Reaching number three on the list, ‘Perimenopause and/or menopause help-seeking among women from ethnic minorities: a qualitative study of primary care practitioners’ experiences’ was completed by the department’s Researcher Jennifer MacLellan and NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow Dr Sharon Dixon. In the study the researchers found several causes for why women from ethnic minorities have a different experience to white women when seeking support for perimenopause and menopause. These include limited awareness and open discussion in some minority groups due to sensitivity about reproductive health; differing descriptions of symptoms which practitioners may not recognise as menopause related; language barriers and lack of multi-lingual resources; and a lack of confidence in assessing symptoms through a menopause lens, especially for male practitioners. Writing in the BJGP, the researchers conclude that better awareness, information resources in a range of languages, access to female practitioners and support for a holistic interpretation of symptoms could all improve perimenopause and menopause care for ethnic minority women.
Also in the top 10 most-read list is ‘Association of strong opioids and antibiotics prescribing with GP burnout: a retrospective cross-sectional study’, co-authored by the department’s Professor of Primary Care and Clinical Informatics, Simon de Lusignan. The researchers studied data from 57 GP practices across the UK and found that GPs experiencing signs of burnout, expressing job dissatisfaction and working longer hours prescribed higher volumes of opioids and antibiotics. GPs in northern England also prescribed twice as many opioids and 50% more antibiotics compared to those in southern England. The study suggests GP wellness can contribute to overprescribing of medications like opioids and antibiotics. The authors suggest policies to monitor and address GP wellness within practices could help with appropriate prescribing and patient safety.
Read of the full top 10 list on BJGP website.