Attitudes and practices of recording diabetic patient information within an Australian general practice setting: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: An accurate diabetes register enables a general practice to effectively monitor and manage the services for their patients with diabetes. This pilot project builds on the National Primary Care Collaboratives Program (a quality improvement programme for general practice) as the first change principle for managing chronic diseases. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of the project was to improve the systems management of electronic registers of people with diabetes in the general practice setting. The pilot project assessed the uptake, awareness and confidence levels amongst practice staff in improving the diabetes register. METHOD: This was completed by conducting a survey of general practitioners and practice nurses within one general practice in Perth, Western Australia. In addition, focus groups per and post intervention were facilitated to obtain practice staff's views upon the issues around maintaining an efficient and updated patient register within a busy practice setting. RESULTS: By the end of the project the general practice had an established diabetes register with defined and agreed practice systems.

Safer and unsafe injection drug use and sex practices among injection drug users in Halifax, Nova Scotia. An exploratory look at community and interpersonal influences.

OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study sought to explore the community and interpersonal (e.g., peer) influences affecting safer and unsafe injection drug use and sexual practices among injection drug users (IDUs) living in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia. METHODS: Sixty semi-structured interviews were conducted with IDUs, and key themes were identified. Two focus groups were also conducted to obtain feedback on the findings. RESULTS: There are key community and peer influences on drug use and sex practices. Needle exchange provides community access to clean needles, but when the needle exchange is closed, accessibility is an issue. Peers at times assist in reducing sharing by providing clean needles to friends who are without a needle or cannot access needles because of their circumstances (e.g., in prison). Peers also sometimes encourage condom use, but in certain contexts (e.g., with an intimate partner) condom use is often not supported. INTERPRETATION: Expanded and new prevention strategies--especially those utilizing peers--are urgently needed to discourage unsafe practices, and encourage safer practices among this population.