The extent of alcohol education and GPs' attitudes towards alcohol were associated with the reported number of patients managed. Thus, it is worth exploring the extent to which improved education, using pharmacotherapy in primary health care and a shift to personalized health care in which individual patients are facilitated to undertake their own assessment and management (individual responsibility) might increase the number of heavy drinkers who receive feedback on their drinking and support to reduce their drinking.

Our findings suggest that COAs have a less healthy lifestyle and more mental health difficulties above and beyond the poorer economic environment they live in.

Screening and brief intervention (SBI) presents an effective early response by healthcare professionals to their patients' alcohol-related problems. This qualitative research study used focus group discussions with general practitioners (GPs) to identify incentives that may increase the use of SBI in Slovene general practice. Seven categories of actions that may improve the use of SBI were identified: motivation, professional institution, financial support, adequate knowledge and skills, community support, workload (i.e. relief from the burden of current obligations in order to allow more time for prevention), and record keeping (suitable medical documentation). Several of these actions can be changed by the GPs themselves (motivation, adequate knowledge and skills, and record keeping), while the remaining four require more extensive community action on the part of society as a whole, e.g. government intervention. The results of this study will guide future changes in the way that prevention strategies for excess alcohol consumption will be implemented in Slovenia.

Backgroundthe European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS-GMS) recommendations for training in Geriatric Medicine were published in 1993. The practice of Geriatric Medicine has developed considerably since then and it has therefore become necessary to update these recommendations.Methodsunder the auspices of the UEMS-GMS, the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) and the European Academy of Medicine of Ageing (EAMA), a group of experts, representing all member states of the respective bodies developed a new framework for education and training of specialists in Geriatric Medicine using a modified Delphi technique. Thirty-two expert panel members from 30 different countries participated in the process comprising three Delphi rounds for consensus. The process was led by five facilitators.Resultsthe final recommendations include four different domains: ‘General Considerations’ on the structure and aim of the syllabus as well as quality indicators for training (6 sub-items), ‘Knowledge in patient care’ (36 sub-items), ‘Additional Skills and Attitude required for a Geriatrician’ (9 sub-items) and a domain on ‘Assessment of postgraduate education: which items are important for the transnational comparison process’ (1 item).Conclusionthe current publication describes the development of the new recommendations endorsed by UEMS-GMS, EuGMS and EAMA as minimum training requirements to become a geriatrician at specialist level in EU member states.

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