Associated Factors in Patient Satisfaction among Older Persons Attending Primary Health Facilities in Sepang, Malaysia.

Background: With Malaysia's ageing population, the utilisation of primary healthcare services by older individuals with comorbidities is expected to increase. Patient satisfaction serves as a key indicator for assessing the quality of healthcare services. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate patient satisfaction among older persons attending public primary healthcare facilities and to identify associated factors.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Centor Score for Diagnosis of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis among Adults in Primary Care Clinics in Malaysia.

Background: Pharyngitis is a common presentation seen in general practice, but it is difficult to differentiate whether its etiology is viral or bacterial. The Centor score gives an approximation of the etiology of the pharyngitis, which informs physicians of the need to prescribe antibiotics. This study aimed to assess the validity of the Centor score in diagnosing Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis amongst adults in Malaysia.

Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns for Patients with Pharyngitis in Malaysian Public Primary Care Clinics.

Background: Over-prescription of antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is a continuing problem in Malaysia, leading to increased antimicrobial resistance and unnecessary cost incurred for treatment. In a patient presenting with a sore throat, it is recommended to only prescribe antibiotics to group A streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis confirmed by a throat culture, rapid antigen test or in patients with a Centor score of 4.

Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the proportion of antibiotics prescribed and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of GAS pharyngitis in the Malaysian primary care setting.

Comparing and determining factors associated with hypertension self-care profiles of patients in two multi-ethnic Asian countries: cross-sectional studies between two study populations.

Objectives: To compare the sociodemography, disease characteristics and hypertension self-care profiles and to determine the factors influencing Hypertension Self-Care Profiles (HTN-SCP) in two populations in primary care settings from Singapore and Malaysia.

Design: Cross-sectional, cross national.

Setting: Multi-centre, primary care clinics Malaysia and Singapore.

The effectiveness of a Malaysian House Officer (HO) preparatory course for medical graduates on self-perceived confidence and readiness: A quasi-experimental study.

Introduction: House Officer (HO) Preparatory Courses in Malaysia are designed to prepare medical graduates to work as a HO. The courses are designed to address the issues related to lack of confidence and readiness to work, which could lead to stress and HO dropping out of work. The modules focus on how to prepare medical graduates into the real-life working scenario.

The self-care profiles and its determinants among adults with hypertension in primary health care clinics in Selangor, Malaysia.

Introduction: Self-care has been shown to improve clinical outcome of hypertension. Gauging the level of self-care among patients with hypertension enables the design of their personalized care plans. This study aimed to determine the self-care profiles and its determinants among patients with hypertension in the Malaysian primary care setting.

Quasi-experimental study on the effectiveness of a house officer preparatory course for medical graduates on self-perceived confidence and readiness: a study protocol.

Introduction: Being a house officer (HO) is said to be associated with high levels of stress, leading to mental health problems and sometimes to quitting the medical profession altogether. In Malaysia, the number of HOs completing training on time is slowly declining, with increasing annual dropout rates. Feeling incompetent is one of the contributors towards this growing problem.

Perceptions toward a pilot project on blended learning in Malaysian family medicine postgraduate training: a qualitative study.

Background: Blended learning (BL) is a learning innovation that applies the concept of face-to-face learning and online learning. However, examples of these innovations are still limited in the teaching of postgraduate education within the field of family medicine. Malaysian postgraduate clinical training, is an in-service training experience and face-to-face teaching with the faculty members can be challenging.

Malignant melanoma of the foot in patients with diabetes mellitus--a trap for the unwary.

Melanomas on the foot are difficult to differentiate from diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). In particular, acral lentiginous and amelanotic melanomas have a high chance of being misdiagnosed. We present two patients with diabetes mellitus and malignant melanomas of the foot initially diagnosed as DFU.