneous melanoma
Out of Hours
Gene genie
Dr Phil Hammond, GP and broadcaster
