What percentage of people consult their GP at least once a year?
75%
What is the average number of GP consultations per registered patient?
6 (double the rate of the previous decade)
What groups of people consult their GP more frequently?
What explains the gender differences in GP consultation rates?
The higher consultation rates in women of reproductive years
Describe the ‘illness iceberg’
This refers to the observation that the majority of symptoms experienced by the population are never presented to the doctor
Define ‘illness behaviour’
‘The manner in which people differentially perceive, evaluate and respond to symptoms
Define a ‘lay referral’
People discussing their symptoms with other people, such as family members, close friends or people who are known to have had similar health problems
Describe the 5 possible triggers for consulting
Describe the WHO definition of health promotion
‘The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behaviour towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions.’
The most effective health promotion initiatives…
operate at a population level and involve public health measures
List 3 reasons why GPs are well placed to carry out health promotion
Define primary disease prevention
Preventing disease
Define secondary disease prevention
Slowing the progression and avoiding complications of existing disease
Define tertiary disease prevention
Minimising the ill-health and disability caused by existing disease
Define ‘screening’
‘the presumptive identification of unrecognised disease or defects by means of tests, examinations or other procedures.’
Describe some negative effects of screening
Describe the standard criteria used for assessing a screening programme
Who is offered a cervical smear and how often?
Women aged 25-64
Those aged 25-49 are called every 3 years
Those aged 50-64 are called every 5 years
For women aged 35-64, participation in a screening programme reduces the risk of endocervical cancer by ??% and the risk of advanced cancer by ??%?
60-80%
90%
The rates of uptake of the cervical smear test is lowest in what groups?
List some reasons for non-attendance of cervical smear tests
Describe the Guthrie (NBS) test
Newborn blood spot test, which involves taking a small amount of blood using a heel-prick when a baby is about 5 days old, usually carried out by community midwives.
What conditions does the Guthrie test test for?
Define ‘surveillance’
‘A system of ongoing health checks to detect abnormality/disease in a previously health individual’ or ‘a system of ongoing health checks to detect complications and monitor the progression of a patient with existing disease’.