Competent to care. Are all doctors competent in nutrition?

Optimising nutrition is known to improve outcome in a variety of specialities from elderly care to orthopaedics. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines of 2006 have provided standards to positively influence the profile of nutrition within the National Health Service. However, what role do doctors have in this process? Clearly, not all doctors are competent in nutrition. In a recent US survey only 14% of resident physicians reported feeling adequately trained to provide nutrition counselling. A lack of knowledge has also been demonstrated by general practitioners (GP). The Intercollegiate Group on Nutrition is working to improve nutritional knowledge in British medical graduates. In addition, nutritional care is now a core competency assessed in the UK Foundation Programme curriculum, which can only be a positive step. The assessment process may even influence some of the supervising consultants. What about those doctors currently practising in the UK? Recently, a questionnaire study was undertaken to look at healthcare professionals' knowledge of the benefits and risks of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding. Important gaps in knowledge were found that were positively correlated with whether respondents had received relevant education. Referral for a PEG was considered to be appropriate for patients with advanced dementia by 31% of the GP compared with 10% of the consultants. Only 4% of these GP had received any training in this ethically-sensitive area at a time when they may be asked to countersign consent forms for patients who lack competence. So, what is the way forward? Positive steps are being taken in the undergraduate curriculum and Foundation Programme. Perhaps it is the responsibility of those doctors with the skills and opportunities to promote good nutritional knowledge in those doctors already practising in the UK

Welsh language adaptation of the short-form Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised (JEPQR-S)

A sample of 780 pupils attending year four, five, and six classes in Welsh medium primary schools completed a Welsh translation of the short-form Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised. The findings support the satisfactory nature of the psychometric properties of the three ten-item scales designed to measure extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism, together with the ten-item lie scale

Lovers and Other Supernatural Beings

Program listing performers and works performe

UNLV Wind Orchestra & Green Valley High Symphonic Band

Program listing performers and works performed

Des Moines Architecture and Design

Review of: "Des Moines Architecture and Design," by Jay Pridmore