Insights into patient characteristics and documentation of the use of sedative-hypnotic/anxiolytics in primary care: a retrospective chart review study.

Background: Despite the known safety risks of long-term use of sedative-hypnotic/anxiolytic medications, there has been limited guidance for the safe and effective use of their chronic use in a primary care clinic setting. Understanding the characteristics of patients who receive sedative-hypnotic/anxiolytic medication and the clinical documentation process in primary care is the first step towards understanding the nature of the problem and will help inform future strategies for clinical research and practice.

Objectives: Characterize patients who received a sedative-hypnotic/anxiolytic prescription in primary care, and (2) gain an understanding of the clinical documentation of sedative-hypnotic/anxiolytic indication and monitoring in electronic medical records (EMR).

Statin-prescribing trends for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To determine the proportion of patients receiving statins for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as to describe lipid-screening trends.

Design: Retrospective chart review using the Manitoba Primary Care Research Network repository.

Setting: Manitoba.

Explaining variation in cancer survival between 11 jurisdictions in the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership: a primary care vignette survey.

Objectives: The International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) is a collaboration between 6 countries and 12 jurisdictions with similar primary care-led health services. This study investigates primary care physician (PCP) behaviour and systems that may contribute to the timeliness of investigating for cancer and subsequently, international survival differences.

Design: A validated survey administered to PCPs via the internet set out in two parts: direct questions on primary care structure and practice relating to cancer diagnosis, and clinical vignettes, assessing management of scenarios relating to the diagnosis of lung, colorectal or ovarian cancer.

Use of fecal occult blood test in hospitalized patients: survey of physicians practicing in a large central Canadian health region and Canadian gastroenterologists.

Background: Although the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) was developed for colorectal cancer screening in the outpatient setting, it continues to be used among hospitalized patients. No previous study has evaluated the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of practicing physicians on the use of FOBT among hospitalized patients and compared practices among physicians with different medical specialty training.

Objective: To survey physicians in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) and Canadian gastroenterologists (GIs) on the use of FOBT in hospitals.

Are medication restrictions before FOBT necessary?: practical advice based on a systematic review of the literature.

Objective: To determine whether medication interventions enhance the sensitivity and specificity of guaiac-based fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) when screening for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Data Sources: We searched PubMed-MEDLINE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane databases using the MeSH headings occult blood, feces/analysis, and guaiac/analysis, linking them to variations of anticoagulants, heparin, warfarin, iron, aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), clopidogrel, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Study selections were limited to English studies involving humans.

Dietary interventions for fecal occult blood test screening: systematic review of the literature.

Objective: To determine whether dietary restrictions enhance the specificity of guaiac-based fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs) when screening for colorectal cancer.

Data Sources: PubMed-MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane databases were searched.

Study Selection: English-language case series, cohort studies, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and meta-analyses were selected.

Epidemiology of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal infection: implications for screening.

Objective: To determine the difference in outcomes between universal screening and risk-based assessment for prenatal group B streptococcus (GBS) infection based on the epidemiology of early-onset GBS infection in Winnipeg, Man, and to examine its implications for prenatal GBS screening.

Design: Retrospective random chart audit of 330 women receiving intrapartum hospital care and retrospective chart audit of all infants with early-onset neonatal GBS disease over 2 years.

Setting: Each of the 3 hospitals in Winnipeg, Man, offering intrapartum services.

Prevention of neonatal group B streptococcal infection: approaches of physicians in Winnipeg, Man.

Objective: To determine how family physicians in Winnipeg, Man, approach prevention of neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS) infection, what influences their decisions, and whether their decisions differ from those of local obstetricians.

Design: Population-based survey.

Setting: Family physicians' and obstetricians' practices in Winnipeg.