Journal of general internal medicine
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COVID-19 restrictions and fear dramatically changed the use of medical care. Understanding the magnitude of cancelled and postponed appointments and associated factors can help identify approaches to mitigate unmet need. ⋯ Cancelled medical care and cancer screening were more common among persons with medical conditions, anxiety and depression, even after accounting for COVID-19 deaths. Outreach and support to ensure that patients are not avoiding needed care due to anxiety, depression and inaccurate perceptions of risk will be important.
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Delays in Follow-up Care for Abnormal Mammograms in Mobile Mammography Versus Fixed-Clinic Patients.
Mobile mammographic services (MM) have been shown to increase breast cancer screening in medically underserved women. However, little is known about MM patients' adherence to follow-up of abnormal mammograms and how this compares with patients from traditional, fixed clinics. ⋯ A substantial proportion of women screened using MM had follow-up delays. Women who are African American, self-referred, or unmarried are particularly at risk of experiencing delays in care for an abnormal mammogram.
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Hospitals are increasingly screening patients for social risk factors to help improve patient and population health. Intelligence gained from such screening can be used to inform social need interventions, the development of hospital-community collaborations, and community investment decisions. ⋯ Hospital patients' social needs differed between hospitals within a metropolitan area. Patients at different hospitals have different needs. Local considerations are essential in formulating social need interventions and in developing hospital-community partnerships to address these needs.