PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P W Barritt

Publications and source records attributed to P W Barritt.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Measuring success in asthma care: a repeat audit.

An asthma audit was first performed in 1984 in a two-doctor semi-rural training practice in Shroshire with 4400 patients. This paper reports on a repeat of the audit in 1987 in the same practice, following a programme of minimal intervention. Interviews were conducted with 192 asthmatics, 96% of those known to the practice on a manual register. Between the 1984 and 1987 audits there was a significant increase in ownership of peak flow meters and their use for monitoring progress and an improvement in inhaler technique. There was a general improvement in patients' knowledge about asthma. Inadequate control was shown in 22% of the sample in 1987, but half of these patients were known to be non-compliant. There were significant improvements in scores for asthma disability in night-time symptoms in children (P less than 0.05) and in daytime symptoms in adults (P less than 0.001) between 1984 and 1987. It is concluded that improved levels of asthma care have been achieved in a small practice using checklists, booklets and repeated audit, but without structured follow up or an asthma clinic.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1984

Deafness after otitis media in general practice.

Forty-one children between the ages of four and 10 years who presented with acute otitis media were offered routine audiometry six weeks after the attack. Fifteen of the 39 children who attended audiometry failed the test at six weeks, and eight children had a persistent hearing loss of 30 decibels (dB) or greater at three months and so were referred to an ENT specialist. In all these eight children an abnormal tympanic membrane had been detected before audiograms were seen. The mother's opinion of the child's hearing and the assessment by the doctor using tuning fork and whisper test were much less accurate. A total of 17 children had abnormal auroscopic appearances and 11 of these failed their first audiogram, eight failed the second and they were therefore referred.It is suggested that general practitioners should examine the ears of children six weeks after an attack of otitis media. Those children with abnormal tympanic membranes should undergo audiometry at three months, and those whose audiograms fail should then be referred.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1984

Care of the dying in one practice.

Deaths in a two-doctor semirural dispensing practice with 3,800 patients were studied for 12 months. In this time there were 31 deaths, six of which were sudden and unexpected. Eleven patients died in hospital while undergoing investigation or initial treatment. Only 14 patients required terminal care, three of whom received this entirely in hospital. Six patients died at home and five others were transferred to hospital in the later stages. Consideration is given to the work involved with care of the dying, and also to the services available for patients who die at home. A charitable home nursing service was set up as a result of this study and this is described.

Aged↗
PubMed1975

Student views on continuous assessment at Birmingham University Medical School.

Student opinion on the system of continuous assessment used at Birmingham Medical School was sampled by distributing questionnaires to 621 students in the first four years of the course; 482 questionnaires (78%) were returned. Many comments and criticisms of the system were received but the vast majority of students (92%) said they preferred the present style of assessment to conventional final examinations. These criticisms are discussed and recommendations are made to improve the existing scheme.

Attitude↗