'I haven't discussed anything with anyone': lived experience of long-term users of benzodiazepine receptor agonists regarding their treatment for substance use disorder.

Introduction: Treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) to benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRA) can be challenging and lengthy. BZRA are prescribed for anxiety and insomnia, and though guidelines recommend an initial prescription duration of one to four weeks, this is frequently longer. Understanding the multiple challenges associated with withdrawing from BZRA and exploring the nuance and complexities from the patient's perspective is crucial.

Professionals' treatment goals for long-term benzodiazepine and Z-drugs management: a qualitative study.

Background: Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (BZD/Z) are frequently prescribed for longer than recommended. Through their interactions with patients taking BZD/Z, primary care and mental health professionals play a key role in the management of this medication.

Aim: To explore how primary care and mental health care professionals set treatment goals with users of long-term BZD/Z.

[Functional disorders in primare care].

General practitioners frequently encounter patients with functional disorders. The authors discuss the specific aspects of the management of this population in general practice, through the lens of the five functions that define this discipline. A classification of functional disorders and the analysis of prognostic factors are of great value in deciding on therapeutic strategies.

[Summary Community Health Centers in Belgium: thinking health out of the box].

The federation of community health centers includes 130 practices in French-speaking Belgium. They are organized as self-managed practices, which enables a certain equality between the workers in the team in terms of shared decision. Moreover, these care structures are organized as multidisciplinary teams and most of the time choose a capitation-fee payment for their services.

Interprofessional collaboration between general practitioners and primary care nurses in Belgium: a participatory action research.

Given the sociodemographic challenges facing the Belgian primary care system, it is essential to strengthen interprofessional collaboration (IPC) between healthcare providers. Therefore, our aims for this study were to assess IPC between general practitioners (GPs) and nurses; identify target priorities for improving IPC; and facilitate the planning and implementation of the proposed improvement strategies. Based on diversity criteria, six groups of GPs and nurses were chosen for a participatory action research.

[Health literacy, a lever to make health care systems more equitable? Tools to support professionals and involve institutions].

This article briefly recalls why low levels of health literacy should be considered to constitute a public health issue. It then proposes the concept of health literacy as a possible lever to help health care systems to more effectively take social health inequalities into account. Finally, it provides concrete tools for field workers, both clinicians and quality of care managers, and emphasises the importance of an organizational approach to health literacy.

[HIV infection. A chronic disease that redefines collaboration between general practitioners and specialists. A qualitative study on opportunities and obstacles to collaboration].

Purpose: With the development of antiretroviral therapy, Human Immunodeficiency Virus [HIV) infection has become a chronic disease. In order to develop an efficient response to this new challenge, there is a need for closer collaboration between specialized units and general practitioners. This article identifies the opportunities for and the barriers to this collaboration.

[From chronic disease to multimorbidity: Which impact on organization of health care].

Healthcare systems are concerned with the growing prevalence of chronic diseases. Single disease approach, based on the Chronic Care Model, is known to improve specific indicators for the targeted disease. However, the co-existence of several chronic disease, or multimorbidity, within a same patient is the most frequent situation.

[Criteria of the patient's decision concerning vaccination against influenza AH1N1, in Belgium and France].

Introduction: We have analyzed the reasons evoked by the patients to decide or not to be vaccinated against AH1N1 influenza, in France and Belgium.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were performed, recorded and transcribed for analysis. Fifty-eight interviews were performed with patient living in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, France (21 interviews) and in the province of Liège, Belgium (37 interviews).

Effect of an audiovisual message for tetanus booster vaccination broadcast in the waiting room.

Background: General practitioners (GPs) often lack time and resources to invest in health education; audiovisual messages broadcast in the waiting room may be a useful educational tool. This work was designed to assess the effect of a message inviting patients to ask for a tetanus booster vaccination.

Methods: A quasi experimental study was conducted in a Belgian medical practice consisting of 6 GPs and 4 waiting rooms (total: 20,000 contacts/year).