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Cardiovascular

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Featured articles

View Cardiovascular Articles

Here you will find:

More than 500 articles especially written by colleagues to support your care of patients with the cardiovascular diseases commonly seen in primary care.

Articles on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cardiovascular conditions such as:

…and more.

Simple and informative infographics which will answer questions such as “How do these drugs work?”, “What causes this heart condition?” and much more.

How to: create and maintain a Coronary Heart Disease

The aim of the National Primary Care Development Team (NPDT) is to develop healthcare professionals who have the knowledge and skills to apply quality improvement methods to local priorities. CHD is one such priority and has been within the focus of our work for almost four years. Working in partnership with other agencies who share our priorities is essential. Janet Potts, who leads on the work of the NPDT in West Yorkshire, joined forces with Adele Graham from the CHD Collaborative in West Yorkshire, to give the strongest possible support to local primary healthcare professionals. The CHD register ‘recipe’ was devised by this partnership.

Bringing CHD management back to primary care

Managing heart failure effectively in the community Community-based nurses are at the forefront of vigorous efforts to improve the management of coronary heart disease. The Coronary Heart Disease Collaborative is spearheading 30 projects around the country to find practical ways forward. This issue reviews how Durham Dales PCT has brought the management of heart failure firmly back into primary care, with up-to-date registers of heart failure patients and regular clinics in the community.

Making sense of heart failure and its treatment

Heart failure is a high priority in primary care, with the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease, the NICE Heart Failure Guidance, and the new General Medical Services contract quality indicators all setting clear standards for improving the management of patients with this increasingly common condition. This four-page pull-out supplement provides you with a need-to-know, need-to-keep guide.

Improving the management of diabetic foot conditions

Foot complications are very common in patients with diabetes. At least one in six diabetics develop foot ulcers at some point in their lives. This article reviews why foot complications occur in diabetes, how you can detect foot problems early, and treatment and prevention strategies. The National Service Framework for Diabetes suggests that targeted foot care for people at high risk could save hundreds of amputations a year. By detecting complications earlier, we can make a real difference to patients’ lives, reducing morbidity, improving quality of life and even saving limbs.

The Primary Care Training Centre

The Primary Care Training Centre (PCTC) was set up eight years ago with the aim of providing practical, evidence-based training for primary care health professionals. It was started in response to requests from primary care professionals who were concerned that there was no training specifically for them, particularly on the important subjects of diabetes and coronary heart disease prevention. Existing courses sometimes failed to fully understand the primary care situation.

Running a successful cardiovascular clinic in general practice

The very good audit data for this practice has led to its winning awards. So how does the practice do it? This ‘day in the life of’ photo diary gives a step-by-step guide to the key elements of running a successful cardiovascular clinic in general practice.

Expanding the role of health care assistants in primary care

As practice nurses take on a growing role in the organisation and implementation of chronic disease management, they need more help in many of the routine – but important – tasks this involves. Health care assistants (HCAs) are providing growing support in this capacity. This article explores what HCAs are taking on and issues regarding their training and regulation.

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