Journal of general internal medicine
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Multicenter Study
Administrator Perspectives on ICU-to-Ward Transfers and Content Contained in Existing Transfer Tools: a Cross-sectional Survey.
The transfer of critically ill patients from the intensive care unit (ICU) to hospital ward is challenging. Shortcomings in the delivery of care for patients transferred from the ICU have been associated with higher healthcare costs and poor satisfaction with care. Little is known about how hospital ward providers, who accept care of these patients, perceive current transfer practices nor which aspects of transfer they perceive as needing improvement. ⋯ ICU and ward administrators have similar perspectives of transfer practices and identified patient/family engagement and communication as priorities for improvement. Key information categories exist.
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New persistent opioid use is a common postoperative complication, with 6% of previously opioid-naïve patients continuing to fill opioid prescriptions 3-6 months after surgery. Despite these risks, it is unknown which specialties prescribe opioids to these vulnerable patients. ⋯ Among surgical patients who developed new persistent opioid use, surgeons provide the majority of opioid prescriptions during the first 3 months after surgery. By 9 to 12 months after surgery, however, the majority of opioid prescriptions were provided by primary care physicians. Enhanced care coordination between surgeons and primary care physicians could allow earlier identification of patients at risk for new persistent opioid use to prevent misuse and dependence.
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A patient's self-management of chronic disease is influenced in part by their explanatory model of illness (EMI) and daily lived experiences (DLE). Unfortunately, assessing patient's EMI and using this information to engage patients in chronic illness self-management continues to be a challenge. ⋯ Participants reported that HMM helped them develop new insight about their illness and was a catalyst for encouraging them to take control of their illness. HMM has the potential to facilitate communication with providers and engage patients in collaborative goal setting to improve self-care in chronic illness.
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Bone densitometry (e.g., dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or "DXA") is strongly associated with osteoporosis treatment; however, rates of DXA are low. While studies have demonstrated a continued need for primary care provider education on the role of DXA in preventive care, little is known about the role of patient attitudes toward DXA. This review's purpose is to synthesize the evidence about the effects of patient perceptions and experiences of DXA on osteoporosis prevention. ⋯ Minimal knowledge exists of patient perceptions and experiences of DXA among those who are fracture naïve: Prior research has focused primarily on secondary fracture prevention contexts. Our metasynthesis reveals patients' significant reliance, given their limited risk appraisal and knowledge, upon primary care providers in decision-making. We urge colleagues to conduct qualitative research on DXA barriers among general primary care population in order to facilitate health care delivery systems better equipped to diagnose and treat patients before their first fracture.
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Multicenter Study
Changes in Australian Early-Career General Practitioners' Benzodiazepine Prescribing: a Longitudinal Analysis.
Australian and international guidelines recommend benzodiazepines and related drugs (hereafter "benzodiazepines") as second-line, short-term medications only. Most benzodiazepines are prescribed by general practitioners (GPs; family physicians). Australian GP registrars ("trainees" or "residents" participating in a post-hospital training, apprenticeship-like, practice-based vocational training program), like senior GPs, prescribe benzodiazepines at high rates. Education within a training program, and experience in general practice, would be expected to reduce benzodiazepine prescribing. ⋯ Despite a welcome temporal trend for reductions in overall benzodiazepine prescribing from 2010 to 2015, there is still room for improvement and our findings suggest a lack of effect of specific GP vocational training program education and, thus, an opportunity for targeted education.