Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2023
Observational StudyPersonal Continuity and Appropriate Prescribing in Primary Care.
Personal continuity between patient and physician is a core value of primary care. Although previous studies suggest that personal continuity is associated with fewer potentially inappropriate prescriptions, evidence on continuity and prescribing in primary care is scarce. We aimed to determine the association between personal continuity and potentially inappropriate prescriptions, which encompasses potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs), by family physicians among older patients. ⋯ A higher level of personal continuity is associated with more appropriate prescribing. Increasing personal continuity may improve the quality of prescriptions and reduce harmful consequences.
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Family medicine physicians take care of patients and their families "from womb to tomb." This phrase is particularly apt in Oregon, where the Death with Dignity Act allows for terminally ill patients to end their lives with self-administered medications prescribed by a physician. This story chronicles my first experience caring for a patient under the Death with Dignity Act; that night of her death at home, surrounded by the warmth of her life and loved ones, opened my mind to the possibilities of what the patient-physician relationship entails, from the routine of meeting her family to the intimacy of assisting in her decision to die.
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2023
Investigating Patient Experience, Satisfaction, and Trust in an Integrated Virtual Care (IVC) Model: A Cross-Sectional Survey.
To improve access to primary care in underserved communities, we established a hybrid model of delivering team-based, comprehensive primary care using both in-person and virtual care options with family physician leadership. Using a cross-sectional online survey (n = 121), results showed high levels (90%) of patient satisfaction. ⋯ This can be achieved regardless of whether patients had previously been attached to the same family physician before receiving care through the hybrid model. Annals "Online First" article.
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Annals of family medicine · Jul 2023
Joint Display of Integrated Data Collection for Mixed Methods Research: An Illustration From a Pediatric Oncology Quality Improvement Study.
Researchers often struggle to integrate quantitative and qualitative data. Joint displays of data collected using mixed methods provide a framework for supporting integration, yet the literature lacks methodologic articles illustrating in detail the iterative nature of constructing such displays. We demonstrate the process for creating a joint display for integrating the collection of data obtained by qualitative and quantitative methods. ⋯ Challenges of integration, though not unique to prospective mixed methods cohort studies, stem from the sheer volume of qualitative and quantitative information and the need to logically organize the data in preparation for integrated data analysis. Tailoring joint displays to specific studies is challenging, but mixed methods researchers who embrace the methodologic malleability can produce effective joint displays to illustrate the mixed data collection linkages and create a preliminary structure ultimately for organizing mixed data findings.