Latest news with #primarycare
Medscape
4 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
Can Digital Therapy Improve Mental Health Among Teens?
TOPLINE: In a randomised trial of adolescents with mental health issues, the use of a 6-week online emotion-regulation therapy was found to be feasible and acceptable. Compared with an active control therapy, this online therapy significantly alleviated symptoms of anxiety, depression, and maladaptive coping. METHODOLOGY: This single-blind randomised clinical trial conducted between 2022 and 2023 in Swedish primary care included 30 adolescents aged 12-17 years (93% girls) with mental health problems and their parents. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 6 weeks of either therapist-guided primary care online emotion-regulation treatment (POET; n = 15) or supportive treatment (n = 15) as an active control. Primary outcomes included feasibility and acceptability; secondary outcomes included symptom severity and improvement (measured using the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity Scale [CGI-S] and CGI-Improvement Scale), symptoms of anxiety and depression (measured using the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale [RCADS-47]), global functioning (measured using the Children's Global Assessment Scale [CGAS]), and emotion regulation (measured using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire [CERQ]). Outcomes were self-reported online or obtained via telephonic interviews immediately after treatment and at a 3-month follow-up. TAKEAWAY: The study had a consent rate of 81%, with 93% of participants completed at least one assessment immediately after treatment and 87% completed 3-month follow-up assessments. Treatment satisfaction was high among both adolescents (mean Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 [CSQ-8] score: POET, 20.6; supportive treatment, 22.8) and parents (mean CSQ-8 score: POET, 24.8; supportive treatment, 23.1). When comparing before and immediately after treatment, the POET group showed significant reductions in symptom severity (CGI-S: effect size, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.73-1.86), symptoms of anxiety and depression (RCADS-47: Cohen d, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.37-1.84), and maladaptive cognitive coping (CERQ: Cohen d, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.52-1.70), as well as improvement in global functioning (CGAS: Cohen d, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.66-1.85). The control group showed no significant differences. When comparing before treatment and at 3 months post-treatment, the POET group maintained reductions in symptom severity (CGI-S: effect size, 1.32; 95% CI, 0.76-1.88), symptoms of anxiety and depression (RCADS-47: Cohen d, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.51-2.08), and maladaptive cognitive coping (CERQ: Cohen d, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.22-1.40), as well as improvement in global functioning (CGAS: Cohen d, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.95-2.14). The control group showed no significant differences. IN PRACTICE: "Given that adolescents represent a large patient group with limited access to psychological treatment, these findings suggest that POET is a promising treatment in primary care, with the potential for broad outreach and improved accessibility for adolescents with mental health problems," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Katja Sjöblom, MSc, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. It was published online on June 11 in JAMA Network Open. LIMITATIONS: A small sample size and lack of stratification in the randomisation procedure prevented the between-group analysis of effectiveness. Most participants were self-referred, potentially introducing selection bias. The active control study design limited clinical interpretation compared with a control group using treatment as usual or gold standard treatment. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by grants from the Kavli Trust, Region Stockholm, and the Swedish Research Council. Several authors reported receiving grants, royalties, and personal fees from various academic, governmental, and private sources, and one author reported holding shares in companies outside the submitted work. Details are provided in the original article. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
ABC News
20 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Burnie's new health hub under construction, with 24-hour pathology lab set to open in July
