Association between Childhood Maltreatment History and Premenstrual Syndrome

Childhood maltreatment history has known relationships with various mental and physical diseases; however, little is known about its association with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). In this study, we investigated the association between childhood maltreatment history and PMS among young women in Japan. In a Japanese city, we approached 3815 women aged 10–60 years who visited a gynecology clinic and one general practice clinic. A questionnaire on childhood maltreatment history and PMS was administered to them. We observed that women with histories of childhood maltreatment demonstrated a significantly increased risk of PMS compared with those without such histories (odds ratio: 1.47, 95% confidence interval: 1.20–1.81). Particularly, women with childhood physical or emotional abuse demonstrated a stronger association with PMS, whereas other forms of childhood maltreatment (emotional neglect, witnessing of intimate-partner violence, or sexual abuse) were not associated with PMS. Our results illustrate that childhood maltreatment may be a risk factor for PMS.

Determinants of Quality of Life of Elderly Patients Attending a General Practice Clinic in Southwest Nigeria

Background Aging is associated with change in health status and decreasing functional capacity affecting the general well-being of individuals with increase in the prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases. Objective This study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) and its determinants in elderly patients attending a general practice clinic in Southwest Nigeria. Method Descriptive cross-sectional study of consenting elderly patients completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire on QoL and its determinants. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis. Logistic regression was done to identify predictors of QoL. Results A total of 216 older adults were interviewed. Only 25% had good QoL with majority having multiple morbidities which was associated with poorer QoL. Predictors of QoL were family support (odds ratio = 0.249, 95% confidence interval [0.079, 0.850], p = .026) and socioeconomic class (odds ratio = 3.66, 95% confidence interval [1.47, 7.87], p = .004) of the respondents. Conclusion QoL was found to be poor among the study population and worst in those with multiple morbidities. There is a need for policy direction to advocate for preventive strategies for risk of chronic diseases as well as provide better access to primary care through National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Patient waiting time and satisfaction in GP clinic at a tertiary hospital in Thailand

This study aims to investigate patient waiting time in General Practice Clinic and identify the main cause of the problem through patient satisfaction survey. 9,232 Patients were randomly observed and quantitative data such as arrival time and waiting time were recorded. Other 1,200 patients were randomly selected for satisfaction survey which is considered as qualitative data. The result indicated that average waiting time of patients was 175.87 minutes with standard deviation of 68.66 minutes. Waiting time at GP clinic appeared to be the longest with an average of 92.9 minutes and standard deviation of 43.4 minutes. Also, based on the obtained data, patients remained positive until their waiting time exceeded 2 hours.

Negotiating With The Angry Patient

For several years, I was the managing partner of a large general practice clinic. It is an interesting position to occupy in this 21st century of zero tolerance. Expectations are high and delivery is often slow. There is a general increase of complaints against doctors and services and the phenomenon of the angry dissatisfied patient has arisen in the last few decades, so I found myself working as the designated complaints department.

Internet- and mobile-based general practice: Who are the suitable consultants? (Preprint)

BACKGROUND As a promising technology for the promotion of quality healthcare, mHealth is increasing in the world. To make full use of the advantages, an increase of internet hospitals established in China. However, there is no study of the service scope and patient satisfaction of the internet hospital yet. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to explore the features of outpatients in general practice clinic of the internet hospital in order to provide the references for general practitioners (GPs) who will work for online clinic. METHODS Data were collected from the internet hospital of the first affiliated hospital, Zhejiang University between February 2016 and February 2017. Patients logon the internet hospital with the computer or mobile phone. The information included patients’ characteristics and the information of diseases. RESULTS There were totally 715 visits. According to the system classification, the former five ones were musculoskeletal system (12.73%), the digestive system (11.33%), the reproductive system (9.23%), urinary tract (7.69%) and the endocrine system (6.58%). According to the management, 451 patients (63.08%) should visit the offline clinic, 181 patients (25.31%) had received medication or test appointment, 9 people (1.26%) should use emergency department, and 74 people (10.35%) need supportive counseling. All patients received the corresponding health education. According to the diagnosis, 563 patients (78.74%) are diagnosed, while 152 individuals (21.26%) are medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS). CONCLUSIONS Internet- and mobile-based online practice is feasible and convenient for patients with high satisfaction. Patients with chronic disease, health consultation and health education are suitable for internet hospital.