Publications by authors named "Jeremy J Murphy"
Background: Many older people in long-term care do not receive evidence-based diagnosis or management for heart failure; it is not known whether this can be achieved for this population. We initiated an onsite heart failure service, compared with 'usual care' with the aim of establishing the feasibility of accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Methods: A pilot randomised controlled trial which randomised residents from 33 care facilities in North-East England with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) to usual care or an onsite heart failure service.
The objective of this postal survey was to assess the services currently accessed by primary care trusts (PCTs) for patients with chronic heart failure. Of the 303 PCTs in England, 225 (74%) responded to the questionnaire. Natriuretic peptides were used by 61 (26%) PCTs, whereas direct access to echocardiography was available to 163 (72%) and heart failure clinics to 95 (42%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: National guidelines suggest the use of natriuretic peptides in suspected heart failure but there have been no studies comparing assays in primary care.
Aim: To test and compare the diagnostic accuracy and utility of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT proBNP) in diagnosing heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with suspected heart failure referred by GPs to one-stop diagnostic clinics.
Design Of Study: Community cohort, prospective, diagnostic accuracy study.
Objective: To ascertain the beliefs, current practices, and decision making of general practitioners in the diagnosis and management of suspected heart failure in primary care, with a view to identifying barriers to good care.
Design: A qualitative approach using focus groups with 30 general practitioners from four primary care groups. The sampling strategy was stratified and purposive.