Advice and guidance clinics using remote specialist advice to support primary dental care practitioners.

Advice and guidance clinics allow one clinician to seek advice from another using the concept of telemedicine for the provision of real time care, including diagnosis, treatment planning and consulting. While advice and guidance (AAG) is more commonly used in medicine, the service is currently underutilised in dentistry. There is limited evidence regarding the patient outcomes of AAG services and the benefits and drawbacks of this service in dentistry.

Economic evaluation of expanding inguinal hernia repair among adult males in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone faces a substantial backlog of patients with inguinal hernia in need of repair due to a shortage of surgical providers. The current mitigation strategy includes task-sharing with associate clinicians and non-specialist medical doctors, and the economic impact of this approach needs assessment for potential scale-up. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of open mesh repair of inguinal hernias by associate clinicians and non-specialist medical doctors in adult males (>18 years) compared to no treatment, as well as between the two provider types and to estimate the budget impact of clearing the backlog in Sierra Leone.

Early-onset familial hypercholesterolemia: A case of extensive xanthomas and premature coronary artery disease.

Key Clinical Message: Early recognition and management of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) are crucial, especially in patients with extensive xanthomas and premature coronary artery disease. Prompt diagnosis and aggressive lipid-lowering therapy can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Careful clinical assessment in resource-limited settings is essential for optimal outcomes.