The Contribution of Family Medicine and Family Medicine Leaders to Primary Health Care Development in Americas - from Alma-Ata to Astana and beyond.

Since 2012, the Besrour Centre for Global Family Medicine at the College of Family Physician of Canada has brought together its partners from the Americas annually, to reflect on the evolution of Family Medicine on the continent since Alma-Ata, and to look forward to future challenges. Family doctors are but one element of a strong health system. Family Medicine provides key ingredients to respond to population health needs especially as countries move through the epidemiological transition to face larger burdens of chronic disease and multimorbidity.

Trial Protocol: The use of mindfulness-based intervention for improving bracing compliance for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients: protocol for a randomised, controlled trial.

Introduction: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most prevalent deforming orthopaedic condition; it causes significant disability when spinal curves progress beyond 45deg. Bracing is the primary treatment prescribed for adolescents with an immature skeleton who have spinal curves between 25 and 45deg. New evidence suggests that compliance with bracing significantly decreases the progression of high-risk curves to the threshold for surgery.

A pilot evaluation of Arthritis Self-Management Program by lay leaders in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis in Hong Kong.

The objectives of this paper are to evaluate the efficacy of a community-based lay-led Arthritis Self-Management Program (ASMP) among patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis and evaluate the effectiveness of "shared care collaboration" between hospital and community. We trained 17 lay leaders and recruited patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis via a new shared-care model between hospital rheumatology centers and community organizations. Participants were allocated to interventional group or a wait list control group.

Can botulinum toxin decrease carer burden in long term care residents with upper limb spasticity? A randomized controlled study.

Objective: To evaluate whether botulinum toxin can decrease the burden for caregivers of long term care patients with severe upper limb spasticity.

Method: This was a double-blind placebo-controlled trial with a 24-week follow-up period.

Setting: A 250-bed long term care hospital, the infirmary units of 3 regional hospitals, and 5 care and attention homes.