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Giving antibiotics to patients with indigestion and Helicobacter pylori infection may eliminate the infection but not reduce their symptoms. This bacterium has been linked to peptic ulcer as well as indigestion. Researchers randomly assigned 328 patients with indigestion and Helicobacter pylori infection to take anti-ulcer medication and antibiotics or anti-ulcer medication alone. The infection was eradicated in 79% of those taking both drugs, compared to 2% of those taking anti-ulcer medication alone. However, symptom reduction occurred in only 27% of those taking both drugs and 21% of those taking anti-ulcer medication alone.

Background: There is little literature related to access to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care that incorporates the perspective of key system stakeholders, such as primary healthcare providers (PHCP), despite their clear and integral role in facilitating access.Objective: This study aimed to identify barriers to referring patients to speciality IBD care as perceived by referring PHCP. In particular, we sought to understand PHCP satisfaction with the current IBD specialist referral system, as well as indicators of geographic variance to access.Methods: A population-based survey was mailed out to currently practising PHCPs who have referred or who are currently referring patients to IBD speciality care in Nova Scotia (Canada). Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses were performed. Qualitative comments were themed using framework analysis to identify key barriers.Results: The majority of PHCP (57%) were dissatisfied with the current referral process due to long patient wait times and perceived system inefficiency. Key areas of geographic variance in access included access to speciality care in the community and patient wait times. PHCPs suggested ideas to improve access including increased gastroenterologist supply, particularly in rural areas, and the creation of a provincial centralized referral and triage process.Conclusions: PHCPs play an important role in identifying and managing patients with IBD in partnership with gastroenterologists. This study identifies key PHCP perceived barriers that may prevent patients from accessing speciality IBD care. Understanding and addressing barriers to access from multiple stakeholder perspectives, including PHCPs, has the potential to support informed system redesign and overcome access inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Our community-driven projects address concerns of Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities about Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, responsible for elevated gastric cancer mortality in the region. Community research partners wished to learn whether bacterial characteristics determine severity of Hp -related disease in their communities. We aimed to describe gastric histopathology by cagA genotype of Hp isolated from residents of 7 Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories and Yukon. Methods Participants underwent gastroscopy with 5-6 biopsies taken for histopathological assessment and 2 biopsies taken for tissue culture during 2008-2017. We used multiple PCR reactions and DNA sequence analysis to classify Hp genotypes as cagA+ or cagA -. A single pathologist used the updated Sydney classification system to grade severity of 5 gastric pathology outcomes: Hp density; chronic gastritis; active gastritis; atrophy; and intestinal metaplasia. We estimated prevalence of each outcome with 95% confidence intervals (CI) by gastric subsite and cagA status. Results Of 262 Hp isolates assessed, 142 (54%) were cagA +. Prevalence of moderate-high Hp density, severe chronic gastritis, moderate-severe active gastritis, atrophy, and metaplasia were (%[CI]): respectively, 78[70-85], 44[36-53], 65[56-72], 55[46-63], 25[18-33] in cagA + participants and 61[52-70], 35[27-44], 31[23-40], 32[23-41], 8[4-15] in cagA - participants. cagA + participants had higher prevalence of all outcomes in antrum and corpus. Conclusion Hp -infected Indigenous residents of Arctic Canada who harbored cagA -positive strains had higher prevalence of more severe gastric pathology than those with cagA -negative strains. Key messages Community-driven research answers questions posed by those who bear the disease burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major international guidelines recommend mental health screening during the perinatal period. However, substantial barriers to screening have been reported by pregnant and postpartum women and perinatal care providers. E-screening offers benefits that may address implementation challenges.Objective: The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Web-based mental health e-screening compared with paper-based screening among pregnant women. A secondary objective was to identify factors associated with women's preferences for e-screening and disclosure of mental health concerns.Methods: Pregnant women recruited from community and hospital-based antenatal clinics and hospital-based prenatal classes were computer-randomized to a fully automated Web-based e-screening intervention group or a paper-based control group. Women were eligible if they spoke or read English, were willing to be randomized to e-screening, and were willing to participate in a follow-up diagnostic interview. The intervention group completed the Antenatal Psychosocial Health Assessment and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale on a tablet computer, while controls completed them on paper. All women completed self-report baseline questions and were telephoned 1 week after randomization by a blinded research assistant for a MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Renker and Tonkin's tool of feasibility and acceptability of computerized screening was used to assess the feasibility and acceptability of e-screening compared with paper-based screening. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. To identify factors associated with preference for e-screening and disclosure, variables associated with each outcome at P<.20 were simultaneously entered into final multivariable models to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% CIs.Results: Of the 675 eligible women approached, 636 agreed to participate (participation rate 94.2%) and were randomized to the intervention (n=305) or control (n=331) groups. There were no significant baseline differences between groups. More women in the e-screening group strongly or somewhat agreed that they would like to use a tablet for answering questions on emotional health (57.9%, 175/302 vs 37.2%, 121/325) and would prefer using a tablet to paper (46.0%, 139/302 vs 29.2%, 95/325), compared with women in the paper-based screening group. There were no differences between groups in women's disclosure of emotional health concerns (94.1%, 284/302 vs 90.2%, 293/325). Women in the e-screening group consistently reported the features of e-screening more favorably than controls (more private or confidential, less impersonal, less time-consuming). In the multivariable models, being in the e-screening group was significantly associated with preferring e-screening (AOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.66-3.17), while no factors were significantly associated with disclosure.Conclusions: The findings suggest that mental health e-screening is feasible and acceptable to pregnant women.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01899534; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01899534 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ntWg1yWb). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines whether a self-help intervention in the form of a guidebook or a group meetings reduce consultation rates and symptom severity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. The success of the intervention depends on the content of a handbook. The Internet also has an increasingly large role in patients' information seeking about their disease and possible treatments.