Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional condition of the bowel that is diagnosed using
clinical criteria. This paper discusses the nature of the diagnostic process for IBS and how …

Objectives To understand the reasons behind, and experience of, seeking and receiving
emergency ambulance treatment for a 'primary care sensitive'condition. Design A …

Background Despite economic growth and improved health outcomes over the past few
decades, China still experiences striking urban-rural health inequalities. Urban and rural …

Comparing accessibility between urban and rural areas requires measurement instruments
that are equally discriminating in each context. Through focus groups we explored and …

The field of rural health in Australia, and elsewhere, is known for its problems-the difficulties
of providing accessible health services, recruiting staff and providing quality healthcare. This …

Changes in cost sharing and remuneration system in the Netherlands in 2006 led to clear
changes in financial incentives faced by both consumers and general practitioner (GPs). For …

In light of the ambiguity of meanings attributed to the concept of stoicism we critically explore
its use as a label to explain and describe health and illness behaviour, juxtaposing the often …

Background Pre-hospital emergency medical services (EMS) are an integral part of
emergency medical care. EMS planning can be achieved by analyzing patterns of use …

Background The burden of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) on the general health and well-
being of the population has been documented in various studies. The objective of this study …

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a well diagnosed disease, thoroughly attributed to series of
symptoms criteria that embrace a broad range of abdominal complainers. Such criteria help …