For the past three years, the former University of Tasmania (UTAS) campus in Burnie has sat empty — but that's starting to change. Brothers Jack and Jerome Muir Wilson, a pharmacist and GP respectively, have plans to transform the site into a multidisciplinary health hub combining primary care, allied health and social services. The $24 million health hub will host 16 permanent service providers and require an estimated 180–200 staff once operational. The project attracted bipartisan support during the federal election campaign, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committing $8 million during a brief visit to the site in April. Builders are now on site, working to turn the university's old science lab into a 24-hour pathology lab that will service the North West Regional Hospital, before its July 1 opening date. A development application for the rest of the health precinct will be lodged with Burnie City Council in the coming weeks. If all goes to plan, the new health precinct will be open to the public by the middle of next year. The fate of the old university buildings on Mooreville Road has been uncertain since UTAS moved its Cradle Coast campus to West Park in 2021. At one point, the Tasmanian government — which owns the site — proposed using the site for new Supreme and Magistrates courts. In the face of strong community opposition, the plans were eventually scrapped, leaving the future of the former campus in doubt. Jack said the site was an ideal location for the health hub, but three years of disuse have taken its toll. "The site's been left unused and unserviced for three years. Basically, they rolled out ... and shut the door," he said. Animal droppings left by resident possums were strewn throughout some of the buildings, and empty classrooms showed signs of break-ins and general neglect. But despite the work ahead, Jack said he was confident the health hub would be operational by mid-next year. The centre will bring multiple services under one roof. There will be a GP clinic, mental health care, medical imaging, pathology, a pharmacy, and a range of family and women's services. The Muir Wilson brothers also hope to host Burnie's promised Medicare Urgent Care clinic, pending the outcome of a tender process. Dr Jerome Muir Wilson, the visionary behind the Launceston Health Hub, will lead the GP clinic. While the Burnie health hub will draw on the experience and success of the Launceston Health Hub, Jerome said the Burnie precinct would not simply be a copy of it. "It wouldn't be the same mix that you'd put in Launceston, in Mildura, or on the Sunshine Coast. It's what Burnie needs and it's what services are lacking support and accommodation," he said. Women's Legal Service is one of the not-for-profit service providers set to move into the space once it's complete. Chief executive Yvette Cehtel said the organisation's current office in Burnie was not fit for purpose, so she jumped at the chance to be part of the health hub. "It being fitted out means it will have proper, safe soundproofing, which we don't have in any of our other offices statewide, because we're always going into existing office spaces," Ms Cehtel said. One of the former university buildings will host the legal service, alongside a sexual assault support service, and family planning and parenting support groups. These organisations will share some facilities and consultation rooms, including rooms that are connected to both indoor and outdoor playgrounds for children to use during consultations. Ms Cehtel said she was confident it would make a significant difference for the region. "Having the Women's Legal Service, places like Laurel House, Family Planning, and Playgroup Tasmania all together will provide an opportunity for us to do some really interesting work in the prevention space, and no doubt it'll be a hub for ideas and innovation as well," she said Laurel House is a sexual assault support service that operates in multiple locations across the state, including Burnie. Therapeutic services manager Kerri Collins said a permanent home in the Burnie Health Hub would provide long-term stability for the organisation, and greater confidentiality and anonymity for victim-survivors. "People don't see them walking particularly into our building and go, 'oh, they're going to a sexual assault support service'. The second stage of the development is being finalised, with a development application expected to be submitted to the Burnie City Council in the coming weeks. For the Muir Wilson brothers, who grew up on the north-west coast, the project is personal. "We know that our health system should be better and we know we can do better. We want to see better access and better services for the people of Tasmania," Jack said.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
New health clinic opens in Dartmouth North
A new health clinic has opened at 230 Wyse Rd. in Dartmouth, N.S., the province announced on Tuesday. The Dr. Maria Angwin Memorial – Wyse Road Health Clinic will offer a range of collaborative health services including primary care, gynecology, obstetrics, urology and midwifery, a news release said. It will also host community programs such as the Nova Scotia Sisterhood and Nova Scotia Brotherhood, which are free programs for Black women and Black men to access health care. The health home is named after Dr. Maria Angwin who became the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Nova Scotia in 1884. 'We're proud to open the doors to a clinic that is committed to providing high-quality, patient-centered care in Dartmouth North,' said Ashley Harnish, director of Primary Health Care, Central Zone, Nova Scotia Health, in the release. 'Our health home model for primary care, integrated in a space with Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Sisterhood, will allow us to better support the community of Dartmouth North by making care more connected, consistent and responsive to their needs.' Primary care services opened at the clinic on Tuesday and the team includes four family physicians, a family practice nurse, a nurse practitioner and five administrative support staff. The capacity of the clinic will allow 6,400 patients once it is fully operational. 'Creating safe and healthy communities where Nova Scotians can access comprehensive and connected healthcare is a priority,' said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. 'This health clinic is a first for the community and one of two locations that, over time, will offer various services, programs and supports to Dartmouth North and surrounding communities.' This is the first of two new health-care facilities in Dartmouth North. Construction is underway on a second facility on Windmill Road, expected to be complete in 2027. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
