InnovAiT: Education and inspiration for general practice

Travel abroad is becoming increasingly commonplace. In the 1960s, international travellers numbered almost 100 million. The 1990s saw over 4% growth annually in the tourism industry. By 2002, this number was closer to 715 million. This increasing mobility is in part due to the availability of economical air transport. Despite the 6% fall in visits abroad by UK travellers in light of the recent financial downturn, large numbers of people continue to travel abroad.

With cheap airfares, international travel has become commonplace. In 2007, around 70 million trips abroad were made by UK residents compared to 30 million in 1987. Around 1 in 10 travellers seek medical attention for symptoms that they have developed abroad after visiting the developing world, either while still abroad or on their return to the UK. This article aims to provide the GP with a strategy to deal with such patients presenting to primary care.

Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that can be life threatening and difficult to diagnose. It is the most commonly imported tropical disease in the UK. From 2000 to 2008, there were 85 deaths in the UK from malaria, an average of nine per year. It is essential that GPs are able to identify those at high risk and act accordingly to prevent fatalities.

Constipation affects about 15–20% of the population in the UK. It tends to cause problems at the extremes of age and women are more commonly affected than men. Constipation is associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in 59%, pelvic floor dysfunction in 29% and slow transit in 13%. Many people manage their constipation themselves with diet or over-the-counter medication. This article aims to provide a strategy for GPs to manage those with more severe symptoms who present to general practice.

Constipation in childhood is a common problem that is frequently seen in general practice. Constipation can be defined as an infrequent passage of stool or difficulty passing stools. The term also encompasses distress on defecation and a feeling of incomplete evacuation. The aims of this article are to provide an overview of how to approach constipation in general practice. This approach will include how to diagnose constipation, consideration of predisposing factors, treatment options and when to refer.

Bowel obstruction is a common surgical emergency. It can affect the small or large bowel and there are a number of possible aetiologies. Management requires prompt identification and referral to secondary care for further investigation and possible surgical intervention. Early diagnosis and management planning are the key to reducing morbidity and mortality associated with bowel obstruction from any cause.

Research was defined for the purposes of the UK Universities Research Assessment Exercise in 2001 as ‘original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding’. This article will examine how this translates in practical terms in general practice, what impact research has had on our clinical work as GPs and what opportunities exist for Associates-in-Training interested in engaging in research at different stages of their career.

There is a well documented association between coeliac disease and reduced bone mineral density (BMD). Osteopenia and osteoporosis are both preventable and treatable. There are clear clinical recommendations available for measuring BMD in subgroups of patients with coeliac disease. However, it is suspected that within the practice population these standards are not being achieved. This suspicion is based on routine clinical encounters with patients with coeliac disease.

The use of the Internet and technology has become an integral part of daily life. An important aspect has been the rise of social software and a wide variety of services, from instant messaging to social networking, are now used by millions of people across the world. The opportunity to use these services is no longer restricted to a personal computer because most are also easily accessible by mobile phones. The challenge is how to effectively use what is essentially a social and leisure phenomenon as something that can add value to teaching and enhance learning. New and innovative approaches to education are required but effectively responding to this challenge requires the development of a new range of so-called digital competences.