Patient Engagement and Multidisciplinary Involvement Has an Impact on Clinical Guideline Development and Decisions: A Comparison of Two Irritable Bowel Syndrome Guidelines Using the Same Data.

Background And Aim: The value of a multidisciplinary group and patient engagement in guideline groups is uncertain. We compared the recommendations of two guidelines that used the same data during the same time frame but with different participants to obtain a "real world" perspective on influence of the composition of guideline groups.

Methods: The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) and the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) recently updated their clinical practice guidelines for the management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Background & Aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, affecting about 10% of the general population globally. The aim of this consensus was to develop guidelines for the management of IBS.

Methods: A systematic literature search identified studies on the management of IBS.

Lessons learned in global family medicine education from a Besrour Centre capacity-building workshop.

At a global level, institutions and governments with remarkably different cultures and contexts are rapidly developing family medicine centred health and training programmes. Institutions with established family medicine programmes are willing to lend expertise to these global partners but run the risk of imposing a postcolonial, directive approach when providing consultancy and educational assistance. Reflecting upon a series of capacity building workshops in family medicine developed by the Besrour Centre Faculty Development Working Group, this paper outlines approaches to the inevitable challenges that arise between healthcare professionals and educators of differing contexts when attempting to share experience and expertise.

Update on herpes zoster vaccination: a family practitioner's guide.

Objective: To answer frequently asked questions surrounding the use of the new herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine.

Sources Of Information: Published results of clinical trials and other studies, recommendations from the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization, and the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; data were also obtained from the vaccine's Health Canada-approved product monograph.

Main Message: Herpes zoster results from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus; postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is its most common and serious complication.

Osteoporosis Canada 2010 guidelines for the assessment of fracture risk.

Osteoporosis Canada's 2010 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Osteoporosis in Canada focus on the clinical impact of fragility fractures, and on the assessment and management of women and men at high risk for fragility fracture. These guidelines now integrate a 10-year absolute fracture risk prediction into an overall management approach by using validated risk assessment tools. There currently is a large gap between optimal practices and those that are now being provided to Canadians with osteoporosis.

The utilization of appropriate osteoporosis medications improves following a multifaceted educational intervention: the Canadian quality circle project (CQC).

Background: Osteoporosis is a serious but treatable condition. However, appropriate therapy utilization of the disease remains suboptimal. Thus, the objective of the study was to change physicians' therapy administration behavior in accordance with the Osteoporosis Canada 2002 guidelines.

Family physicians' personal and practice characteristics that are associated with improved utilization of bone mineral density testing and osteoporosis medication prescribing.

Family physicians' personal and practice characteristics may influence how osteoporosis is managed. Thus, we evaluated the impact of family physicians' personal and practice characteristics on the appropriate use of bone mineral density testing and osteoporosis therapy. The physician questionnaire assessed 13 personal and practice characteristics of the physicians.