New family health team in Miramichi, N.B., to serve 1,000 patients
A family health team is being formed this summer in Miramichi, N.B., Horizon Health Network announced on Tuesday. Over the next two years, the Nordin Family Health Team will serve an additional 1,000 patients in the region, who currently do not have a primary care provider. 'We are committed to improving access to health care for New Brunswickers, and we're proud to see physicians in Miramichi coming together to help care for an additional 1,000 patients,' said Premier Susan Holt. 'This means more New Brunswickers in Miramichi can access the right health care service at the right time, close to home.' The Horizon Health Network will receive $1.5 million from the New Brunswick government towards adding two nurse practitioners, a licensed practical nurse, an office manager and an access coordinator to the team. There are also plans to add two registered nurses and several allied health professionals, including a physiotherapist, a respiratory therapist and a pharmacist, later this year. 'The Nordin Family Health Team will have a meaningful impact on the local community in Miramichi,' said Margaret Melanson, president and CEO of the Horizon Health Network. 'Teams like this one are central to our primary care strategy as we continue to improve access, enhance patient experience and deliver better health outcomes across the province.' The provincial government has committed to creating at least 30 local collaborative family health teams across the province over four years. New Brunswickers without access to a primary care provider are encouraged to sign up with NB Health Link. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Championing Māori in medicine - Matire Harwood appointed professor
Dr Matire Harwood. Photo: Supplied Last week, Matire Harwood became a professor at Waipapa Taumata Rau, Auckland University's School of Medicine. Harwood continues to combine academia with her mahi as a GP and said she can't do one without the other. "Working in primary care is incredibly grounding and you get to see what is happening in people's lives... outside of what can be considered a bit of an ivory tower - academia. So I need to be at [the clinic] at least once a week just to be grounded." When she was a young girl, her grandfather told her she would become a doctor. Eventually, she earned a Bachelor's in Medicine, became a GP and earned her PhD in 2011. "The story is that we were visiting whānau in hospital and apparently I looked very curious about what was going on, but also noticed that there were Māori in the beds but there weren't many Māori in the staff," she said. Her grandfather noticed this and told her she would become a doctor. Dr Harwood said they didn't have any medical doctors in the whānau at the time, but her whole whānau got behind her, with some of her aunties promising her a trip to Disneyland if she completed her studies. "I'm still waiting on that trip," she said. Harwood said another important influence was a chemistry teacher at her male-dominated High School in Australia who "smashed" into the students and was rated the top chemistry teacher in Victoria. "All our maths and science teachers were all men and at that time, I'll be honest, incredibly sexist, and so no female student had completed physics at the highest level at that High School." Harwood said she always loved science and excelled in chemistry, thanks in part to her stiletto-wearing, hot rod-driving chemistry teacher. "She inspired me that girls can do it, I guess. She was pre-Spice Girls." Her whānau moved to Australia in 1977, but Harwood said she always knew she wanted to come home to Aotearoa. "My heart was always back here," she said. She returned to Aotearoa to continue her studies to become a doctor. She wasn't put off by the dominant narrative at the time that Māori women can't do it. Unfortunately, some of her students have told her that they are still experiencing some of those same attitudes, she said. "I do feel, though, that there is still this idea and you hear this rhetoric all the time that it's a bit easier for Māori and Pacific students to get into medical school, which isn't true. The same standards a set across the board, and our students have to meet them." Harwood said the system has changed somewhat. When she started out as a junior doctor in the nineties, she was the only Māori doctor working in the entire hospital. Change has been brought about over the last thirty years by the likes of Colin Mantell, Papaarangi Reid, David Tipene-Leach, Elana Curtis and Rhys Jones, who have worked to build the capacity of Māori and Pacific health workers in the hospital system, she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
