SARS-CoV-2 infection in general practice in Ireland: a seroprevalence study.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody testing in community settings may help us better understand the immune response to this virus and, therefore, help guide public health efforts.

Aim: To conduct a seroprevalence study of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in Irish GP clinics.

Design & Setting: Participants were 172 staff and 799 patients from 15 general practices in the Midwest region of Ireland.

Development and sustainment of professional relationships within longitudinal integrated clerkships in general practice (LICs): a narrative review.

Background: Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) are a relatively new model of clinical medical education, whereby students participate in patient care over time and develop relationships with those patients', their clinicians, and other health care staff involved in the care of those patients. It has been called 'relationship-based education' but, to date, no review has investigated the development and impact of these central relationships within this curricula model.

Aims: The aim of this study is to review the literature pertaining to relationships in LICs, specifically to understand how they come about and how they affect learning.

Medical students and clinical placements - a qualitative study of the continuum of professional identity formation.

To explore graduates' perceptions of significant factors affecting professional identity formation (PIF) throughout their graduate medical school education journey and early practice years. A qualitative study with medical graduates using non-probability sampling. Data collected with graduates via face to face and telephone interviews.

Career destinations of graduates from a medical school with an 18-week longitudinal integrated clerkship in general practice: a survey of alumni 6 to 8 years after graduation.

Background: There is a worldwide recruitment and retention crisis in general practice. Workforce planning has identified the need to train more general practitioners as an urgent priority. Exposure of medical students to general practice as part of the formal and hidden curriculum, the use of longitudinal integrated clerkships, and positive experiences and role models in general practice are all thought to be contributing factors to doctors choosing careers in general practice.

The University of Limerick Education and Research Network for General Practice (ULEARN-GP): practice characteristics and general practitioner perspectives.

Background: A well-functioning general practice sector that has a strong research component is recognised as a key foundation of any modern health system. General practitioners (GPs) are more likely to collaborate in research if they are part of an established research network. The primary aims of this study are to describe Ireland's newest general practice-based research network and to analyse the perspectives of the network's members on research engagement.

Mixing test specific cut-off is more sensitive at detecting lupus anticoagulants than index of circulating anticoagulant.

Introduction: Recent guidelines for lupus anticoagulant (LA) detection recommend mixing test interpretation with either a mixing test-specific cut-off (MTC) or index of circulating anticoagulant (ICA). Few studies directly compare efficacy of these approaches. We retrospectively applied MTC and ICA assessment to raw data of 350 LA-positive plasmas from non-anticoagulated patients to compare detection rates of inhibition.

Taipan snake venom time coupled with ecarin time enhances lupus anticoagulant detection in nonanticoagulated patients.

A study is presented which assesses the diagnostic impact of incorporating Taipan snake venom time (TSVT) with ecarin time confirmatory test into an existing dilute Russell's viper venom time (dRVVT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) repertoire when testing nonanticoagulated patients for lupus anticoagulants. A total of 387 plasma samples from nonanticoagulated patients being investigated for antiphospholipid antibodies were tested for lupus anticoagulant by dRVVT and dilute APTT with confirmatory and mixing tests, and TSVT with ecarin time, with commercially available reagents. All were analyzed on a Sysmex CS2000i automated analyzer.

Integrating postgraduate and undergraduate general practice education: qualitative study.

Background: Educational activity in general practice has increased considerably in the past 20 years. Vertical integration, whereby practices support students and trainees at different stages, may enhance general practices' capacity to fulfil this role.

Aims: To explore the potential for vertical integration in undergraduate and postgraduate education in general practice, by describing the experience of (and attitudes towards) 'vertical integration in general practice education' among key stakeholder groups.