S6 E6: Hybrid Working; Antibiotics for Appendicitis; Patient Decision Aids for AF
Jan 17, 2025
auto_awesome
Explore the shift towards hybrid working in general practice, highlighting its challenges, workforce morale, and the integration of digital tools. Delve into the role of patient decision aids in helping those with atrial fibrillation make informed anticoagulation choices. Finally, uncover the groundbreaking debate on treating appendicitis with antibiotics versus surgery, revealing potential changes in standard practice. Tune in for insights that could reshape patient care!
22:56
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
The transition to hybrid working in general practice introduces complexities that can affect patient care quality due to workflow issues.
Patient decision aids improve knowledge and reduce conflict in treatment choices, but do not significantly change satisfaction or decisions in anticoagulation therapy.
Deep dives
Challenges in Hybrid General Practice
The shift to hybrid general practice has introduced complexities that can impact the quality of care provided to patients. Practices now often utilize a mix of in-person and digital consultations, leading to potential inefficiencies and duplications, such as multiple clinician slots being taken up for a single patient issue. Additionally, staffing changes and the integration of new technologies have complicated workflows further. While hybrid systems offer benefits like convenience and flexibility, they sometimes compromise elements like patient-centeredness and continuity of care.
Effectiveness of Patient Decision Aids
Recent studies on patient decision aids highlight their effectiveness in improving patient knowledge and reducing decisional conflict in treatment decisions, specifically regarding anticoagulation for stroke prevention. However, despite the advantages of increased knowledge, the aids do not significantly alter treatment choices or enhance patient satisfaction. The incorporation of these aids in consultations adds minimally to the overall consultation time, yet raises questions about whether the improvements justify their use. The findings suggest a necessary balance between educating patients and addressing individual preferences during medical consultations.
Comparing Appendicitis Treatments
A large randomized control trial comparing antibiotics versus surgery for acute uncomplicated appendicitis in children reveals significant insights into treatment efficacy. While antibiotics showed some effectiveness, they were deemed inferior to surgical intervention, with higher treatment failure rates observed in the antibiotic group. The study emphasized that most treatment failures were due to misdiagnosis rather than medication inefficacy. These findings underscore the need for careful clinical judgment in managing suspected appendicitis, reinforcing the role of traditional surgical methods.
Welcome to the Hot Topics podcast from NB Medical with Dr Neal Tucker. A belated Happy New Year! In our round-up of new research, we look at three papers.
Firstly, what have been the effects of increased hybrid working in general practice, particularly with the introduction of digital tools and triage?
Secondly, do patient decisions aids help patients with choices on anticoagulation in AF and does this help us?
Finally, can appendicitis be safely treated with antibiotics and could we be doing this in general practice soon?