How to coach student professional development during times of challenges and uncertainties.

Background: What we teach our (bio)medical students today may differ from the future context under which they will operate as health professionals. This shifting and highly demanding profession requires that we equip these students with adaptive competencies for their future careers. We aimed to develop a framework to promote and facilitate professional development from day one, guided by self-awareness and self-directed learning.

[The NHG guideline 'Sleep problems and sleeping pills'].

The Dutch College of General Practitioners' (NHG) guideline 'Sleep problems and sleeping pills' provides recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of the most prevalent sleep problems and for the management of chronic users of sleeping pills. The preferred approach for sleeplessness is not to prescribe medication but to give information and behavioural advice. Practice assistants of the Dutch Association of Mental Health and Addiction Care are also expected to be able to undertake this management.

Skin tumour surgery in primary care: do general practitioners need to improve their surgical skills?

Background: Due to a rapid increase in the incidence of skin cancer, it seems inevitable that general practitioners (GPs) will play a larger role in skin cancer care.

Objectives: To assess surgical procedures used by GPs in skin tumour management.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 1,898 pathology reports of skin tumours excised by GPs in 2009.

Tolerance to benzodiazepines among long-term users in primary care.

Background: Tolerance towards the effects of benzodiazepines is observed in various animal and human studies. Therefore, it is assumed that patients who use benzodiazepines for a longer period of time need to increase their dose over time to experience the same effect.

Objective: To observe whether long-term benzodiazepine users increase their dose over time.

Discontinuation of long-term benzodiazepine use: 10-year follow-up.

Background: Several interventions aiming at discontinuation of long-term benzodiazepine use have been proven effective in the short term. However, data on the persistence of discontinuation are lacking.

Objectives: To assess 10-year follow-up status in patients who succeeded in stopping benzodiazepine use after a discontinuation letter from the patient's own GP.