Error and safety in primary care: no clear boundaries.

This paper examines the notions of adverse events, error, critical incidents and safety from the specific viewpoint of primary care. We conclude that each term can be defined, but existing work which we reviewed uses many of the terms interchangeably. We recognise that trying to access medical error objectively within primary care can be problematic. Regardless of definitions, reflection on critical incidents, adverse events or other notable events is important, but requires time and resources to be conducted effectively.

Tackling teenage turmoil: primary care recognition and management of mental ill health during adolescence.

This paper examines how primary care can improve for teenagers who are experiencing mental or emotional turmoil. This is an important health issue because at least 15% of teenagers experience mental health problems at any one time, there are indications that this proportion is rising, and there is evidence that suicide rates are rising in young people. The paper discusses how troubled teenagers can be identified, cared for and managed by primary care providers within the UK, although some of the information presented is from other countries. It identifies inter-relationships with other health behaviours and risk factors. The GP's role in assessing a troubled teenager is discussed, as well as a consideration of individual and contextual issues to frame a "triple" diagnosis, i.e. a diagnosis simultaneously in biomedical, individual and contextual terms. A review of present knowledge of management is presented. The paper concludes that there are several deficiencies at present, namely a lack of identification of teenage distress, a lack of training for GPs in teenage health, a lack of a research base, a lack of resources and finally a lack of information provided by any teenagers who have experienced turmoil and could give useful insights into their experience.